DOJ warns Muslim bashing on social media may be federal offense
It’s come to this: The two top U.S. Department of Justice officials in Tennessee have organized a meeting to discuss the fact that not all American Muslims are terrorists and those who trash Muslims on social media may be violating civil rights.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Bill Killian, and the special agent in charge of the state’s FBI office, Kenneth Moore, will speak next week at a meeting called, “Public Disclosure in a Diverse Society.”
The American Muslim Advisory Council of Tennessee is sponsoring the event to promote understanding about the Muslim culture, the Tullahoma News reported.
If you didn’t know that inflammatory postings about Muslims on social media could be a federal civil rights violation, you aren’t alone. Which is why Killian and Moore will address just that topic.
According to the article:
Killian and Moore will provide input on how civil rights can be violated by those who post inflammatory documents targeted at Muslims on social media.
“This is an educational effort with civil rights laws as they play into freedom of religion and exercising freedom of religion,” Killian told The News Monday. “This is also to inform the public what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are.”
Killian said Internet postings that violate civil rights are subject to federal jurisdiction.
“That’s what everybody needs to understand,” he said.
And what speech on “not all Muslims are terrorists” would be complete without some comparison to Christian Timothy McVeigh and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing? Or the Christian, white-supremacist Wade Michael Page and the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting in 2012?
So, the state’s top attorney for the federal government will try to make sure people understand there really isn’t a difference:
Killian said the presentation will also focus on Muslim culture and how, that although terrorist acts have been committed by some in the faith, they are no different from those in other religions.
“Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were both Christians as was the guy who shot up the Sikh temple,” Killian said. “Sikhs are not Muslim. Many people think they are Muslim, but they split off with the Hindu religion.”
Killian said he has made other presentations in the state about Muslim culture and civil rights laws, and the Muslims he’s become acquainted with are outstanding citizens.
“Some of the finest people I’ve met are Muslims,” he said, adding later: “We want to inform everybody about what the law is, but more importantly, we want to provide what the law means to Muslims, Hindus and every other religion in the country.”
“It’s why we came here in the first place. In England, they were using Christianity to further their power in government. That’s why the First Amendment is there.”
The difference Killian fails to point out here is that domestic terrorists McVeigh and Page were not religious extremists. I do not recall ever hearing that either yelled, “God is great” while killing people, or ever said they acted in the name of Christianity.
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/05...-on-social-media-may-be-federal-offense-73629
It’s come to this: The two top U.S. Department of Justice officials in Tennessee have organized a meeting to discuss the fact that not all American Muslims are terrorists and those who trash Muslims on social media may be violating civil rights.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Bill Killian, and the special agent in charge of the state’s FBI office, Kenneth Moore, will speak next week at a meeting called, “Public Disclosure in a Diverse Society.”
The American Muslim Advisory Council of Tennessee is sponsoring the event to promote understanding about the Muslim culture, the Tullahoma News reported.
If you didn’t know that inflammatory postings about Muslims on social media could be a federal civil rights violation, you aren’t alone. Which is why Killian and Moore will address just that topic.
According to the article:
Killian and Moore will provide input on how civil rights can be violated by those who post inflammatory documents targeted at Muslims on social media.
“This is an educational effort with civil rights laws as they play into freedom of religion and exercising freedom of religion,” Killian told The News Monday. “This is also to inform the public what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are.”
Killian said Internet postings that violate civil rights are subject to federal jurisdiction.
“That’s what everybody needs to understand,” he said.
And what speech on “not all Muslims are terrorists” would be complete without some comparison to Christian Timothy McVeigh and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing? Or the Christian, white-supremacist Wade Michael Page and the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting in 2012?
So, the state’s top attorney for the federal government will try to make sure people understand there really isn’t a difference:
Killian said the presentation will also focus on Muslim culture and how, that although terrorist acts have been committed by some in the faith, they are no different from those in other religions.
“Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were both Christians as was the guy who shot up the Sikh temple,” Killian said. “Sikhs are not Muslim. Many people think they are Muslim, but they split off with the Hindu religion.”
Killian said he has made other presentations in the state about Muslim culture and civil rights laws, and the Muslims he’s become acquainted with are outstanding citizens.
“Some of the finest people I’ve met are Muslims,” he said, adding later: “We want to inform everybody about what the law is, but more importantly, we want to provide what the law means to Muslims, Hindus and every other religion in the country.”
“It’s why we came here in the first place. In England, they were using Christianity to further their power in government. That’s why the First Amendment is there.”
The difference Killian fails to point out here is that domestic terrorists McVeigh and Page were not religious extremists. I do not recall ever hearing that either yelled, “God is great” while killing people, or ever said they acted in the name of Christianity.
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/05...-on-social-media-may-be-federal-offense-73629
