CAIR, ACLU upset over course being taught to deputies
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Questions and concerns surrounding a course being taught to deputies in Barrow County. The Georgia Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, also knows a CAIR, along with the ACLU and others calls the subject matter false, defamatory, and anti-Muslim.
"Bigots have no place teaching courses to our law enforcement officers," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR Georgia Executive Director.
Monday morning the Georgia Chapter of CAIR released a report they put together on a man who has voluntarily been teaching a Georgia POST certified course called Islam in America.
Mitchell hasn't attended a class but has heard the instructor speak at other events and he said what he's teaching is false.
"Teaching people to hate a religion, fear its followers... to this day I still remember hearing someone in the crowd mumbling kill them all," said Mitchell.
Which is why they want to see the course removed.
On Thursday, Barrow County deputies will take the course, even after CAIR's request for the sheriff to cancel.
"This has been approved through POST, this is not some random class we've put together," said Sheriff Jud Smith, Barrow County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Smith took the class back and December and said the course is talking about extremists.
"I feel it's necessary. We've studied other extremist groups, the KKK, neo-Nazis, Black Panthers, we're teaching them all. I can't single one out and say ‘No, I'm not teaching this course," the sheriff said.
Sheriff Smith said he can't control what the instructor said at other events and he feels the course will be beneficial to his deputies. But CAIR doesn't agree.
"Look, here's the problem. If someone says in their public life goes around saying the N-word, or saying Jewish people are plotting to take over the country, you would never let that man teach a class about anything," said Mitchell.
Sheriff Smith said the course will go on as planned. The sheriff has offered to allow CAIR to attend the class, but that offer was declined.