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DOJ: Anti-Muslim Rhetoric Could Violate Law
Townhall.com ^ | June 4, 2013 | Todd Starnes

Posted on 06/05/2013 3:54:48 AM PDT by Kaslin

A U.S. attorney in Tennessee said that it's possible that some inflammatory criticism of Muslims posted on social networking sites could violate federal civil rights laws.

“We need to educate people about Muslims and their civil rights, and as long as we’re here, they’re going to be protected,” U.S. attorney Bill Killian told the Tullahoma News last week. “This is also to inform the public about what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are.”

Killian, along with an FBI agent, are expected to attend a meeting Tuesday in Manchester, Tenn. hosted by a local Muslim group to “educate people on the First Amendment and its application in society.”

His comments sparked concern among conservative groups that the federal government is about to crack down on anti-Muslim rhetoric -- a claim the U.S. attorney denies.

“It has nothing to do with Sharia law,” Killian told me in a telephone interview. “It has to do with the United States Constitution and federal statutes. You have a right under the First Amendment to hate Muslims. You can hate all Muslims if you want to."

But he added a caveat -- "as long as it does not rise to the level of violating federal civil rights laws.”

The meeting comes after a Tennessee lawmaker posted a photograph of a man aiming a shotgun with the caption, “How to wink at a Muslim.”

“It’s an open forum to discuss the First Amendment -- to discuss its application to all religions and to Muslim religions,” he said. “And to discuss federal civil rights statutes which we’ve done at other times and other places.”

Killian said the federal government has participated in at least a dozen similar Muslim education meetings across the state.

But Andy Miller, of the Tennessee Freedom Coalition, believes the federal government is using those meetings to silence and intimidate critics of Islam.

“There’s an effort to step on free speech -- any speech that’s contrary to Islam,” Miller tells me. “It seems like our federal government is going down that path.”

Miller said Tennessee has become a battleground over what he called a crackdown on anti-Muslim speech.

“This is the Bible Belt,” he said. “There’s an effort to prove that if they can do it here, they can do it anywhere.”

Killian said the supposition that the federal government would prosecute people for exercising their constitutional rights is “ridiculous.”

“We don’t prosecute people for the First Amendment,” he said. “In fact, this event is promoting the First Amendment for all people -- not only to exercise their religion, but to express their freedom of speech regardless of what it is.”

But the big question is where free speech might cross the line and violate federal civil rights laws.

“Could an Internet posting or letter in the mail or a phone call or a personal confrontation constitute a violation of those statutes,” he asked, citing 18 US Code 241 and 18 US Code 245. “Yes, it could.”

So what about the lawmaker who posted the photograph of the shotgun? Would that be a violation of federal law?

“I don’t know whether it does or not,” Killian said. “We’re treating that as if it were offensive conduct and trying to use this event as we have on many other occasions in the district -- utilize events of this nature to have people understand the Muslim religion and the Arab and Muslim people.”

Miller said the government’s explanation is problematic.

“It doesn’t make anybody here locally feel any better,” he said. “It seems as though they are creating a sacred group here that consistently gets attention from the federal government.”

“It’s interesting the Department of Justice and Homeland Security really seem to take up the banner for the Muslim population,” Miller said. “Why aren’t they having one for the Baptists? Why aren’t they having one for the Methodists? Why aren’t they having one for Jews?”

And Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, believes the Obama administration is using federal law to protect Muslims from criticism, Politico reports.

“In its latest effort to protect followers of Islam in the U.S., the Obama Justice Department warns against using social media to spread information considered inflammatory against Muslims, threatening that it could constitute a violation of civil rights,” the group wrote online.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: agatheringofweasels; bhoislamism; civilrights; corruption; dhimmi; dojerks; ericaholdumb; firstamendment; govtabuse; islam; islamicinfiltration; islamofascism; justicedepartment; killian; killianthedhimmi; law; liarliar; makebelieveballroom; mbinfiltration; midgetliar; muslimbrotherhood; muslims; nosharialaw; obama; rhetoric; sharia; shariah; shariainamerica; tacky; tackytacky; tackytaquiyya; taquiyya; taquiyyatacky; taquiyyataquiyya; tennessee
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1 posted on 06/05/2013 3:54:48 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
"We need to educate people about Muslims and their civil rights"

and Eff all the rest

2 posted on 06/05/2013 4:00:54 AM PDT by showme_the_Glory (ILLEGAL: prohibited by law. ALIEN: Owing political allegiance to another country or government)
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To: Kaslin

Muslims are using our own Civil rights laws against us.

When they establish their Sharia laws , there will be no more Civil Rights.

The greatest Civil Rights Muslims have is the right to go back to where the hell they came from. I advise them to use that right.


3 posted on 06/05/2013 4:02:37 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: Kaslin

4 posted on 06/05/2013 4:03:27 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: Kaslin

Sorry but I am not bowing down because of your Muslim love fest. Muslims suck and they are not going to take over this country because of payoffs from the Saudis.


5 posted on 06/05/2013 4:04:15 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: jsanders2001

Neither will I


6 posted on 06/05/2013 4:09:49 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Venturer

You said it


7 posted on 06/05/2013 4:10:24 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

I think nearly everyone on FR feels that Muslims have a right to worship PEACEFULLY, but not to try to convert, kill, or maim Christians in the name of their PEACEFUL (not) religion. Unfortunately our current adminstration feels a little (or not so little) colateral damage of Christians is acceptable.


8 posted on 06/05/2013 4:13:49 AM PDT by Portcall24
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To: Kaslin
“I don’t know whether it does or not,” Killian said. “We’re treating that as if it were offensive conduct and trying to use this event as we have on many other occasions in the district -- utilize events of this nature to have people understand the Muslim religion and the Arab and Muslim people.”

So, spreading religious understanding of Islam (and only Islam, apparently) is now a primary responsibility of federal prosecutors? Maybe there will soon be reports from the meeting to have taken place last night, and maybe we'll get something other than more mealy mouthing from this prosecutor with too much time on his hands.

9 posted on 06/05/2013 4:14:24 AM PDT by Will88
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To: Kaslin

So they’re also going to go after all the muslims who call for beheading anyone who isn’t a muslim, right? Right? I mean, everyone’s equal under the law, right?

No?

Then the law is no longer legitimate.


10 posted on 06/05/2013 4:18:29 AM PDT by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
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To: Kaslin

and anti-Christian speech will be rewarded??


11 posted on 06/05/2013 4:19:14 AM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)
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To: Kaslin

Meh. I don’t talk about Muslims. They are just people.

I talk about Islam. And thanks to the first ammendment, I am unfettered.


12 posted on 06/05/2013 4:19:34 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: Kaslin
These people say these things because they're enemies of America.

They use words like "could" and "may" so they cannot be quoted as having anti-American sentiments, but they are enemies, nonetheless.

If they can get some public momentum going, they'll push harder and get some kind of law on the books ... the whole purpose being to destroy 1st Ammendment rights and help usher in an enemy faction.

There are no muzzies in my redneck community, but if one tried to move in, he'd not be able to keep up with the flat tires, broken windows and et cetera's.

13 posted on 06/05/2013 4:23:18 AM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I can't prove it, but they're true)
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To: Kaslin

I was there

It was an indoctrination...

Tennessee is ground zero right now for an attempt at Sharia law...

Everyone yelled at this Dhimmi to resign...


14 posted on 06/05/2013 4:23:25 AM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: elpadre

With this DOJ? You betcha


15 posted on 06/05/2013 4:23:54 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

Mohammed was a pedophile and his followers are demon-worshippers. Prosecute me, you dhimmified son of a whore.


16 posted on 06/05/2013 4:24:38 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows (You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein)
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To: Tennessee Nana

And if he doesn’t then he needs to be recalled


17 posted on 06/05/2013 4:26:56 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin
This is Obama’s DOJ taking away our free speech on the Internet.

Our country is not America anymore, it is no longer a free country.

The question is which government agency is the democrat Obama not using to rig elections, target political enemies, or take away our freedoms?

18 posted on 06/05/2013 4:30:55 AM PDT by Democrat_media (IRS rigged election for Obama and democrats by shutting down tea party)
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To: Kaslin
islam is a death cult and has never been a real religion. muslims are taught to kill or enslave anyone that will not convert to islam. There is one group that hates Americans no matter where on Earth that they live... muslims. There are no good muslims... only “moderates” that await their turn. Do not doubt me. What group of people are so evil and so demonic that Buddhists in Myanmar are openly at war with them? That's correct... muslims. When you get Buddhists to start killing you... you might me a demonic death cult.

LLS

19 posted on 06/05/2013 4:30:57 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!)
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To: Kaslin

Calling this SOB a traitor is mild.


20 posted on 06/05/2013 4:32:17 AM PDT by sergeantdave (No, I don't have links for everything I post)
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