ACT for America says it won’t tell which elected leaders are speaking at this year’s gathering in Washington, D.C.
The notorious anti-Muslim organization ACT for America will once again descend on our nation’s capitol on September 6 – 7 to hold its annual conference and legislative briefing.
And like past years, the conference will serve as a pep rally for ACT supporters to reignite their anti-Muslim activism. Attendees will also have a chance to hear from a number of speakers committed to fomenting anti-Muslim sentiment.
What do ACT leaders and their allies on the Hill have to hide?
Also this year, ACT will host its usual legislative briefing on Capitol Hill, which provides members a chance to hear from and interact with national lawmakers.
We’re asking elected officials to be bold and boycott their meeting on Capitol Hill next week. Will you join us?
But this year, to shield these public officials from unwanted attention, ACT has decided to withhold the list of representatives scheduled to speak to the event. This move begs the question: What do ACT leaders and their allies on the Hill have to hide?
In July, Brigitte Gabriel, ACT’s founder and president, announced via Facebook video that her group would not share the names of members of Congress slated to speak at the briefing:
“This year, we have 18 members of congress scheduled to speak at our national conference,” Gabriel said during the video. “We’re not putting names out on our website like we did last year because last year they were attacked by the Islamic lobby, threatening them not to show up. So we’re not even going to subject them this year to be attacked…”
ACT for America wants to be ‘NRA of national security’
ACT for America seeks to situate itself as a legitimate national security interest group. In fact, Gabriel has on numerous occasions referred to her outfit as “the NRA of national security.” ACT boasts 300,000 members and more than 900 chapters in the United States, with a few overseas.
So if ACT is as legitimate as it claims to be, why would they need to hide the names of those elected officials attending the event?
In Gabriel’s book Because They Hate, she writes the following:
Politicians are here to serve the people. If they want to be reelected, they will aim to please. Voting for canddiates who are taking an objective and informed approach to our security makes a colossal difference.
However, given ACT’s track record and Gabriel’s own history of extremist comments, it’s hard to believe that any elected leader aligned with ACT is “taking an objective and informed approach.”
ACT is known for promoting hateful rhetoric and designing scare campaigns about Muslims. This includes lobbying for unconstitutional measures designed to make it harder for Muslims to practice their faith or embrace their identities. In just one example, Gabriel, who is also a regular contributor on Fox News, has claimed that a “practicing Muslim…cannot be a loyal citizen of the United States.”
ACT’s agenda and activities have even earned itself a “hate group” designation this year from our colleagues at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Presidential election looms large
Per usual, such rhetoric is expected to be on full display at this year’s conference. It can be expected the usual anti-Muslim bashing and anti-Muslim refugee fearmongering will be present during the two-day event. And with the 2016 presidential election just months away, the race is sure to be on everyone’s minds.
In fact, conference attendees will have a chance to hear from at least one individual with close ties to a presidential campaign. On September 7, ACT will be honoring Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Michael Flynn. Flynn served as an unofficial adviser to Donald Trump, spoke alongside him at this year’s Republican National Convention, and was once on the real estate mogul’s list of potential running mates.
Flynn also sits on ACT’s advisory board. Recently, he went as far as calling Islam “a cancer” during a campaign stop. Thus, it was no surprise why Flynn was such a fit to advise the organization.
Group to focus on state work, including anti-refugee measures
ACT’s conference will also take its focus beyond the Beltway. The group will take time to note its state-based initiatives and activities where the group has arguably had the most success or done the most damage, depending on how one looks at it. These initiatives include anti-Shariah bills, also known as “American Laws for American Courts;” a string of anti-refugee measures and campaigns; hardline positions on immigration; and biased law enforcement trainings.
ACT will hold a luncheon during the conference to honor state lawmakers who lobbied and promoted legislation on behalf of the organization and its members.
As advertised by Gabriel and ACT for America, the event is to be spent deriding the “politically correct leaders in Washington” and warning of the perils facing “Western civilization.”
Stay tuned and follow Imagine 2050 this week as we bring you the who’s who and the what’s what of the upcoming conference.