The Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida announced Tuesday that it had sold a memorable letter sent by then-Rep. Allen West on eBay for $2,625.
The note, sent on Aug. 4, 2011, was addressed to Nezar Hamze and Hassan Shibly of CAIR Florida. They had initially sent Mr. West a letter urging him to cut ties with individuals they said “have been identified as anti-Islam extremist(s).”
Mr. West’s response read: “Dear Mr. Hamze and Mr. Shibly, I am writing to you with regard your recent letter: ’NUTS!’”
The response was reminiscent of U.S. Army Gen. Anthony Clement “Nuts” McAuliffe, whose one-word response to a German surrender ultimatum gained him longstanding notoriety after the Battle of the Bulge.
The letter was sold to a Stockton, Calif., man, whom CAIR would not name. The organization sent a statement to the media Tuesday regarding the eBay purchase: “We are taught in Islam to meet a bad deed with a good deed. So we turned Allen West’s bad deed into 2,625 good deeds. We thank Allen West for his “NUTS”! Every penny of these monies will be used to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.”
There has been no response from Mr. West. He is enjoying a new career in online media and has ruled out a 2014 run for his old seat.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.