US hate group loses free trip to Iraq

For a while there, it looked like members of the Westboro Baptist Church were heading to Iraq to protest the beheading of Christians by Islamic State (ISIS).

WBC had taken Australian comedian Adam Hills up on an offer he made on air on August 15 to fly members of the Kansas-based extremist church, monitored as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center, to Iraq so they could “put their money where their mouth is.”

Hills, disgusted by WBC’s announced plans to protest at the funeral of actor Robin Williams (whom WBC called a “fag pimp” for his support for gay rights) challenged the group to take their protesting to somewhere where Christians and the Christian way of life are truly in peril.

However, after a week of WBC attacks on Twitter, Hills changed his mind and decided to instead direct the flight money, as well as funds contributed by viewers, toward a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of Williams’ favorite charities.

Hills wrote on Twitter that he “donated the money for flights to a childrens charity set up in Robin Williams name. Over 30k raised, fight hate with love,” in response to a Times of Israel query.

The always classless WBC, though, indicated it would not back down from its hate-filled mission.

“@AdamHillsComedy’s a cheap, welching bastard & backed out of his ranting promise. Don’t despair-we’ll still preach from afar,” WBC tweeted in response to a query from The Times of Israel about plans for the supposed Iraqi jaunt.

WBC even posted a Vine of a member, wearing her “God Still Hates Fags” t-shirt all packed and ready to go. “Got my bag, got my dog, got my sign [“Fags Doom Nations”]. Where’s my ticket to Iraq, funnyman?!” she says.

Margie Phelps, daughter of WBC founder Fred Phelps, wrote in an email to The Times of Israel that she is sure the opportunity for the church to preach in Iraq will arise.

“When it’s time for us to go back to Iraq, that pathway will open up smooth as silk, and we will have no worries,” she wrote.

In answer to a question about what WBC would plan to do in Iraq, she wrote, “Put some signs in the air. Prime choices for Iraq would be: Thou Shalt Not Kill; God Hates Islam; U H8 Jesus; Imams Rape Children; Muslims Die God Laughs; Muhammad Was a Lying False Prophet; Repent or Perish; the Lord is Coming.”

In the meantime, she said WBC is content to stay in the US and fight its fight against American Christians, Israel, and Jews, which she said pose a much greater threat than Iraq or any group in it.

‘When we encounter American Jews… we are in as much danger as Iraq could ever pose’

American Jews and Israeli politicians are apparently far scarier to WBC than knife-wielding Jihadis who readily behead and enslave innocent people by the thousands.

“When we encounter American Jews, or the time we encountered former defense minister Ehud Barak in New Orleans, with his Billy-Badass-Posse-of-Pretend-Protectors, we are in as much danger as Iraq could ever pose,” Phelps wrote.

She called Jews and Israelis “bloody warmongers,” “filthy fornicators,” “adulterers,” and “sodomites and idolaters” who “have enraged the whole world.”

Adam Hills’ may have rescinded his offer, but maybe WBC members should find an alternative way to get over to Iraq to do their thing in areas ruled by Islamist militants.

We’d be interested in knowing how that works out for them.