澳彩开奖

In her attempts to promote the bill, Sirocki has recruited the help of a local chapter of ACT for America, the largest anti-Muslim hate group in the United States.

A series of emails obtained by the 澳彩开奖 document how Sirocki was not only in contact with the Norway, Maine, chapter of ACT for America, but also with ACT鈥檚 national office in an effort to garner support for her event, set to take place at the Hall of Flags at the capitol in Augusta.

ACT for America is run by Brigitte Gabriel, a woman who has spent the better part of a decade demonizing Muslims in the name of national security. In 2007, she stated, 鈥淧racticing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah 鈥� who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day 鈥� this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen of the United States.鈥�

ACT works with elected officials to pass anti-Muslim legislation at the federal and state level. The organization is most known for promoting and sometimes 鈥�anti-Sharia鈥� legislation across the country.

ACT also state FGM bills as part of its legislative agenda although the abhorrent practice is already at the federal level. A similar bill to criminalize FGM was introduced into the Maine legislature last year, but to pass.

The Maine chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against the 2017 bill, calling it 鈥渞edundant鈥� and reiterating 鈥渢here are already severe penalties under both Maine and federal law that cover FGM.鈥�

The Norway ACT chapter leader who Rep. Sirocki is in contact with goes by the pseudonym 鈥淛B Giaour,鈥� though in her emails to Giaour, Sirocki refers to him as 鈥淛ared.鈥� Those very same emails clearly show Jared harbors the same anti-Muslim hate ACT supporters and chapter leaders are known for. For example, his email signature is a quote attributed to him stating, 鈥淚slamophobia is not a phobia because fear of Islam is rational. Islam is evil.鈥�

The first email of note from Sirocki to Jared reads, 鈥淕ood news - Yesterday, the governor agreed to submit a governor鈥檚 bill to prohibit FGM. Stay tuned - li [sic] am hoping to have a press conference next week.鈥� On January 30, Jared forwarded Sirocki鈥檚 email to his chapter and called her 鈥渙ur sponsor for FGM.鈥�

Jared also gloated the FGM bill is 鈥渁 result of our initiation of this issue here in Maine,鈥� adding, 鈥淭his is incredible and anything you and your friends can do to muster support could easily make this happen this time.鈥�

In another email, Sirocki solicited the help of Jared and his chapter to show up in support of the bill, writing 鈥淛ared, This is to let you know that there will be a press event next Tuesday. Would love to have a big crowd of support. Hopefully the media will cover it; they have been avoiding the issue. Heather.鈥�

ACT for America national also reportedly lent its support for the press conference. According to Jared, 鈥淎CT national has come on board and supplied the speaker for this press conference, a victim of FGM. 听Heather Sirocki is still fighting hard for this cause. We started this. We simply must win it.鈥�

Jared鈥檚 response indicated that ACT for America national was providing a speaker for the event in Augusta and pleaded with activists to attend, writing, 鈥淭his is our chance to make a showing in August that will make a difference.鈥� The third and final email confirmed that Rep. Sirocki was indeed in conversation with ACT national encouraging ACT members to call the governors office in support of the bill. 鈥淵es, calls of support are great,鈥� said Sirocki.

The emails revealed that a person named F.A. Cole, an FGM survivor, and a member of the AHA foundation would be speaking at the event. The AHA Foundation is the namesake of its founder Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is an FGM survivor and atheist and has become a prominent figure within the broader anti-Muslim hate movement. In a 2009 op-ed in The Australian, Hirsi Ali that Islam 鈥渋s at war with America.鈥�

In 2015, Hirsi Ali at ACT for America鈥檚 national conference.

As part of its ongoing efforts to vilify Muslims and their faith, ACT and other anti-Muslim groups often try to paint the practice of FGM as being intrinsically part of Islam despite it being a whose origins predate Islam and whose have included women of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, backgrounds.

Nevertheless voices from the anti-Muslim hate movement continue to push the false narrative that FGM is practice unique and intrinsic to Islam.

Hatewatch spoke to Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, a of American and Islamic law and founder of : Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, an advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of Muslim women through Islamic and civil law.

Al-Hibri expressed her skepticism of Maine鈥檚 FGM bill from a legal standpoint.

Discussing the findings of forthcoming on FGM to be presented at the United Nations, she noted, 鈥減art of it is just PR because the FGM issue has been unfortunately and unfairly connected to Islam, when in fact it is a cultural issue.

鈥淏y connecting FGM to Islam and then criminalizing it, it鈥檚 basically saying that Islam requires criminal acts,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a continuation of attaching terrorism to Islam 鈥� whether FGM should be criminalized or not is a whole other issue and it鈥檚 not related to the religion.鈥�

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