When Jerry Boykin decided to withdraw from a scheduled speaking engagement at West Point’s National Prayer Breakfast tomorrow, he said he did so in order to avoid causing any distraction for the Army leadership stemming from his long history of anti-Muslim activism.
Appearing on Fox News yesterday to discuss the controversy, Boykin was asked by Megyn Kelly about some of his past statements, including his view that Muslims ought to be banned from immigrating to, and building mosques in, America - views which Boykin is now attempting to distance himself from by claiming he was merely opposing the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque":
Of course, if you actually watch the video of Boykin's original statement to Bryan Fischer, which we captured and posted last year, it is very obvious that Boykin was not simply talking about the "Ground Zero Mosque" but was, in fact, agreeing with Fischer's well-known views that Muslims ought to be banned from immigrating to America and building mosques.
In fact, Fischer even asked Boykin how he would respond to those who say Muslims have a First Amendment right to build houses of worship, to which he replied that Islam is not a religion and therefore doesn't deserve First Amendment protections, so it is pretty clear that Boykin was not merely talking about the "Ground Zero Mosque" but talking about the building of mosques in general ... especially since he said specifically "no mosques in America":
Fischer: What do you think we ought to do with regard to our immigration policies and with regard to issuing permits to build mosques in order to build mosques in order to deal with this threat, immigration and mosque building, what do you think we should do?
Boykin: Seal the borders and eliminate sanctuary cities and they’ll go home. No mosques in America. Islam is a totalitarian way of life; it’s not just a religion.
Fischer: Now how do you respond to the First Amendment? Now I believe the same thing that you do, we should not allow the building of any more mosques in America, everyone is a potential recruiting or training ground for terrorist activity. They will bring the First Amendment up, your response when people say they have a First Amendment right to build their mosque anywhere they want.
Boykin: If it’s a religion that’s the truth. But Islam, we need to think Sharia, it is not just a religion it is a totalitarian way of life. A mosque is an embassy for Islam and they recognize only a global caliphate, not the sanctity or sovereignty of the United States.
