March 4, 2011

The Muslim Public Affairs Council today called on Americans who support religious pluralism and co-existence to contact a Southern California councilwoman to call on her to retract hateful statements she made at an anti-Muslim rally recently.

Captured in a video released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations yesterday, Councilwoman Deborah Pauly of Villa Park, CA, called local Muslims “terrorists” and said she knew “quite a few Marines who would be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise.”

Pauly’s hate and un-American speech took place Feb. 13 outside a charitable fundraiser in Yorba Linda, CA, organized the Islamic Circle of North America to raise money for women's shelters and to help relieve homelessness and hunger in the U.S.

The video shows hundreds of protesters outside the fundraiser yelling obscenities at Muslim families entering the event, including:

• “You are a stupid terrorist -- Go home! Go home!”
•  “Why don’t you go beat up your wife like you do every night?”
• “Terrorist lovers! You aren’t welcome here. Go home."

“Let me tell you what is going on there [in the fundraising event] right now. Make no bones about it -- that is pure unadulterated evil,” Pauly said earlier that day at a rally protesting the fundraiser’s speakers. “I don’t care if you think I’m crazy anymore. I have a wonderful 19-year-old son who is a United States Marine. As a matter of fact, I know quite a few Marines who would be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise.”

The video of the protestors has spread across the nation on Salon, Huffington Post, The Blaze and many other media sources. The protestors allegedly gathered in front of the ICNA event to protest one of the scheduled speakers – Imam Abdul Malik Ali, an Oakland, CA based imam with a history of inflammatory statements condemning America and praising Hamas, a group the CIA has labeled as terrorists.

“It is unconscionable that an elected official would promote the killing of Muslims and perpetuate anti-Muslim bigotry, regardless of the anti-American sentiment and inflammatory rhetoric of Imam Abdul Malik Ali,” said MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati. “It is imperative that all peoples of conscience call Councilwoman Pauly’s office and demand a retraction to her statement.”

TAKE ACTION

• Call the Villa Park City Council today to demand that Councilwoman Deborah Pauly retract her statement. The Council may be reached at: (714) 998-1500. Councilwoman Pauly may be reached via email at: dpauly@villapark.org.

TALKING POINTS

Remember to be polite and respectful.

Here are a few suggested talking points you can use to help focus your message:

• While I strongly oppose the inflammatory and anti-American rhetoric of Imam Abdul Malik Ali, the Councilwoman’s statement is hateful, Islamophobic and un-American. As an elected official, Councilwoman Pauly’s vile hate speech is outrageous and unacceptable in Orange County or anywhere in America. She has a moral responsibility as an elected official to retract her hate speech.
• Muslim Americans make vital contributions every day. They teach our children, work in hospitals and protect the public safety as police officers and firefighters. They love this country just as we do and should not be placed under suspicion and painted with a broad brush.