Political activist Pamela Geller warned CNN’s Chris Cuomo Thursday that Islamic terrorists would eventually come for him, but still urged the cable news host not to submit to the demands of fanatics.
Her remarks came just hours after a reported plot on her life had been thwarted. Police officers in Boston shot and killed a man who reportedly planned to behead Geller.
Geller has drawn sharp criticism in recent months for hosting a “Draw Muhammad” event in Garland, Texas, in May. The event and its nearly 200 attendees were almost murdered by two would-be attackers. Luckily, however, security thwarted the attack and the two jihadi-inspired assailants were quickly shot and killed.
Even after the attack was foiled, it appears Geller is still in the crosshairs.
“Drawing an innocuous cartoon warrants chopping my head off?” she asked Cuomo Thursday morning, referring later to two journalists who were beheaded last year by Islamic extremists. “That’s too far?… They’re going to come for you too, Chris. They’re coming for everybody.”
“Why go slight for slight with the Muslims? Why not do what we often teach as a function of virtue when we are dealing with savagery, which is show that we are better than this,” Cuomo asked. “Not show that we can poke them in the eye in a way they don’t like.”
Geller accused Cuomo of going well beyond being merely polite, saying that has, in fact, “submitted” to fanatics.
“People need to understand the jihadist doctrine, and that it is coming for you. Mainstream Muslims should be standing with me shoulder to shoulder in defense of free speech. It is absurd, your position that we should abridge our right to free speech for a vicious and radical ideology,” she said.
Cuomo responded, “I don’t have that position and you know it. You know that is not my position. I embrace your right to do it. I have you on here to discuss it because I embrace the right.”
The CNN anchor has in the past been quite vocal about his opposition to Geller’s exploits, arguing that the First Amendment doesn’t extend to protect intentionally provocative speech.
