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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Richard Adams

The ugly face of Islamophobia in Orange County, California

The Southern California chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America Relief USA organised a fundraising dinner in Orange County, last month. But guess who also turned up? A motley collection of protesters who can be seen here chanting in the above video distributed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations civil rights group:

As the video shows, the rhetoric of the protesters became increasingly venomous toward the families and children who came to attend the ICNA Relief fundraising dinner. Protesters shouted invective statements such as "Go home terrorist," "Muhammad is a pervert, Muhammad is a child molester," "Go home and beat your wife, she needs a good beating," at the event-goers.

One of the protesters' guest speakers, seen in the video, is a local councilwoman who denounces the event as "pure, unadulterated evil," and continues:

I know quite a few Marines who would be very happy to help these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise.

The local paper, the Orange County Register, noted the signs saying "No Sharia law" but added: "In the afternoon, the event had the atmosphere of a July 4 picnic."

Two Republican congressmen also attended the protest rally, including one, Ed Royce, who spoke of how "multiculturalism" was paralysing America.

And the fundraising? For disaster relief, womens shelters, halal food banks, according to the Islamic Circle of North America.

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