OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City Mayor's Prayer Breakfast will go ahead as planned despite scrutiny from organizations whose members oppose the views its keynote speaker, retired Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin, holds about Islam.
People for the American Way and the Council on American-Islamic Relations have sent emails to Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan asking him to disinvite Boykin from speaking at Thursday morning's breakfast at the Clarion Hotel.
Boykin has been publicly outspoken about his views on Islam, especially since his retirement from military service. He has said there should be no mosques built in America, that Islam is a "totalitarian way of life" and that the creed should not be protected under the Constitution's First Amendment, according to videos of his talks archived on rightwingwatch.org.
The event carries the mayor's name but is not funded or endorsed by the city. It was founded in 1990 by Bruce Spangler, a former Ocean City police lieutenant who organizes the event each year and is in charge of selecting speakers, a process Meehan does not take part in. Meehan is an invited guest, and his role is to welcome attendees and introduce other elected officials and dignitaries who are in attendance, the mayor said.
Town Councilwoman Mary Knight said she first heard of Boykin's views in early December, and that she had been assured he would speak appropriately at the breakfast. She said in the past couple days she has received more than 300 emails from people about the event, most of which are forwarded versions of the emails circulated about it by the two protesting organizations. Councilman Brent Ashley said his inbox had more than 170 messages. Knight said she is not sure whether she will attend and hadn't yet bought a ticket. Ashley said he has a prior engagement and will not attend the breakfast.
Meehan and Spangler said they don't expect Boykin to say anything radical, just to tell a story of the role God has played in his life.
"I've always found it to be an uplifting event, and I don't think it should be any different this year," Meehan said. "I wasn't familiar with Gen. Boykin, but he's a guest in our community for that event and I'm sure he's going to follow the same pattern that other speakers have, and be very respectful to all those who are in attendance."
Boykin was investigated by the Department of Defense while serving as the Pentagon's senior military intelligence official after concerns were raised about comments he made about the Islamic faith and the war on terror that were perceived by some as derogatory or inflammatory, according to a 2004 report.
In speeches, Boykin implied that then-President George W. Bush had been placed in the presidency by God and that the war on terror is a spiritual one against "a guy named Satan," according to the report.
Boykin was found to be in violation of three internal regulations but he kept his position until he retired in 2007.
Boykin has also spoken of operations in Iran, Somalia -- where he commanded the infamous "Black Hawk Down" mission -- and Grenada, and explained how his faith helped him to overcome difficulties he encountered during them. Spangler said he expects Boykin's speech at the breakfast to be more in the vein of this type of testimony.
"We're not here to try and start trouble or cause any dissension or anything like that. We're here to give an uplifting experience for people," Spangler said. "If you've got a good story to tell and the Lord worked in your life, I want to hear it."
By inviting Boykin to speak at the community event, Ocean City officials effectively endorsed Boykin's "hate-filled rhetoric," according to Michael Keegan, president of People for the American Way. Council on American-Islamic Relations spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said the organization questions the appropriateness of the choice for the event.
Both organizations believed Ocean City officials were in charge of the selection for the event's guest speakers, according to their statements.
People for the American Way and the Council on American-Islamic Relations have sent emails to Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan asking him to disinvite Boykin from speaking at Thursday morning's breakfast at the Clarion Hotel.
Boykin has been publicly outspoken about his views on Islam, especially since his retirement from military service. He has said there should be no mosques built in America, that Islam is a "totalitarian way of life" and that the creed should not be protected under the Constitution's First Amendment, according to videos of his talks archived on rightwingwatch.org.
The event carries the mayor's name but is not funded or endorsed by the city. It was founded in 1990 by Bruce Spangler, a former Ocean City police lieutenant who organizes the event each year and is in charge of selecting speakers, a process Meehan does not take part in. Meehan is an invited guest, and his role is to welcome attendees and introduce other elected officials and dignitaries who are in attendance, the mayor said.
Town Councilwoman Mary Knight said she first heard of Boykin's views in early December, and that she had been assured he would speak appropriately at the breakfast. She said in the past couple days she has received more than 300 emails from people about the event, most of which are forwarded versions of the emails circulated about it by the two protesting organizations. Councilman Brent Ashley said his inbox had more than 170 messages. Knight said she is not sure whether she will attend and hadn't yet bought a ticket. Ashley said he has a prior engagement and will not attend the breakfast.
Meehan and Spangler said they don't expect Boykin to say anything radical, just to tell a story of the role God has played in his life.
"I've always found it to be an uplifting event, and I don't think it should be any different this year," Meehan said. "I wasn't familiar with Gen. Boykin, but he's a guest in our community for that event and I'm sure he's going to follow the same pattern that other speakers have, and be very respectful to all those who are in attendance."
Boykin was investigated by the Department of Defense while serving as the Pentagon's senior military intelligence official after concerns were raised about comments he made about the Islamic faith and the war on terror that were perceived by some as derogatory or inflammatory, according to a 2004 report.
In speeches, Boykin implied that then-President George W. Bush had been placed in the presidency by God and that the war on terror is a spiritual one against "a guy named Satan," according to the report.
Boykin was found to be in violation of three internal regulations but he kept his position until he retired in 2007.
Boykin has also spoken of operations in Iran, Somalia -- where he commanded the infamous "Black Hawk Down" mission -- and Grenada, and explained how his faith helped him to overcome difficulties he encountered during them. Spangler said he expects Boykin's speech at the breakfast to be more in the vein of this type of testimony.
"We're not here to try and start trouble or cause any dissension or anything like that. We're here to give an uplifting experience for people," Spangler said. "If you've got a good story to tell and the Lord worked in your life, I want to hear it."
By inviting Boykin to speak at the community event, Ocean City officials effectively endorsed Boykin's "hate-filled rhetoric," according to Michael Keegan, president of People for the American Way. Council on American-Islamic Relations spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said the organization questions the appropriateness of the choice for the event.
Both organizations believed Ocean City officials were in charge of the selection for the event's guest speakers, according to their statements.
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