Thursday, January 31, 2013

Worcester Diocese Cancels Talk by Islam Critic; Won't Speak at Cath. Conf. Due to Muslim Flak

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts has rescinded an invitation to Robert Spencer -- a Catholic whose work depicts Islam as an inherently violent religion -- to speak at its annual Catholic Men's Conference in March, the Boston Globe website reports today (January 31, 2013).

The invitation was withdrawn yesterday, after Muslims in Massachusetts expressed concerns to the diocese about the appearance of Spencer, scheduled to be a featured speaker at the DCU Center on March 16.

Spencer is director of the blog Jihad Watch and a leader of the American Freedom Defense Initiative and Stop Islamization of America., both of which are seen as anti-Muslim groups by some organizations that monitor extremism.

He has written several books critical of Islam, including "Stealth Jihad: How Radical Islam Is Subverting America without Guns or Bombs." On his Jihad Watch blog, Spencer has argued that jihad is a central tenet of  Islam.

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