The Texas college that was scheduled to host the biased training turned Guandolo away
John Guandolo, a notorious anti-Muslim conspiracist who resigned in disgrace from the FBI, was able to carry out a training of his in Dallas last week after a college originally scheduled to host him cancelled the event.
Last week, the Center for New Community reported that Guandolo would be holding an all-day training on June 3 at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, Texas on the alleged “threat” Muslims pose to America.
The college cancelled the event after advocacy groups like the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations raised concerns about the event.
However, a Dallas church opened its doors to allow Guandolo’s bigoted training. On June 5, he published a blog on his website calling the event a “huge success,” even though he was booted from his initial venue.
“UTT (Understanding the Threat) conducted a one-day program for law enforcement, prosecutors, military and citizens in Dallas (Texas) last Friday, infusing the attendees with heavy doses of reality about the jihadi threat in the United States, and, specifically, Texas,” Guandolo wrote.
The event took place at Fair Park Bible Fellowship, a Dallas-based church headed by Tea Party Pastor Stephen Broden.
According to Guandolo, there was at least one police officer who attended the event
In his blog, he included a quote from the officer who said, “This was the best program I have attended in all my time as a police officer. I am stunned to learn of the threat to Dallas from the jihadi threat.”
Law enforcement attendees were “eligible for continuing education credit,” at least that’s what the original flyer for the event said. This is despite Guandolo’s track record of blatant anti-Muslim bias. In a 2011 training, Guandolo claimed Muslims in America “don’t have a First Amendment right to do anything.” And in a recent Twitter post, he claimed the U.S. State Department’s efforts to resettle Muslim refugees will cause “Islam to take over” and usher in “Violent Revolution.”
After the Cedar Valley College cancelled event, Guandolo was quick to cry “civilization jihad,” a common conspiracy theory that claims Muslims are actively working to infiltrate American institutions and culture and subvert them from within. This theory is regularly peddled by prominent figures in the organized anti-Muslim movement like Frank Gaffney.
In a blog post following the cancellation, Guandolo responded, “Suit wearing jihadis are no less dangerous than ISIS soldiers on the battlefield.”