Berkeley Students Protest Planned Graduation Speech by ‘Blatant Bigot and Racist’ Celebrity (Hint: He’s Not Conservative)

Some students at the University of California-Berkeley are petitioning to get comedian and talk show host Bill Maher’s planned graduation speech at the institution cancelled due to his “racist and bigoted” views on Islam.

Maher, who identifies with liberal and some libertarian views, has been an outspoken critic of radical Islam, accusing the left of being too politically correct on the subject.

Credit: AP

So far, 1,925 people have signed a Change.org petition to stop Maher from speaking at UC Berkeley in December. The petition was reportedly created by two members of the Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian Coalition.

“Bill Maher is a blatant bigot and racist who has no respect for the values UC Berkeley students and administration stand for,” the petition states. “In a time where climate is a priority for all on campus, we cannot invite an individual who himself perpetuates a dangerous learning environment. Bill Maher's public statements on various religions and cultures are offensive and his dangerous rhetoric has found its way into our campus communities.”

BERKELEY, CA - MAY 22: Pedestrians walk by an entrance to the UC Berkeley campus on May 22, 2014 in Berkeley, California. According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities by China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Stanford University ranked second behind Harvard University as the top universities in the world. UC Berkeley ranked third. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The authors of the petition also provide several examples of “Bill Maher’s hate speech.” Here are a few of them:

"Islam is the only religion that acts like the mafia that will f***ing kill you if you say the wrong thing."

"Dealing w/ Hamas is like dealing w/ a crazy woman who's trying to kill u - u can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her."

"Talk to women who’ve ever dated an Arab man. The results are not good."

"The Muslim world has too much in common with Isis."

(H/T: Mediaite)