Los Angeles and Santa Monica- based Tea Party groups hosted Islamophobe and “reformed-Muslim-turned-Christian,” Nonie Darwish, last week where she spoke to a room full of members.
During her speech, Darwish claimed America is the “most successful civilization,” but stated it would no longer be if the country continues to let Islam (read: Muslims) into the country. “Don’t count that America is going to be for sure better if we let Islam to come in [sic],” she told the audience. “No it’s not. It can be worse, much worse. Our children can inherit a culture very similar to what’s happening to Chechnya today [sic].” Chechnya is known for its pocket of Islamic militants and is where the suspected Boston bombers emigrated from.
Later in her speech, Darwish, who converted from Islam to Christianity, went on to criticize Islam and claim it is not a religion, but rather an ideology. Darwish laments that as a Muslim, she was “forbidden” from knowing what “true religion” was. “Being a Muslim is equivalent to forbidding you from knowing true religion. Forbidding you from knowing the true relationship with God [sic].”
In the beginning of her speech, Darwish revealed there were also members of the anti-Muslim grassroots organization ACT! for America present in the crowd, illustrating the ongoing collaboration between the Tea Party and ACT! Darwish says that ACT! members “represent the patriots of today,” and refers to ACT!’s president, the vehement anti-Muslim demagogue Brigitte Gabriel, as a “great lady.”