An anti-Israel professor at Kent State University is under investigation for alleged links to ISIS after some disturbing posts on his Facebook page surfaced, an FBI spokeswoman confirmed.
Julio Cesar Pino, a Cuban-born convert to Islam and an associate professor of history at Kent State, has long been known for his repeated rants against Israel, Jews, and Christians, but suspicions were raised after a recent post on his Facebook page praised Osama bin Laden and urged Al Qaeda fighters to merge with ISIS, according to Fox News.
“Sheik Osama (May Allah be Pleased with Him) was the greatest, and desrves (sic) praise for kicking off this jihad,” a post which Pino later deleted but was captured in a screenshot by The Clarion Project, read. “However, the organization he left behind is not the same AQ he founded. The brave warriors of AQAP and the Nusraf Jabbat should join #IslamicState.”
Pino is also known by his Muslim name Assad Jibril Pino, according to an essay he wrote called “Born in The Fist of the Revolution: A Cuban Professor’s Journey to Allah.” He was spotted shouting “Death to Israel” in 2011, eulogized a Palestinian suicide bomber in the Kent State paper and reportedly posted jihad messages on a website in 2007.
In February 2008, the Islamic convert presented a lecture on “The Contrast of Islam to Judaism and Christianity” at the Center for Inquiry, Akron.
Pino’s Facebook profile pictures and previous cover photos show disturbing glorification of ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Hamas, among other jihadist groups. Under one ISIS propaganda photo in 2014, he commented, “Keep it a secret: That’s me on the left!”
On February 16, 2014, he posted a picture of himself in front of the U.S. Capitol with a comment underneath, “I come to bury D.C., not to praise it.”
Pino denied the allegations to the Beacon Journal.
“I’ve never broken the law,” he said. “I support no violence or violent organizations. One man or one woman’s interpretation of events can be very different from another’s. As they say, ‘Haters gonna hate.’ Truth always prevails, and truth will prevail in this case.”
Pino added he thinks it could only have been a rumor that caused people to be suspicious of him.
“I can only imagine, given my past record at Kent State dealing with controversial issues about the Middle East, some people may be favorable or unfavorable,” he said. “Rumors start, and that’s the only thing I can think would draw attention from a government agency.”
Kent State president Beverly Warren tweeted her rejection of the professor and his values:
Pino’s students do not seem to be big fans, either. He received a “B” rating on ratemyprofessors.com and a rating of 2.7 out of 5.
The following are a few of students’ comments about Pino:
Boring as heck somewhat facile approach and a real intellectual lightweight.
The worst class I have ever had. Stay away from him.
This professor is knowledgeable, but may insult you with his opinions.
WARNING: Closed minded conservatives do not take this course.
worst teacher ever
According to his university profile, Pino teaches courses to include “Comparative Third World Revolutions,” “Afro-Latin America, History of Women in Latin America,” and “The Sixties: A Third World View.” A Ph.D graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Pino is a Fulbright Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
A Kent State spokesperson confirmed that Pino is still teaching classes but that he poses no threat to students.
“Kent State is fully cooperating with the FBI,” the University said in a statement. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment. The FBI has assured Kent State that there is no threat to campus.”
“Sheik Osama (May Allah be Pleased with Him) was the greatest, and desrves (sic) praise for kicking off this jihad.”
Julio Cesar Pino
“Anyone that is a supporter of ISIS needs to be considered an imminent threat,” the Clarion Project’s Ryan Mauro told Fox News. “If I was a student there, I would not go on campus, personally.”
Pino did not respond to The Daily Wire‘s request for comment in time for publishing.