FP: On the darker side, which you hint at, you have reportedly received over 500 death threats. What has been the nature of those threats — for instance, are they all from Islamists? — and how are you coping with this menacing situation?
EP: The death threats are from mostly Islamists, namely the Muslim Brotherhood, but I have had some threats from atheists, who claim that they will “kick my ass” because I am supposedly giving atheism a bad name. I was on a radio show and made a comment that nearly got me booted from the atheist movement. I was addressing the followers of Islam and I said:
“I do not respect your filthy, repugnant, and vile views. I will not allow you put fear in my mind or in the mind of those whom I know. I will not be silent with my disdain and disgust for your culture or your terroristic ways. I am an American atheist, and I am not afraid to deal with you openly and in the same manner that I treat Christianity. I am not afraid to publicly blaspheme your pedophile prophet. I will do this on a corner, in a crowd, or a parade! While so many others draw Mohammed, I am Mohammed in open public! Am I worried about being attacked or death threats? I’m more worried that if I stay silent that the energy and emotion within me will be worse to me than being attacked or even death threats! So do your worst and I will do mine.”
That didn’t go down well with some in the atheist movement, but I don’t apologize for saying that.
FP: Since the ruling there has been a remarkable backlash against the judge, Mechanicsburg District Judge Mark Martin, and he and his staff have been temporarily relocated to another courthouse for safety reasons. What are your thoughts about that unfortunate consequence?
EP: I think it’s regrettable that the judge has to fear for his safety. But at the same time, this is a nation that has been attacked by radical Islamists. So when a judge – who is also a veteran soldier and who is supposed to be fighting for the sake of our Constitution – sides with Islam in this way, what do we expect? The nation was furious and we have every right to be furious. Moreover, the judge has been relocated and has unlimited protection, but what about me? I have zero protection. The judge could have found my attacker guilty. Then, no protection either way would have been needed. How do you become the most hated judge in America? Allow Islam to trump the Constitution!
FP: Do you think the American legal system at present is too accommodating of Islamic sensibilities in the name of religious sensitivity? For instance, the Center for Security Policy recently issued a report reviewing 50 Appellate Court cases from 23 states, and concluded that Shariah law has entered into state court decisions, often in conflict with the Constitution. Is your case just the tip of a broader national problem?
EP: There is no doubt that Sharia law is creeping into the legal system, and my case is proof. While there has never been an American so brash as to dress as Mohammed in public, the judge’s decision to side with my attacker shows that Islamic favor is evident in court decisions. We need not be accommodating to any religion. No people are above the right to be offended. This is America. No religious belief should be given a free pass.
