Khavari “declines” St. Pete Green Party endorsement for Governor

 St. Pete local bids him farewell

Farid Khavari is no longer the endorsed candidate for Governor of Florida by the St. Petersburg local of the Green Party of Florida (GPFL).

He had recently gone on the GPFL Facebook page and made a series of inflammatory statements on the dangers of Florida being infiltrated by Islamic extremists. At the same time, he touted his endorsement by the party’s St. Petersburg local, which had earlier endorsed him. Green Party members took issue with Mr. Khavari, and he accused them of condoning rape, murder and the beheading of innocents. He then announced that he was “declining” the St. Petersburg Green endorsement.

“There were many issues we agreed with Mr. Khavari on,” explained Rose Roby, Chair of the St. Petersburg local. “Especially his call for a state-run SuperBank both to refinance housing mortgages, and to alleviate the crushing burden of student debt. But his attempt to use our party to in part justify his ill-considered remarks was not acceptable”

To be sure, the Green Party is aware that religious extremists of every stripe are destructive and dangerous. We condemn their excesses without reservation. However, the issues facing us all in the Middle East are disturbing and complex. Heroes and villains are not easily identifiable.

With Obama and the media working overtime to use anti-Islamic hysteria to beat the drums of expanded war in the region, with aerial bombing and more troop deployments, any statements about radical Islam must be couched very carefully, to in no way contribute to that hysteria and Obama’s push for wider war. Khavari’s remarks were not.

Therefore, the St. Petersburg local accepts Mr. Khavari’s rejection of our endorsement.

The Green Party of St. Petersburg is the authorized affiliate in St. Petersburg of the Green Party of Florida.

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