Just before he holds hearings on the “radicalization” of Muslims in America, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will appear on the new TV show for a group that believes Muslims are the enemies of America.
In early February, King, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, will appear on the debut episode of a TV show produced by the group Act! For America. The group’s founder, Brigitte Gabriel, believes that Muslims can’t be trusted to serve in the U.S. armed forces; that “tens of thousands of Islamic militants now reside in America … attending our colleges and universities, even infiltrating our government;” and that Americans must unite to “defeat radical Islam.”
Who counts as a radical Muslim to Gabriel?
“Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim,” she says. [Ed. note: Gabriel has disputed this quote. See below.]
King will be the first guest on Gabriel’s new cable show, according to a press release. Gabriel will be the host.
“We are especially grateful to Rep. King for appearing on our debut episode to discuss the kinds of issues Congress and America need to face if we are going to defeat the threat of radical Islam,” Gabriel said in the release. “I commend Rep. King for his decision to convene hearings on the issue of Muslim radicalization and the rising threat of homegrown terrorism.”
King’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Ed. note: After publication, a spokesman for Act! contacted TPM to dispute the veracity of the quote, “Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim,” which was attributed to Gabriel by the Australian Jewish News and repeated by the New York Times.
Here is his statement:
Brigitte Gabriel never gave this quote to a reporter with the Australian Jewish News. Â It is a fabrication. Â Ms. Gabriel does not believe “every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim.”
This fabrication has been perpetuated without factual basis for awhile now, and other media outlets have not done their due diligence to determine the veracity of the quote. Â As previously stated, the group is against radical Islam, not the religion as a whole–as confirmed by Brigitte’s numerous other public statements and support from some moderate Muslims. Â We ask that you show journalistic integrity and avoid continuing this falsehood which is not backed up by original sources, tape recordings or other evidence.
We’ve reached out to the Australian Jewish News and will let you know if we hear back.
