Aloha Akbar? Lawmaker Promos Event With ISIS Flag Over Waikiki

Hawaii state Rep. Gene Ward splashes a fear-mongering graphic to advertise his public safety and counterterrorism forum next week.

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Big, bold, black letters ask if Hawaii is safe. And answers the question with an ISIS flag flying over Waikiki Beach, while a man with with a hand severed by poor Photoshop skills brandishes an assault rifle over the crowd of unsuspecting sunbathers.

Rep Gene Ward gestures on the floor. 27 april 2015. photograph by Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Rep. Gene Ward speaking on the House floor. Cory Lum/Civil Beat

That’s the graphic image Republican state Rep. Gene Ward is using to promote a public safety and counterterrorism forum he’s sponsoring Tuesday evening at Hahaione Elementary School.

He insists, in a flier that his office sent out Friday, that “we are at risk” after the Sept. 11, Paris, San Bernardino and Brussels attacks –even though the FBI reiterated after the most recent attack that it has “no credible information of any specific terrorist threat targeting Hawaii or our territories in the Pacific.”

The topics of his forum include: the origin and evolution of terrorism; identifying threats to your safety in public and workplace settings; and how to survive an active shooter in a soft target area. The FBI, Coast Guard, TSA and Honolulu Police Department are set to make presentations.

Hawaii Rep. Gene Ward is using this image to promote his public safety and counterterrorism event.
Hawaii Rep. Gene Ward is using this image to promote his public safety and counterterrorism event. Courtesy: Rep. Gene Ward

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