Anti-Muslim Figure Brigitte Gabriel To Embark on Nationwide Tour in Support of New Book

Gabriel is founder and chairman of the anti-Muslim hate group ACT for America, the largest anti-Muslim group in the U.S. with a network of chapters across the nation. The group uses its expansive chapter network to organize rallies and lobby state lawmakers to introduce anti-Muslim legislation. Gabriel is a prolific figure in the anti-Muslim movement and has said Muslims are “a natural threat to civilized people of the world, particularly Western civilization.”

Gabriel’s upcoming tour is centered around promoting her third and latest book, Rise: In Defense of Judeo-Christian Values and Freedom, released last September.

The book, among other things, stokes fears about the U.S.’ changing demographics and specifically warns against admitting non-Western, Muslim immigrants and refugees into the country. She writes, “all cultures are not equal” and states: “In the West we celebrate life. In the Islamic world they celebrate death.”

Gabriel also writes that prior to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the United States was admitting immigrants “overwhelmingly from countries far more likely to share our values and Western culture.”

“While the Left likes to brand this a racist historical policy,” she writes, “it would make sense for us to take in mostly Western hailing immigrants considering, you know, we’re a Western nation!”

She adds that after 1965, “It was no longer about who was most likely to assimilate and benefit America, but racial and religious diversity instead.” Gabriel claims diversity is just a “politically correct” term being exploited by America’s enemies.

Fearmongering about changing demographics features heavily in Rise. In one chapter, titled “Replacement Civilization,” Gabriel writes, “Unless the West wakes up to the fact that their culture and way of life is eroding through immigration from the Islamic world, the values of the Islamic world will soon overtake us.”

As reported by Right Wing Watch, promotional materials for Rise lament a “massive wave of third-world immigration has been engulfing America for half a century.” Demographic alarmism is common among anti-Muslim, nativist and white nationalist circles.

Book tour audiences will experience what Gabriel calls a “no holds barred speech on immigration, the left’s culture war, and radical Islam.”

Gabriel is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and claims to have a standing weekly meeting with his administration, where anti-immigrant groups have made substantial inroads. Last year, Trump advocated for more immigrants from Norway rather than Haiti or African countries, which he reportedly called “shithole countries.” In a closed-door meeting, Trump stated: “Why do we want these people from all these shithole countries here? We should have more people from places like Norway.”

As a candidate, Trump opined that “Islam hates us” and called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” ACT for America regularly defends Trump’s Muslim ban.

Hysteria around Muslim immigration is by no means confined to the U.S., and was a prevalent theme in the manifesto attributed to Brenton Tarrant, the accused mass shooter who killed 50 Muslim worshipers at two mosques in New Zealand last week. “Mass immigration will disenfranchise us, subvert our nations, destroy our communities, destroy our ethnic binds, destroy our cultures, destroy our peoples,” he wrote.

These same views are espoused in the white nationalist movement. The responses from neo-Nazis and white nationalists to the heinous massacre in New Zealand underscore this. One user at the neo-Nazi website Stormfront who goes by the name “Woodkerne” claimed a “racial war is inevitable” and stated: “This will become the norm through our homelands. Some will say this is terrible and harms our cause. … Only violence and bloodshed will solve our problems in the long run.”

ACT attracted various white nationalist and far-right groups to its national “March Against Sharia” rallies in 2017, with anti-Muslim animus being the unifying factor.

The ticketing service Eventbrite dropped Gabriel’s events from its website for violations of its Community Guidelines. “We do not permit events, content, or creators that promote or encourage hate, violence, or harassment towards others and/or oneself,” Eventbrite said in a statement.

The dates and cities scheduled so far include:

• March 27: Winter Springs, Florida
• March 28: Viera, Florida
• May 16: Long Island, New York
• July 11: Nashua, New Hampshire
• Aug. 1: Lake Zurich, Illinois

All of Gabriel’s upcoming speaking events are closed to the press and prohibit any “face coverings,” according to ACT disclaimers.

Photo illustration by SPLC