Forum speaker cancels after getting death threats

Forum speaker cancels after getting death threats

by Cait Conner

Simpson postponed a Forum event scheduled for Oct. 11 after the speaker said she’s been the subject of death threats.

Pamela Geller, current activist of the Stop Islamization of America and author/editor of the Atlas Shrugged blog, had been invited to Simpson College for an event running up to the presidential election.

Geller told Simpson officials last week that police in New York, where she lives, have advised her not to travel without armed security.

“On the basis of what she sent to me, she was generally concerned for her safety,” Director of Simpson Forum Brian Steffen said.

Geller is a controversial figure who is known for her anti-Muslim ideology and her campaign against jihad — the Muslim term for “holy war.’

“I have received many credible death threats of late that security costs were spiraling,” Geller said.

Some of Geller’s critics have linked her to anti-Muslim videos that offended Muslims around the world. The videos are thought by some to have led to riots in Libya that killed the U.S. ambassador to that country.

Geller has denied having any role in the video.

“The Simpson Forum program is interested in having people across a spectrum of different political and social ideas,” Steffen said. “However, at the same time we don’t want to subject our students, faculty or speakers to any undue harm. Whether this event is rescheduled or not, I do not know. We’ll take a look at it and see what we can do.”

“We will reschedule later if possible — we will not cower before violent intimidation,” Geller said.

Currently, Simpson Forum organizers are discussing rescheduling the Geller lecture, but they don’t know when the event might be rescheduled.

“Passions will have to cool down before we can have her here,” Steffen said.