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11 Sep, 2015 14:16

Florida gun-maker designs 'ISIS-proof' assault rifle

A Florida gun maker has launched an ‘ISIS-proof’ assault rifle, complete with a Bible verse and a symbol of the crusades. The firearm boasts three settings – 'peace,' 'war' and 'God wills it' – and has been condemned by Muslim groups.

The 'Crusader Rifle' was “designed to never be used by Muslim terrorists,” and is inscribed with Psalms 144:1: “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”

Made by Spike's Tactical in Apopka, Florida, the gun is also inscribed with a Knight's Templar Long Cross – a Christian crusader symbol.

The company's spokesman, former Navy SEAL Ben ‘Mookie’ Thomas, told the Orlando Sentinel that he came up with the idea and believes that no devout Muslim would touch the weapon.

"Off the cuff I said I'd like to have a gun that if a Muslim terrorist picked it up a bolt of lightning would hit and knock him dead," Thomas said.

The firearm – which costs $1,395 – appears to be a popular choice. According to Spike Tactical's website, the 'Crusader Rifle' is taking up to two weeks to ship “due to overwhelming media response.”

The gun is also being proudly sold at Florida Gun Supply, a store that recently came under fire for declaring the premises a “Muslim free zone.”

“It's not because we want to have war. It's because our desire is the same desire as everybody else – we want peace. But unfortunately, if we want peace, we have to prepare for war,” Florida Gun Supply owner Andy Hallinan told RT's Ruptly agency.

“We are frustrated with evil Islam, and radical Islam in this country. And businesses like myself and Spike's Tactical are standing up and trying to make a difference,” he added.

The gun has drawn criticism from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) of Florida, which asked whether the 'Crusader Rifle' was designed for “Christian terrorists.”

“Sadly, this manufacturer’s fancy new gun won’t do anything to stop the real threat in America: the escalating problem of gun violence,” said Hasan Shibly, executive director of CAIR-Florida, as quoted by Raw Story. 

“This is just another shameful marketing ploy intended to profit from the promotion of hatred, division, and violence.”

However, Thomas says the goal is not to “offend or alienate.”

That sentiment was echoed by Hallinan, who said: “I don't think this is a racist or bigoted term. I just think this is marketed to a different type of consumer.”

Founded in 2001, Spike's Tactical makes about 10,000 custom rifles a year. While Thomas says his company would never produce a rifle with verses from the Koran for Muslim customers, it does make special models for women, including an AR-15 called 'Pure Estrogen.'

Inventions aimed at deterring Islamic terrorists have made headlines before.

In March, a US inventor unveiled an ‘anti-terror’ system that would spray terrorists with pig blood. The idea was to scatter the substance in areas where suicide bombers may attack, deterring them from doing so over fear of becoming covered in it, Mirror Online reported. The inventor said he came up with the idea after learning of Islam's strict laws surrounding the substance.

In June 2013, a company in Idaho developed a line of pork-laced bullets aimed at being a “defensive deterrent to those who violently act in the name of Islam,” Mail Online reported.

Two years prior, a company called Silver Bullet Gun Oil began selling a line of products for automatic weapons that allegedly contains 13 percent liquefied pig fat, for the purpose of killing Muslims and denying them “a place in paradise.”

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