Garland shooting: Pamela Geller, organiser of Prophet Mohamed exhibition, vows to continue 'free speech' campaign

Some had suggested event was deliberately provocative

Pamela Geller

The organiser of the event that was the target of a gun attack for which Isis has claimed responsibility, has vowed to continue her so-called free speech campaign.

Pamela Geller, President of the American Freedom Defence Initiative, a controversial group whose campaigns have previously been accused of insulting Islam, said the intention of the event in Garland, Texas, was to show her group would not "submit to violent intimidation"

Her event included an exhibition of caricatures of the Prophet Mohamed with a $10,000 prize for the best image. Most Muslims consider any images of Mohamed to be forbidnen. The event was also addressed by a right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

Elton Simpson has been named as one of the two gunmen who attacked the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland

In answer to a series of emailed questions from The Independent, she said those who suggested the event was intentionally provocative, were "conforming their minds to Sharia norms".

"The cartoons are only provocative to those who accept Sharia blasphemy laws. Must non-Muslims accept those laws now?," she said.

"The question is whether we will allow ourselves to be silenced and subjugated, or whether we will stand for the freedom of speech, our foremost protection against tyranny."

Ms Geller's organisation had paid $10,000 to pay for tight security at the event, including local police, members of an armed response unit and a bomb squad.

Nadir Soofi has been named as one of the two gunmen who attacked the event in Garland

The event was attacked on Sunday night by two gun men, named as Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi. A security guard was injured and a police officer shot dead the two gunmen.

She said the fact that the event was attacked showed that "Islamic jihadists are determined to murder those who do not conform to Sharia blasphemy laws".

She added: "The mainstream media is determined to submit to them and give them what they want."

Asked if she intended to halt her campaign, she added: "After this, we must continue."