Christian Action Network

Christian Action Network is an anti-Islamic organization founded by Martin Mawyer in 1990. It has been classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The organization states that its "primary goals are to protect America’s religious and moral heritage through educational efforts."[1]

The group has advocated on a number of issues, including actions against the National Endowment of the Arts,[2] battles regarding First Amendment to the United States Constitution issues,[3] and the Islamic community center to be built near the World Trade Center site in New York.

Campaign against the “Ground Zero Mosque”

The organization had a nationwide screening tour that included stops near speaking engagements by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the former spokesman for Park51. The group's campaign received wide press coverage.[4][5]

CAN and American Center for Law and Justice threatened the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation with legal action after it was unable to get permits to show its propaganda film in several public parks around the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Department said the parks were unavailable.[6] The organization then announced that they were granted permits to show its film in several parks.[7]

On September 7, 2011, congressman Allen West (R-FL) hosted a screening of the film in the Rayburn House Office Building in Congress, where he reiterated his opposition to Park51 alongside several people who lost family members in the September 11th attacks.[8]

Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) responded by sponsoring an event on September 13, 2011, to publicize a report about the "Islamophobia network" in the U.S.[9] The report criticized Rep. Allen West for spreading anti-Muslim sentiment and for his involvement in the event at which the work of propaganda was screened. It also criticized the Christian Action Network and other participants.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Christian Action Network: about.
  2. ↑ Palm Beach Post, December 12, 1993.
  3. ↑ WABI TV 5: Christian Action Network Sues Maine. October 6th 2009.
  4. ↑ Stern, Andrew. “Imam Criticized for New York Mosque Embarks on Speaking Tour http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/13/us-usa-muslims-idUSTRE70C13L20110113, Reuters, Jan. 13, 2011
  5. ↑ Vitello, Paul. “Imam Behind Islamic Center Plans U.S. Tour,” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/24/nyregion/24mosque.html, New York Times, December 23, 2010
  6. ↑ ”NYC Denies 9/11 Documentary Showings,” http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/July/NYC-Denies-911-Documentary-Showings/, CBN News, July 29, 2011
  7. ↑ ”CAN Succeeds in Getting Permits in NYC Parks!” http://www.christianaction.org/node/297, ChristianAction.org, August 12, 2011
  8. ↑ Bolstad, Erika, “West Promotes Film About Controversial Ground Zero Mosque". http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/07/2395271/west-promotes-film-about-controversial.html, Miami Herald, September 7, 2011
  9. ↑ The Final Call: 'Fear, Inc.' driving anti-Islam views in U.S. September 2011
  10. ↑ Center for American Progress, http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/08/pdf/islamophobia.pdf, “Fear Inc: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” August 2011

External links

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