When I woke up this morning, I was outraged to discover that $3,050 in Truman State University funds (taken from the non-optional \u201cstudent activity fee\u201d charged to all Truman students) was taken to hire one of the most prolific Islamophobes alive, Robert Spencer, to give a talk called \u201cExposed: The Truth About Radical Islam\u201d despite his purported neo-Nazi ties and the fact that he has been banned from the United Kingdom for his radical agenda to defame Islam and spread hate and misinformation. This event is being funded by the University and hosted by the College Republicans and being held April 13th, 8:00pm in Violette Hall, Room 1000.<\/p>\n
A quick google search of Robert Spencer reveals his \u201cextremist profile\u201d on the Southern Poverty Law Center\u2019s website. They state that \u201cAs the director of the Jihad Watch blog and co-founder of Stop Islamization of America, Robert Spencer is one of America\u2019s most prolific and vociferous anti-Muslim propagandists.\u201d Continuing, they explain that Robert \u201cinsists, despite his lack of academic training in Islam, that the religion is inherently violent and that radical jihadists who commit acts of terror are simply following its dictates.\u201d His writing was cited dozens of times in a manifesto written by the Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik. Spencer was banned from the United Kingdom as an extremist in July 2013\u201d (Southern Poverty Law Center).<\/p>\n
So, despite the fact that the United Kingdom has banned this man from entering their country because his views on Islam are incorrect and hateful, Truman State has not only invited, but is PAYING him to come our campus, using thousands of dollars in University funding. The FAC (Funds Allotment Council) has public records which prove that this funding was in fact, provided to the College Republican club to host this event. Those records can be found here: https:\/\/fac.truman.edu\/slates\/<\/a> under Spring 2017.<\/p>\n While outraged students have been writing letters to school administration and planning ways to stage nonviolent and peaceful protest at the event, which is scheduled for April 13th, 2017 at 8pm, online threats have recently surfaced advocating for the shooting, lobotomization, imprisonment and expulsion of students who disagree with Spencer or plan to protest. Attached below is an image of one such comment, however, it is just one of many. The rest can be seen on Robert Spencer\u2019s personal website, here: https:\/\/www.jihadwatch.org\/2017\/04\/truman-state-university-student-calls-for-violence-ahead-of-robert-spencer-lecture<\/a>.<\/u><\/p>\n