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| Controversial imam speaks at University of Central Florida | |
| 2011-02-26 | |
| Imam Siraj Wahhaj spoke to a packed room at an event sponsored by the Muslim Student Association at the University of Central Florida. Near the beginning of the imam's speech, someone stood up and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Earlier in the day, UCF College Republicans, and people from the area gathered to protest the event. "An unindicted co-conspirator in the World Trade Center attacks in the early 90s, he spoke as a character witness in the ones who were convicted of the attack," said the president of UCF College Republicans. "We're not saying he doesn't have the right to come speak on campus. We're more confused why they went with him." "There's a label out there, the unindicted co-conspirator, which gets thrown around a lot. That label has no legal significance. Nothing has ever happened to him," said Hazem Bata, the event moderator. "He's a great speaker. He's very motivational. He understands American culture. He understands the problems and challenges that we face." Alan Kornman, of the Florida Security Council, and Randy McDaniels, of ACT for America, disagreed. "These men represent groups that, in one group speak a message of raising up and killing non-Muslims, yet they come to the university and preach peace and tolerance in a second breath," said McDaniels. Kornman concurred, "At his mosque, it was quoted as saying, 'In time, the so-called democracy will crumble and there will be nothing and the only thing that will remain will be Islam.'" Addressing the unindicted co-conspiracy allegation, Wahhaj told the crowd it is a charge he has had to bear for 18 years and that he is innocent. He claimed he was neither charged nor interviewed by the FBI. Student activity funds were used to bring the imam to speak. The Muslim Student Association applied for $6,500 in funding for Islam Awareness Month, $1,250 of that went to the imam.
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| Posted by:ryuge |