New York City groups, under the collective banner “Oppose Ground Zero Mosque,” are planning another mosque protest and leaflet distribution on Friday, June 25, one and a half blocks away from the 45 Park Place mosque. On the web site, one commentator states “There should not be ANY mosque in USA!”
NYC Mosque Being Protested (Photo: NY Times)
The June 25 protest against the 45 Park Place mosque, which has been in operation since December 2009, is scheduled for 12:45 PM, at 51 Park Place between Church Avenue and West Broadway. The groups stated that “this activity is sponsored by Act for Manhattan, Hindu Human Rights Watch, HRCARI and other Organizations.”
June 6 Mosque Protest – Image (Photo: YouTube)
The June 25 protest groups state that they seek to provide fliers to “Muslims going into the Mosque about their Imam. This can make for interesting exchanges – a kind of ‘street theater’ – especially considering that the whole thing will be filmed as part of a documentary by the Christian Action Network.”
The June 25 protest group states “[t]here will be a documentary being produced by Christian Action Network with interviews from those who will be doing leaf letting”… to show the strength of those who oppose this Mosque..”
R.E.A.L. supports our universal human rights for all people of all faiths, including Muslims attending the 45 Park Place mosque.
R.E.A.L.’s support of our universal human rights includes Article 18: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
Our universal human rights come with no caveats. They do not just apply to one race, one religion, one ethnicity, one gender. They do not just apply to those we agree with, those we like, or those whose faith or religious views we share.
With such human rights and freedom of religion threatened in many parts of the world today, it is essential that we are consistent in our support for such human rights. It is essential that we are consistently responsible for equality and liberty — for all.
“In her ruling Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp said that the Nebraska funeral picketing law protects family members attending services, while leaving ample alternatives for Phelps-Roper’s protests that are protected by the First Amendment.”
“‘She has not demonstrated that she is likely to prevail’ in her challenge to the statute, Smith Camp said of the lawsuit.”
“Phelps-Roper said she plans to appeal to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.”
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights, including our universal human right to dignity for all. We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate, Love Wins.
The Associated Press is reporting that four Christian activists were arrested during distribution of pamphlets outside of an Arab festival in Dearborn. The police stated that the individuals were charged with disorderly conduct. The four are free on bond.
The AP states that “Haddad tells the Detroit Free Press he isn’t taking sides in any dispute and says police have to keep peace at a festival that draws 300,000 over three days. On Thursday, the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals court ruled in favor of Anaheim, Calif., evangelist George Saieg (SAYGH). It overturned a lower court and said Saieg could distribute information on the festival’s perimeter.” CBN News also reported that “The ruling comes after a June 7 decision by Federal District Court Judge Paul D. Borman that upheld the Dearborn’s policy of barring the distribution of religious material near the event.”
The Detroit Free Press reported: “‘We did make four arrests for disorderly conduct,’ Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad said Saturday. ‘They did cause a stir.’ ‘Everyone’s space should be respected,’ Haddad said. ‘It’s Father’s Day weekend. … People are here to have a good time, and it’s our job to ensure security.'” On May 3, 2010, the Dearborn Press and Guide reported that “Police Chief Ronald Haddad was recently appointed to serve on the Homeland Security Advisory Council, which provides advice and recommendations to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on matters related to homeland security.”
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports freedom of speech and freedom of press as part of our universal human rights. We urge the Dearborn police authorities to work with groups that seek to express freedom of speech in a way to ensure that both their freedoms and event security can be effectively ensured. We discourage heavy-handed attempts to stifle freedom of speech among our citizens in America. If this is what happened in Dearborn, then we strongly urge the Dearborn law enforcement authorities to reconsider their approach and ensure American freedoms.
Acts17 Christian Activists Arrested During Pamphlet Distribution
However, it is also our experience that effective pamphleteering and public outreach includes proactive communication with the police authorities in advance. This communication with law enforcement authorities includes documenting who, what, where, and when such advance discussions occurred, so that proper security procedures, proper permits are in place, and that you are working within the security rules for public events. Law enforcement should not discover your events as a “surprise,” and the key to effective outreach efforts includes advance communications with law enforcement authorities. Our approach ensures that law enforcement agencies defend our freedoms, because we are on their side by our communication and cooperation with law enforcement authorities at every step.
When we promote religious or racial pluralism or we challenge religious or racial supremacism of any kind, our starting point is full and complete coordination with law enforcement authorities. We know that this works.
Mission Network News (MNN) also provides another report on the Acts 17 group arrests and pamphleteering efforts outside the Dearborn festival, stating that leader David Wood had viewed the group as troublemakers. MNN quotes Wood as stating: “A pastor said that he was standing talking to one of the police officers earlier in the day, and when we arrived, he heard over the policeman’s walkie-talkie, ‘Hey, those guys are here again. Get them out.'”
MNN’s report says that “Acts 17 is no stranger to conflict at the Festival. Last year, Wood contends that festival security framed them by sending a young Muslim to snatch a pamphlet out of Qureshi’s hands and reported that Qureshi had given it to him. The distribution of pamphlets is banned. Even as the story of the arrests went public, reaction has been mixed. While many are astounded at what happened, many others said the arrests occurred because Acts 17 was being confrontational. Wood disagrees. He says he and his group were simply engaging in conversation.”
MNN quotes David Woods as stating “Nabeel and I aren’t just talking to Muslims to preach the Gospel. Whether a Muslim converts to Christianity or not, we also believe it’s important to address Muslim beliefs. So whether a Muslim converts to Christianity or not, it’s still important that that Muslim believe in teachings of the Qur’an such as Surah 9:29 which commands him to subjugate unbelievers. So many Christians will just go there and preach the Gospel.”
MNN also quotes David Wood as stating: “If we’re in a discussion with a Muslim, we might say, ‘What do you believe about Surah 9:29 which commands you to fight and subjugate and oppress up? Do you believe that, or have you reinterpreted that verse?'” and “As of right now, this poses massive problems, because if we were to show up in an area and try to talk to Muslims, they’re going to see us as people who are trouble-makers.” But Wood also states “If anything, we’re even more determined not to submit to threats and intimidation…The main problem, as far as other Christians who have complained about us is concerned, is that they don’t know what happened.”
But MNN also provides the views of a Dearborn pastor with a different perspective, Pastor Haytham Abi-Haydar. Christian Pastor Haytham Abi-Haydar leads the Arabic Fellowship Alliance Church that meets on Sundays at 1:30 PM at Farlane Alliance Church in Dearborn, MI.
MNN states that “Pastor Haytham Abi-Haydar has been attending the Arab International Festival since 1999, even having been allowed to have a booth at the event. ‘The community has been very good to us. They never denied us a request. From my perspective, we’ve never had any incidents.’ According to Abi-Haydar, Act 17 challenged Muslims in the crowd. Those challenges seemed to invite a crowd. Abi-Haydar says, ‘If he thinks that’s how to reach out to people and that’s how to dialogue with people, I think they are endangering their own lives for no reason.'”
MNN also indicates that Pastor Abi-Haydar states that the Acts 17 group was asked to change its tactics. MNN reports that “Wood and his organization were asked by many evangelical groups to change their tactics. Abi-Haydar says, ‘Why can’t he go around with no cameras, no intimidating people and ask questions and build relationships with the community and sharing Christ? Why is that difficult?'”
MNN reports that Abi-Haydar says when Wood was arrested, he was challenging a young Muslim man. The young man was screaming at him. Police asked Woods and his group to disburse. But Abi-Haydar says they didn’t. ‘I know for one fact: if I was the police, I am responsible for the security of the community there and for the security [of Acts 17 Apologetics]. For their own security, I would have forced them to leave the area. And if they would have rejected it, I would have arrested them myself.'”
MNN reports that “It’s not about large groups forming, says Abi-Haydar. ‘It’s about too many people yelling at each other. Is that [a good] witness?’ Some believe this kind of confrontation is just making the nominal Muslims more radical. Abi-Haydar says a loving approach to outreach and evangelism is needed in order to reach them with the Gospel.”
Religious freedom groups and groups concerned about women’s rights are asking President Obama to urge King Abdulaziz to seek reforms on religious freedom and women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called upon President Obama to urge “the Saudi government to implement effective strategies for preventing people from embracing violent extremism in the first place. They will need to focus on reforms that ensure that intolerance has no place in their culture. Despite the Saudi government pledging to the United States nearly four years ago that it would undertake such reforms, very little progress has been made. In this regard, we appeal to you to raise three important issues: revising the Saudi government-controlled curriculum and textbooks; reining in the government-funded Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (CPVPV), or religious police; and releasing Hadi Al-Mutif, the longest serving religious prisoner in Saudi Arabia.”
Women’s rights groups, led by the Muslims for Progressive Values, have organized a demonstration outside the Saudi Arabian embassy on Saturday, June 26, at 1:30 PM, to “to declare to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Government that Americans are demanding Nathalie Morin and her children, as well as any foreign nationals held captive, be returned to their countries immediately, that they respect the human rights of women and children and ensure the safety of Nathalie Morin and the safety of her children.”
We support the universal human rights for all people of all religions, of all genders, of races, and all ethnic backgrounds. We call for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also call upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure the universal human rights of women, children, and all of its citizens in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz to meet with Obama at the White House later this month
— BNO News: “President Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz will meet at the White House in Washington, D.C. later this month, officials announced on Sunday.”
— “The two leaders plan to meet at the White House on June 29, where they are set to discuss issues such as Gulf Security, peace in the Middle East, and other regional and global matters.”
— DNA News: “In another meeting between Obama and a key ally in the Middle East, Saudi King Abdullah will visit Washington for talks on June 29, the White House said.”
“Faisalabad: June 25, 2010. (PCP) A 73 year old Christian named Rehmat Masih son of Barkat Masih resident of village Jandwali Chak # 165/RB, Teshil Jhumra, District Faisalabad has been charged under blasphemy law vide FIR # 321 dated 19th June 2010, under section 295-C of Pakistan Penal Code with Police Station Jhumra, for making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad and his wife Hazrat Khadija. He was arrested from his residence on the same day and presently he is behind the bars in District Jail Faisalabad. He will be reappeared before Magistrate Muhammad Sajawal on 4th July 2010 for complete challan. It is learned that the charge is clearly based on false allegations due to some land dispute between the accuser Sajid Hameed and the Christian community. This case of land dispute is still pending before civil courts. The overall law and order situation in the said area is clam and no unpleasant incident is happened till now, but Christian residents are fearful due to attacks by Muslim mob on Christian settlements as taken place in the history of Pakistan after such blasphemy incidents. ”
Background and Detail of the Incident:
“According to local sources, Dr. Palus (one of the relative of Rehmat Masih) told to NCJP’s coordinator Shahid Anwar that dates back in April 2010, Rehmat Masih had some serious discussion over religion with some Muslims of his village. Both the parties exchanged remarks in favour of each other’s faith. At that time, no untoward incident took place but after the silence of two months, this matter was brought into light again in June by some Muslims of the village namely Sajid Hameed (Accuser), Shahbaz Khalid, Afzaal Bashir. On 10th June, they spread rumors in the locality that Rehmat Masih has committed blasphemy by passing remarks against the Prophet Muhammad. After hearing the news of blasphemy, a Muslim delegation came to Dr. Palus and complaint against Rehmat Masih for his sacrilegious act. Dr. Palus told them to calm down and to reconcile the matter peacefully. ”
“On 19th June, the police of Chak Jhumra arrested Rehmat Masih (accused) from his residence on the complaint of Sajid Hameed for disgracing Prophet Muhammad. On 20th June, police presented him before Magistrate Muhammad Sajawal and sent him to the lockup on judicial remand. ”
“On 23rd June 2010, Shahid Anwar (Coordinator-National Commission of Justice and Peace) visited Rehmat Masih (accused) in District Jail, and collected some facts regarding the incident. During the interview in jail, Rehmat Masih stated that while he was on his duty two months ago, some Muslims namely Muhammad Amir, Akbar Ali and Ashgar Ali came to him and started asking questions about Christianity. Muhammad Amir asked Rehmat Masih about Hazrat Mariam (mother Mary, mother of Jesus), but in reply, Rehmat Masih asked Muhammad Amir about Hazrat Khadija (wife of Prophet Mohammad). They exchanged arguments with each other and then moved to their homes peacefully. ”
“Dr. Palus also added that complainant Sajid Hameed has falsely implicated Rehmat Masih in this case, because he has some interpersonal and land dispute with Christian community. It is also learned that Shahbaz Khalid and Afzaal Bashir who are named in the FIR as witness, has political differences with Rehmat Masih, therefore they are trying to involve Rehmat Masih in the fabricated case in order to take political revenge.”
The remarks were part of commentary regarding recent terror-suspected arrests involving security procedures involving the G20 summit in Toronto, Canada.
