Irish American officer stopped from teaching that Islam is America’s enemy

Islam class canceled over its critical view of the religion

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An Irish American U.S. military officer who had been teaching that Islam is America's enemy has had his class canceled.

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An Irish American U.S. military officer who had been teaching that Islam in general is America's enemy has had his class canceled.

U.S. officials has stressed repeatedly over the last decade that the U.S. is at war with Islamic extremists, but not the religion itself.

"They hate everything you stand for and will never coexist with you, unless you submit," one course instructor, Army Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Dooley reportedly said in a presentation last July at Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. The college teaches midlevel officers and government civilians on subjects related to planning and executing war.

In  departure from military guidelines Dooley also presumed, for the purposes of his theoretical war plan, that the standards of the Geneva Conventions were "no longer relevant."

Statements from the suspended course included:

- They hate everything you stand for and will never coexist with you, unless you submit.

- Islam as it currently defines itself is an ideology rather than solely a religion with the normally associated protections we afford such beliefs.

- It is therefore time for the United States to make our true intentions clear. This barbaric ideology will no longer be tolerated. Islam must change or we will facilitate its self-destruction.

- The United States has come to accept that radical ‘true Islam’ is both a political and military enemy to free people throughout the world.

- Possible outcomes of an anti-Islam campaign: 'Saudi Arabia threatened with starvation, Mecca and Medina destroyed, Islam reduced to cult status.'

- The only solution for the United States might ultimately might be to obliterate the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina without regard for civilian deaths, just as the US had done in Hiroshima and the allied forces had firebombed Dresden

Dooley added: "This would leave open the option once again of taking war to a civilian population wherever necessary (the historical precedents of Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki being applicable…)."

A copy of the suspended course was posted online by Wired.com's Danger Room blog. Dooley still works for the college, but is no longer teaching, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey told the press.

After generating outrage with his comments Dooley refused to talk to the Associated Press, saying "Can’t talk to you, sir," and hanging up when reached by telephone at his office Thursday.

Dooley was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation from West Point in May 1994. He served in overseas tours in Germany, Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq and has numerous awards including a Bronze Star Medal, the fourth-highest military award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service.

In Dooley's model campaign to force a transformation of Islam he called for "a direct ideological and philosophical confrontation with Islam," presuming that Islam is an ideology rather than just a religion. Dooley also asserted that Islam has already declared war on the West, and on the US specifically.

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