Last week a Florida-based gun shop teamed up with a gun manufacturer to release an AR-15 assault rifle advertised as “the ultimate counter jihad device.” The Peacemaker JFM [jihad fighting machine] 15 is being released by the Florida Gun Supply, the whose owner Andy Hallinan previously declared the store to be a “Muslim-free zone.”
The semi-automatic rifle comes complete with a Bible verse from Matthew 5:9 etched into it.
The inscription reads: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” The gun also allegedly comes “pre-lubed” with oil containing “13% pig fat,” which is intended to discourage Muslims from using the gun based on halal dietary restrictions. According to a statement on the Florida Gun Supply website, the military-grade weapon serves “as a reminder to American Patriots that America was founded on Christian values.”
Via Florida Gun Supply. Screen shot captured Nov. 2, 2015.
The Florida Gun Supply website states that sale of the gun is not intended to “start a war [with Muslims]” but rather “to prevent one.” Yet it continues, “The war is already here in America. Although we haven’t had to use bullets — yet the time is coming where America will no longer be free.”
The engraved Bible verse is also intended to deter a “jihadi” from wielding this specific rifle. “[I]n case the pig fat oil isn’t enough of a reason,” the statement notes. Hallinan became the subject of controversy and a lawsuit after declaring his store to be “Muslim-free” following a shooting rampage in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
“I have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure the safety of all patriots in my community, and so effective immediately, I’m declaring Florida Gun Supply as a Muslim-free zone,” he said in a video posted online where the Confederate flag served as a backdrop. “I will not arm and train those who wish to do harm to my fellow patriots.”
Hallinan was one of the organizers responsible for planning nationwide anti-Muslim demonstrations last month.
Hallinan was one of the organizers responsible for planning nationwide anti-Muslim demonstrations last month. The rallies, which were misleadingly billed as a “Global Rally for Humanity,” encouraged activists to exercise their Second Amendment right and show up to local mosques and Islamic community centers to take a stand against Islam. In the end, the rallies turned out to be a bust and instead inspired events celebrating religious diversity.
The AR-15 was the weapon used in the horrific Sandy Hook school massacre in 2012. Despite its deadly reputation, it also remains a favorite raffle prize among right-wing circles. Indeed, mixing deadly firearms with anti-Muslim paranoia is truly concerning.