Adventure in Las Vegas

Speaking in the Las Vegas symposium of America Truth Forum was just like an adventure for me. Many American friends in New York advised me that I should avoid that symposium because most of the speakers are extremist in their views but I decided not to break my commitment with the organizers. The subject of the symposium was understanding the Radical Islamism but most of the speakers never spoke about Radical Islamists but they targeted Islam. One speaker Robert Spencer attacked Islam and Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) throughout his speech. I was the last speaker in that symposium and I started my speech by responding to Robert Spencer. During the questions and answers session I was targeted not only by some people sitting in the audience but also from some speakers who were sitting with me on the stage. Joe Kaufman was not a speaker on that day but he was allowed to sit on the stage just in the Q and A session. He never asked any question to me. He just shouted on me. I noticed that some security officials present in the conference hall came close to me. They feared that may be somebody will attack me. I was feeling that i am being surrounded by some enemy. I had the same feelings when I was captured by Hezbollah fighters in Beirut in July 2006 during the war. I felt very bad but thanks to Dr. Harvey Kushner and Dr. Hugh Cort who tried to rescue me. I am also thankful to the majority of the audience who said sorry to me after the symposium and assured that people like Robert Spencer and Joe Kaufman does not represent the majority of the Americans. It was shocking for me that after few days of the symposium Robert Spencer claimed on his website that I never defended  Islam in Las Vegas. I think Robert Spencer should present his point of view with facts. He will not gain anything by distorting the facts. I am once again thankful to all those Americans who showed solidarity with me when I was surrounded by violent people like Spencer and Joe Kaufman in Las Vegas. Here is my speech in Las Vegas. (Hamid Mir)  American Hiroshima and Radical Islam ---- Paper in Las Vegas Symposium