Everytown Responds to NRA Peddling Outrageous Conspiracy Theory That ISIS Wants Stronger Gun Laws Just Days After ISIS Called for U.S. Recruits to Exploit America’s Gun Laws

ISIS and Al Qaeda Have Repeatedly Instructed Recruits in U.S. To Exploit Background Check Loophole to Obtain Guns, Carry Out Attacks On American Soil

Earlier This Month, an American ISIS Sympathizer Was Arrested in D.C. After Setting Up an Illegal Sale to Avoid a Background Check and Buy an AK-47

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety released the following statement today in response to the outrageous claim being peddled by National Rifle Association leaders Dana Loesch and Grant Stinchfield that suggests ISIS is in favor of common sense gun laws. The claim comes just days after a report in the Washington Post revealed the magazine of the Islamic State is urging terrorists to take advantage of the weak American gun laws by arming themselves with no background check and to attack densely populated areas of the United States.

After the Washington Post uncovered the latest example of terror groups advocating for the exploitation of America’s weak gun laws, the extremist leadership of the NRA is now pushing a conspiracy theory in an attempt to mislead Americans into believing terrorists want stricter gun laws. During a May 12 program, NRATV host Grant Stinchfield stated: “Yes, ISIS is pushing for more gun control in America… Of course ISIS wants gun control. Disarm its enemy, then wage war. In a recent piece in ISIS’ online magazine, they go all out for gun control.”

NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch peddled the same false conspiracy theory on NRATV, saying “terrorists agree, they want you to be disarmed.”

The Islamic State propaganda magazine at the center of the recent Washington Post report, Rumiyah, laid out how U.S. recruits can easily obtain firearms due to America’s weak gun laws. Currently, under federal law and the law in more than 30 states, terrorists can rely on unlicensed sellers online or at gun shows – where no background check is required – to purchase firearms.

The magazine clearly stated: “The acquisition of firearms can be very simple depending on one’s geographical location. In most U.S. states, anything from a single-shot shotgun all the way up to a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle can be purchased at showrooms or through online sales — by way of private dealers — with no background checks, and without requiring either an ID or a gun license.”

STATEMENT FROM CONGRESSWOMAN ROBIN KELLY (IL-02):

“Tragically, the NRA’s ‘guns everywhere, background check nowhere’ policy has found a new supporter: ISIS. The most recent edition of Rumiyah, ISIS’s glossy multilingual ‘magazine,’ encourages US-based recruits to take advantage of our nation’s tragically-lax gun laws to kill Americans. In fact, they call the entire process ‘very simple’ and note that neither IDs nor background checks are required. I’ve heard a lot of tough talk on ISIS. This is a telegraphed punch we can dodge — why are we doing nothing? Instead of working with policymakers to prevent terrorists from buying guns, the gun lobby wants to make it easier for ISIS. Are we — the American people and Congress — going to stand by and let the NRA do ISIS’s dirty work?”

STATEMENT FROM JOHN FEINBLATT, PRESIDENT, EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY:

“This NRA conspiracy theory is naked, self-interested reverse psychology meant to keep American gun laws weak – even at the expense of endangering our public safety and possibly helping facilitate terrorism on American soil. For years ISIS and Al Qaeda have publicly encouraged their recruits to exploit our nation’s lax gun laws to easily obtain firearms and carry out attacks in America, and it is truly disturbing to see the NRA ‘sticking to their guns’ even when it is so obvious that the dangerous loopholes in our laws threaten our country’s security. Vast majorities of Americans support background checks for all gun sales to keep firearms out of the hands of terrorists and criminals, but still NRA leaders advance an agenda of more guns for anyone, no questions asked – even terrorists who aim to attack our country. We will continue to fight for stronger gun laws that put American public safety first.”

International terrorist organizations are well aware of the many loopholes in our current gun laws and for years, have urged recruits living in the United States to exploit loopholes in our gun laws in order to obtain guns and plan attacks on American soil. As a 2011 video released by Al-Qaeda states, “America is absolutely awash with easily-obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle without a background check and, most likely, without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?”

In August 2016, a jailed ISIS recruit told to the New York Times, “[ISIS says] the Americans are dumb — they have open gun policies. They say we can radicalize them easily, and if they have no prior record, they can buy guns, so we don’t need to have no contact man who has to provide guns for them.”

Just last week, an ISIS sympathizer living in Washington D.C. was arrested by the FBI after setting up a private sale to avoid a background check for buying an AK-47.