Noted author, Hot Air contributor/host and jihad watcher Robert Spencer is scheduled to speak before a gathering of the Young America’s Foundation in Washington on Thursday. CAIR, whose spokesman Ibrahim Hooper defamed Spencer on CNN Tuesday night, has issued a demand via its lawyers that YAF cancel the speech or “ensure that false and defamatory statements are not disseminated at that session.” Here’s the letter from CAIR’s lawyers to YAF.

This is an effort to stifle free speech in advance of anything having actually been said. It’s pernicious in my humble opinion, and a serious mistake on CAIR’s part to try to preempt its critics. I’m told by YAF that the speech will proceed as scheduled, and Jason Mattera, spokesman for YAF, responded to the CAIR complaint:

“CAIR can go to Hell and they can take their 72 virgins with them.”

I think CAIR has its answer.

By the way, tomorrow I’ll have an interview with another author, Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, who has been hit with another lawyer jihad. Using courts to stifle free speech seems to have become a preferred tactic.

Update: Well, well. CAIR’s lawyer has major Democrat credentials.

Update: Via Michelle, Robert Spencer responds.

Note the personal smears, the attempt to bully and intimidate, and the non-specificity of the charges against me (they can’t be specific, because I don’t say anything inaccurate about them — or about Islam or jihad).

Note also the irony: this letter comes a day after CAIR’s Ibrahim Hooper slandered me on national television by ascribing to me hateful words written by someone else — which appeared on this site for about an hour, during which, lo and behold, someone at CAIR was watching.

I was speaking to a YAF official who told me that I was scheduled to speak as planned: “CAIR can go to Hell and they can take their 72 virgins with them.”

My own reply to CAIR: remember McAuliffe at Bastogne.

Neither Spencer nor YAF appear to be intimidated. Nor should they.

Update: The Washington Times has been working on this story all afternoon, and has a very good round-up on it.

Update: Robert Stacy McCain blogs on the atmosphere of fear and intimidation that CAIR’s threat letter has created at YAF’s banquet tonight.