In honor of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a Florida gun shop is offering a free car wash, beer, and $25 off any gun purchased online with the coupon code “muslim” — because, well, Amurica.
It's 9/11 week. Use coupon code "muslim" at our site for $25 off any gun. Come in Fri for a free car wash and beer! pic.twitter.com/x1sTZPFk0V
— Florida Gun Supply (@FLGunSupply) September 9, 2015“At the end of the day, I am compelled to stand up for what I believe in. And I believe Islam is evil at its core,” said Andy Hallinan, owner of Florida Gun Supply, in an interview with MSNBC Friday.
“I don’t believe that every Muslim is evil at their core,” Hallinan clarified. “But I do believe that the extreme political correctness in the U.S. leads to loss of life. And that’s why I have promotions like these designed to combat that kind of political correctness.”
Hallinan rose to national prominence earlier this year after declaring his gun shop a “Muslim-free zone” following the shooting massacre in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that left five U.S. service members dead. The lone gunman was identified as 24-year-old Mohammad Abdulazeez, an electrical engineer who had grown up in Chattanooga as part of a conservative Muslim family.
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In July, the Florida chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed a federal lawsuit against Hallinan, asking the court to prohibit Florida Gun Supply from discriminating on the basis of religion. To help pay for his legal fees, Hallinan then launched an online fundraiser selling prints of the Confederate flag that were painted by George Zimmerman, the man acquitted two years ago in the high-profile shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin. In yet another controversial campaign, Hallinan took aim earlier this month at the Black Lives Matter movement, which he called a “joke that’s leading to deadly violence.”
Hallinan couldn’t say how many people had taken advantage of his 9/11 promotion as of Friday afternoon, though he did say he’d been “washing cars all day.” Asked who he was considering for the next president of the United States, Hallinan responded: Donald Trump.
“I believe that the nation is in such a crisis right now, we need a savior not a politician,” Hallinan said. “Donald Trump is my hero because he will not back down, and neither will I.”
Emma Margolin
Emma Margolin is a reporter at MSNBC.com.