In the first few years after the 9/11 attacks, debates about whether Islam was a religion of peace or something more malevolent could be frequently found on cable television, talk radio and other public forums. That debate sort of died down, but still reemerges at times, such as during the "discussion" two years ago over the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque."
In Tampa, conservative activists have been up in arms at the school board, angry that Hassan Shibly of the Tampa office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) was allowed to speak to students at Steinbrenner High School on the topic of Islamic beliefs, religious diversity and misconceptions about the religion.
And in early May, a group of self-proclaimed "patriots" protested in front of the Hilton Tampa Airport-Westshore on N. Lois Avenue, which was hosting a meeting of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).
Days later, GOP political consultant and commentator Chris Ingram took to his column in the Tampa Tribune to denounce the protestors, labeling them a "bunch of knuckle-draggers." That comment infuriated a man named Tom Trento, President of something called The United West. Trento says that once he heard that Ingram was a fellow Republican, he became infuriated (his word) and decided he wanted to debate him.
And so the two men met on Wednesday afternoon at Maestro's Restaurant inside the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa, at an event hosted by the Tampa Tiger Bay Club and also streamed live on Trento's website. It was actually their second debate in three days. On Monday, the two had squared off on Rob Lorei's show on WMNF-FM.
This article appears in Jul 19-25, 2012.
