"Just as sincerely held religious beliefs would not be a defense to a hate crime prosecution, vilifying others in the name of religion should not immunize a group from being designated as a hate group, in our view," Mr. Cohen said.
Jeff Sessions: Southern Poverty Law Center uses 'hate' designation as 'weapon' against conservatives →
"After getting a deeper understanding of their views and after hearing from others for whom we have great respect, we realize that we were simply wrong to have included Mr. Nawaz and Quilliam in the Field Guide in the first place," SPLC President Richard Cohen said in announcing the settlement.
Alabama editorial roundup →
