Professor Investigated For Links to ISIS

An associate professor at Ohio’s Kent State University is under FBI investigation for possible links to the Islamic State terror organization. Julio Pino, who reportedly specializes in Latin American history, defended himself in an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal.

“I’ve never broken the law,” Pino said. “I support no violence or violent organizations. One man or one woman’s interpretation of events can be very different from another’s. As they say, ‘Haters gonna hate.’ Truth always prevails, and truth will prevail in this case.”

Haters gonna hate? That’s your response when you learn that the FBI is investigating you on terror charges? Pino must have gone to the Hillary Clinton school of public relations. Maybe he can enlighten us as to whether or not he is the victim of a vast right-wing conspiracy.

Pino actually blames his past comments for landing him in the fed’s crosshairs. The Muslim convert said, “I can only imagine, given my past record at Kent State dealing with controversial issues about the Middle East, some people may be favorable or unfavorable. Rumors start, and that’s the only thing I can think would draw attention from a government agency.”

It’s exceedingly unlikely that the FBI would admit to journalists that they were investigating a professor if the only thing linking him to terrorism were “rumors” started by students who were turned off by his anti-Israel screeds.

Still, whether or not Pino is actually guilty of conspiring with ISIS, his record of disturbing rhetoric is enough on its own to wonder how he could possibly still be employed at Kent State. In a 2014 open letter, Pino said that academic supporters of Israel were “directly responsible for the murder of more than 1,400 Palestinian children, women and elderly civilians.”

He signed that letter by adding: “Jihad until victory!”

On Facebook last May, Pino allegedly wrote, “Sheik Osama (may Allah be Pleased with Him) was the greatest, and deserves praise for kicking off this jihad.”

Really?

Obviously, the First Amendment gives Pino the right to make all of the controversial comments he wants. He even has the right to praise Osama Bin Laden on social media if he thinks that’s appropriate. But in an academic atmosphere where people are losing their jobs for not sufficiently kowtowing to the Black Lives Matter movement, a guy who demonstrates unrestrained support for Islamic terrorism can draw a paycheck?

Then again, why should anyone be surprised? Let’s give Pino the benefit of the doubt and assume that he’s done nothing illegal. In one way, that should strike us as even more disturbing, because it shows us that the left’s stance on Israel is practically indistinguishable from the views of Islamists. Mainstream Democrats can’t spew this crap, but does anyone doubt that this is what they believe when they go behind closed doors?