In the wake of a deadly shooting at a Muhammed cartoon drawing function in Garland, Texas over the weekend, event sponsor and anti-Muslim activist Pamela Geller decried threats against freedom of speech on CNN, sparring with host Alisyn Camerota about the incendiary nature of the event.
"It's dangerous because increasingly, we're abridging our freedoms so as not to offend savages," Geller, who serves as president of the hate group American Freedom Defense Initiative, said. "The very idea that, if something offends me, or I am insulted by something, I'll kill you ... and somehow this is okay with members of the elite media and academia, is outrageous."
"I haven't heard anyone in the media say it's okay for a gunman to show up at an event like this," Camerota countered. "But what people are saying is that there's always this fine line between freedom of speech and being intentionally incendiary and provocative."
Placing blame on Islam as a whole, Geller claimed the media has focused too much on "backlash-o-phobia" and too little on the fact that "the jihad is raging" in countries across Africa and the Middle East. The activist also asserted that violence is not the result of intentionally provocative speech, but "a problem in Islam."
"When you say I'm anti-Muslim, excuse me: I'm anti-jihad," Geller said. "And anyone who says I'm anti-Muslim is implying that all Muslims support jihad. That sounds Islamophobic to me."
And from there, the conversation only devolved further.
"It just seems that you don't draw the distinction between extremism and violence, and Islam as a whole," Camerota challenged.
"And you don't draw the distinction between civilized men and savages," Geller responded.
When the host called out Geller's use of the term "savages" to describe Muslims, the activist claimed she's only used the phrase "once in her life" and attempted to turn the conversation around once again.
"I am anti-jihad. I am anti-Sharia," Geller said. "You, by saying I paint with a broad brush, are saying all Muslims support jihad. Alisyn, you sound very Islamophobic."
Watch a portion of the (seemingly never-ending) segment below:
(h/t Mediaite)
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