Walid Shoebat to Speak at UWM Tonight

[Update]

We will be live blogging this event!

[End Update]

The very controversial Walid Shoebat will be speaking, as schuduled, tonight at UWM.

This is the speech which the UWM Muslim Student Association tried to have banned.

The talk will be followed by a counter-event sponsored by the Muslim Student Association.

Event Information

You can see Shoebat Tuesday, December 4th, 7:30 PM in the UWM Union Wisconsin Room. The address is: 2200 E.Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53211. It is free and open to the public.

Here is the Muslim counter event.

“Why I Chose Islam”
Dispelling the Misconceptions

Tuesday, December 4th 2007 at 8:30 PM
UWM Union Ballroom
2200 E. Kenwood Blvd

Featuring a response to misconceptions regarding Islam and terrorism and converts’ journey to Islam
Open to the public and press

Speakers:
---------------
Robert Miranda (Executive Director of Esperanza Unida)
Janan Najeeb, Milwaukee Muslim Womens Coalition
Ahmad Rehab, CAIR (Center for American-Islamic Relations)
Four American converts to Islam

A Controversial Fellow

Shoebat has strong views, but they are strong views that many, and probably most Americans agree with. He is a Christian, a strong supporter of Israel and a strong opponent of terrorism.

Here is Charlie Sykes discussing the case last week.

And here is Shoebat being interviewed by Sykes.

Shoebat’s critics have accused him of having extreme views, and he has certainly said some things that sound at least a bit odd.

Harsher critics have accused him of being an outright fraud.

There is, for example, this video from YouTube catching him in an apparent contradiction regarding the bombing of a bank.

Be warned, however, that the video itself has some content near the end that could easily be construed as anti-Semitic.



We think both the Shoebat event and the Muslim Student Association event following it should be dynamite. People who attend should question Shoebat aggressively (but civilly) about his bona fides and his views.

And then go and do the same to the speakers at the Muslim panel.