Not wanting to court danger, the Boca West Country Club has refused to host the Palm Beach Republican Party's "Lobsterfest" dinner that advertised controversial Islamic critic Geert Wilders as the keynote speaker. Geert was part of the Garland, Texas, cartoon contest that invited participants to draw the Prophet Muhammad. Islamic law prohibits any image of the prophet to ward off idol worship.
However, extremists have violently attacked or threatened with death anyone who has published a drawing or depiction of Muhammad over the years. The belief was what prompted extremists to attack the headquarters of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, where 12 staffers were gunned down.
Last week in Texas, in an attempt to fly directly in the face of that law, organizers put together a $10,000 Muhammad cartoon contest. The contest drew the attention of two gunmen who tried to kill participants with assault rifles. Police were able to thwart the attack and shot and killed the suspects. Not long after, ISIS announced that it was responsible for the attack.
As New Times reported on Thursday, Geert, a Dutch politician and known Islamic critic, was a key participant in the contest. Geert has been outspoken against the Qur'an, liking it to Mein Kampf and trying to have it banned in the Netherlands. His stance and beliefs have made him popular with the far-right, particularly in the United States. It's also made him a target of Islamic extremists.
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