“Homegrown Jihad” Film Stirs Controversy in Nashville

Channel 5 News in Nashville, Tennessee followed its coverage of the Super Bowl with the first of a two-part series about the revelations in the Christian Action Network's documentary, "Homegrown Jihad: The Terrorist Camps Around U.S."

The series, titled "Is a Local Muslim Community Tied to Terrorism?" discusses the allegations that Islamville in Dover, T.N., is connected to Islamic extremism. Islamville is just one of the dozens of isolated communities under the control of the "Muslims of the Americas" group, which the Christian Action Network says trains its members in paramilitary tactics and indoctrinates its followers in radicalism.

Prominent pastors in the area also participated in the news segment, including Pastor Maury Davis of Cornerstone Church.

"The things you see are people not only declaring animosity to the nation, but you see training of people on how to take a human life," he said after viewing the documentary.

"One of the best things we can do is alert the people and media around these sites and cause them to peacefully place pressure on them, letting them know that they can no longer operate in secret," said Ryan Mauro, the Christian Action Network's national security advisor.

"And this T.V. news broadcast has done just that."

Channel 5 News also hosted a debate between Republican congressional candidate Vijay Kumar and Rashed Fakhrudein of Nashville's Islamic Center.

Prior to the debate, the Christian Action Network provided Kumar with information about the Muslims of the Americas site in Dover and documentation indicating it was used for paramilitary training that can be used to carry out terrorist attacks. After the debate, Kumar said that he was confident he had carried the night and expressed his appreciation for the Christian Action Network's information.

Channel 5 News reporter Nick Bares told Jason Campbell of the Christian Action Network that the decision to run the segment immediately following the Super Bowl was coincidental but is causing a firestorm of controversy.

"I felt that the segment was fair, but the real story is the community of churches, officials, and citizens who are coming together and making the film have an impact across the country," Campbell said.

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