Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
A Volunteer Human Rights Group – Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins
Genevieve Long: “What the Media Doesnt Say About Falun Gong”
— “11 Years ago, on July 20, 1999, a persecution against a meditation practice called Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa) officially started in Mainland China. The persecution of Falun Gong was the brainchild of former Chinese president Jiang Zemin, who saw Falun Gong’s enormous popularity among 100 million Chinese and simply wanted to crush it.”
— See the rest of the report
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for ALL people — without exception. We reject protests against houses of worship. We reject violence and attacks on houses of worship, and the continuing coast-to-coast protests against mosques around America today.
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) condemns the ongoing religious intolerance in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as it has previously reported. R.E.A.L. reported on the 600 individuals against the Murfreesboro mosque expansion at a public hearing June 17, 2010. R.E.A.L then followed up with another report on continuing vandalism against the Murfreesboro mosque signs, and opposition to the Murfreesboro mosque by local Tea Party leaders and politicians.
On July 14, 2010, Tennessee anti-mosque protesters demonstrated their opposition to the Murfreesboro mosque expansion by a march against the mosque down East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Hundreds of anti-mosque protesters marched in the streets of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, some waving American, Gadsden, and Israeli flags. Some had signs that read “to embrace Islam is to embrace terrorism,” “Never forget – just say no to the Rutherford County Commissioners and the Islamic mosque,” some with signs that listed the commissioners who had supported the mosque.
Anti-mosque protest leader Kevin Fisher was one of 20 speakers and a primary organizer of the anti-mosque protest event. Kevin Fisher is a former candidate for the local school board and the state legislature, according to APB.
On July 6, 2010, the Daily News Journal (DNJ) publicly reported on political leader Kevin Fisher’s calls for the Tennessee public to join him in the anti-mosque protest in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (see also screen shot).
Kevin Fisher has also expressed his opposition to other belief systems, including the Falun Dafa / Falun Gong, who have been oppressed by the Communist Chinese party for 11 years, and which in March 2010 received a U.S. Congressional resolution opposing their oppression in the Communist nation.
Marchers also included anti-mosque Tea Party Congressional candidates Lou Ann Zelenik and George Erdel. The Daily News Journal reported that George Erdel helped to organize the July 14 anti-mosque protest in Tennessee, stating: “Erdel also helped organize the march, using a bullhorn to give instructions before the parade began. He also handed the bullhorn to Dusty Ray, the pastor of Heartland Baptist Church at Walter Hill where Erdel attends. Ray led the large group gathered on the Central Magnet School grounds in prayer about their march in opposition to the plans of local Muslims.”
According to the Associated Baptist Press (ABP), Heartland Baptist Church is “independent,” and Heartland Baptist Church Christian Pastor Dusty Ray led Christian prayers for the anti-mosque march because “My main concern is that our freedoms are being threatened.”
The anti-mosque marchers in Tennessee were not without opposition. The ABP reported that “The anti-mosque marchers were met at the public square by an equally large, if not larger, crowd estimated at more than 400 by organizers of Middle Tennesseans for Religious Freedom. The group, composed largely of students at the local Middle Tennessee State University, was formed hastily to counter the protest.”
APB also reported that “‘I think things went really well,’ said Hudson Wilkins, a member of the organizing committee that recruited members in various ways including contacting local churches and on the Facebook social-networking Internet site. ‘We came together. We made our point, which is religious freedom is a constitutional right and civil liberty in this country. That is religious freedom for all people.'”
Daily News Journal: “Mosque leads to Square off” — Photo Album
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Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights to freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for all people of all faiths, including the freedom of religion supported under Article 1 of the United States Constitution. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “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.”
We urge those who promote hate and intolerance to unburden the hate from their hearts.
We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.
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Other R.E.A.L. Reports:
Protests Against Houses of Worship
Coast-to-Coast Anti-Islam Movement Results in Protests, Attacks Against Mosques
Tennessee: New Vandalism at Mosque – “Tea Party” Candidate Rejects Mosque Proposal
Tennessee Mosque Plans Under Protest
Tennessee: White Supremacist Nazi Gets 4 Years in Prison for Mosque Firebombing
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 183 Months in Prison for Burning Islamic Center
U.S. Holocaust Museum hails Al-Bashir genocide warrant
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum today characterized the decision by the International Criminal Court to include three counts of genocide in a new arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir as an important step towards holding leaders accountable for such egregious crimes.
“This is the first time that the International Criminal Court has accused a sitting head of state of genocide,” said Michael Abramowitz, Director of the Museum’s genocide prevention program. “Justice requires that President Al Bashir respond to these very serious charges against him.”
In March 2009 the Court issued an arrest warrant charging Sudanese President Al Bashir with five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes for masterminding the conflict in Darfur. But the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber rejected the application to include the crime of genocide.
The Appeals Chamber subsequently overturned the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision, stating that the standard of proof the Pre-Trial Chamber had applied to evaluate the charges of genocide was “erroneous.”
Today the Pre-Trial Chamber stated: “There are reasonable grounds to believe [that President Omar Al Bashir is] responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups, that include: genocide by killing, genocide by causing serious bodily or mental harm and genocide by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction.”
In the wake of the March 2009 arrest warrant, the Sudanese government expelled several humanitarian aid agencies from Sudan, jeopardizing the lives of millions. The Museum once more calls on the United States and the international community to take necessary steps to ensure that the government of Sudan does not retaliate against innocent civilians again following today’s decision. “The Court action should not be used to justify retaliation against humanitarian groups who provide desperately needed assistance to innocent Sudanese citizens,” said Abramowitz.
The Museum has been actively monitoring and raising awareness about Sudan since 2000.
In April 2007, the Museum partnered with Google Earth in an unprecedented online mapping initiative aimed at furthering awareness and action on Darfur. The programs Crisis in Darfur and World is Witness enable more than 400 million Google Earth mapping service users worldwide to visualize and better understand the situation in Darfur.
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires leaders and citizens to promote human dignity, confront hatred, and prevent genocide. Federal support guarantees the Museum’s permanence, and its far reaching educational activities and global outreach are made possible by donors nationwide. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), listed as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, planned to picket and protest the Dallas Holocaust Museum, a Jewish synagogue (Congregation Beth el Binah), Jewish Community Center of Dallas, Yavneh Academy of Dallas, and the Texas Jewish Post, in Dallas, Texas today, July 9, 2010. In addition, the Westboro Baptist Church “hate group” plans to protest the Chabad of Dallas on Sunday, July 11, 2010.
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) rejects efforts to use hate and intimidation to deny our universal human rights of freedom of religion and worship. R.E.A.L. has also posted on the previous activities by the Westboro Baptist Church to protest synagogues in New York City and in Colorado. R.E.A.L. has reported on the Westboro Baptist Church spreading Holocaust Denial in its videos stating “you lie about the holocaust days.”
In May 2010, the Congregation Beth el Binah reported receiving a package from Westboro Baptist Church “hate group” labeled “Obama Hates Israel,” with a DVD “Jews killed Jesus”; this was reported by the Dallas Voice on May 6, 2010.
In Dallas, a non-profit organization the Resource Center Dallas is calling for members of the north Texas community to donate a dollar for each minute that the Westboro Baptist Church protests the Congregation Beth el Binah, which has outreach to the LGBT community of Dallas. Resource Center Dallas Associate Executive Director Bret Camp has stated that “the protestors have been known to abandon their protests when they’re turned into a fundraiser.”
The Jewish Star has reported on the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC): “The automated telephone greeting at the Westboro Baptist Church features a pleasant, Southern-accented female voice who advises if you are a ‘Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, or Christ-rejecting Jew,’ that ‘God hates you all.'”
On June 24, 2010, the WBC also praised “world terror” and terrorist attacks on humanity. The WBC group has praised terrorist bombings on a Somalia mosque, praised terrorist attacks against Iraqi Christians, and has praised the shooting and the murder of police officers. At the end of April 2010, the Florida-based Dove World Outreach group decided to support and defend the WBC, and held a joint march with the WBC “hate group.” Dove World Outreach’s objective is to promote a message that “Islam is of the Devil.” On July 4, the WBC’s ally Dove World Outreach held their own protest against an Islamic mosque in Gainesville, Florida.
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Some view the Westboro Baptist Church as merely “fundamentalist.” We challenge that definition and instead view their efforts to seek to deny freedom of religion, freedom of worship to others by intimidation tactics, as well as their history of praising violence against others and praising violence against law enforcement, as nothing less than a “Christian supremacist” “hate group.” We call upon all Christians to denounce the Westboro Baptist Church’s activities and their interpretation of Christianity as not representing the views of most Christians around the world.
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights, including our universal human right of dignity, and our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “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.”
We condemn such protests against houses of worship as seeking to intimidate and spread fear among those seeking their universal human rights of freedom of worship. We urge those whose hearts are burdened by hate against others to remove the burden of hate from their hearts, and to find common cause with their fellow human beings in being responsible for equality and liberty together.
We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate, Love Wins.
On July 6, 2010, Marietta, Georgia local news media outlets are reporting on what is being described as a “suspicious fire” at the Marietta mosque, stating that the fire is being investigated to determine if it was arson.
The Marietta mosque that was damaged by fire is on Powder Springs Street in Marietta, Georgia. The Masjid Al-Hedaya describes its location as on Powder Springs Street in Marietta, Georgia. WSB radio reported the fire as “The fire was reported shortly after 11 p.m. Monday at Masjid Al-hedaya on Powder Springs Street in Marietta. The building is also known as the Islamic Center of Marietta.” WSBTV has described this as the “Masjid Al Head mosque.” Local Marietta media are reporting that Muslim attendees at the Masjid Al-Hedaya mosque are uncertain if someone deliberately set the fire. The fire started after the last prayer session. Reports state that damage to the mosque is “extensive.” According to reports, the fire destroyed the front entrance and did significant damage to the main prayer hall. The local imam Hafiz Inayatullah told WSBTV that “We locked the door and everything and we left and suddenly he called me and said, ‘There’s fire’.”
On June 15, 2010, the Marietta Daily Journal published a column by a writer warning about the construction of mosques in the United States.
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) urges all to assist law enforcement agencies in their investigation. If this fire was the result of arson, we urge that all Americans help law enforcement agencies to aid in identifying those responsible. Our universal human rights include our freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for all people. We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.
Police in India are being threatened by members of a political Islamic group believed to be responsible for the amputation of the hand of a private college professor who prepared a test on grammatical punctuation that included the name Muhammad.
In India, on July 4, 2010 in Muvattupuzha, Ernakulam district (Kerala), a Christian professor T.J. Joseph was attacked by a mob of 8 individuals while getting into his car with his mother and his sister. According to a Asia News report, “After forcing Joseph to get out of his car, they attacked him with knives and swords and then cut off his hand and right arm throwing them away after about 200 meters.” The Asian Tribune quotes T.J. Joseph’s sister, a nun, Mary Stella, as stating that: “They then chopped off his right hand and stabbed him in the left thigh.. When we tried to prevent them, they attacked me and and our mother before exploding bombs and fleeing.” Mary Stella also told the Deccan Chronicle that different Muslim youths had donated blood for T.J. Joseph after this horrific attack, and that “it helped save his life.”
T.J. Joseph’s hand was amputated apparently as a punishment for classroom activities at the private Newman’s College, Thodupuzha. According to Asia News, the attackers claim that T.J. Joseph had prepared a questionnaire for an examination, and “according to the Muslims had included questions offensive to Muhammad.” The Asian Tribune reported that “In March this year, Islamic outfits had carried out protests against Joseph, who was a lecturer in the church-run Newman college in Thodupuzha in Idukki district over a portion in the Malayalam question paper for an internal examination for BCom students. They claimed that the question paper insulted the Prophet. The college later suspended Joseph who had set the questions and a criminal case was registered against him. The case is pending trial.”
Asia News reports that: “The indicted questionnaire however did not include anything that could be construed as against the Muslim religion. The authorities of Newman College, told AsiaNews that in the test, Prof. Joseph tells the story of a fishmonger who, despite hard work, becomes increasingly poor. The monger’s name is Mohammad In his desperation, he spoke to God and also asked his brother why his fortunes were dwindling. His brother told Mohammed: ‘Why are you calling God, God and God….’ Students were asked to specify the punctuation of the narrative.” The Hindu reported that “In the question paper, he had used a passage about an imaginary dialogue between God and Muhammad, and the students were asked to comment. Certain Muslim organisations, assuming that ‘Muhammad’ in the passage was Prophet Muhammad, took offense and staged protest rallies and clamored for action against the professor. Stones were thrown at the college run by the Christian church.”
The Times of India reported that T.J. Joseph had been receiving threats, and reports that “T J Joseph, the lecturer in the Church-run New Man College in Thodupuzha in Idukki district, had complained to the police about threats to his life, but there was little response. He even apologised to those who were threatening him. The family gave a written complaint after a group of unidentified men barged into their house in Moovattupuzha in Ernakulam district and searched the rooms looking for Joseph some weeks ago.”
The Hindu reported that “Two activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested on Monday in connection with the attack on a professor at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district. Sources said 12 others, most of them with extremist links, were also taken into custody for interrogation. Ashraf, 37, of Mundeth, Mekalady, and Jaffar, 28, of Eramaloor, Kothamangalam, were remanded to judicial custody by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Muvattupuzha.”
The Times of India reported on other aspects of the investigation and other groups, as well as that “Police have also discovered that the van used by the assailants was bought from Thrissur by one K K Ali, said to be an active worker of the Popular Front, a new incarnation of the ultra-Islamic National Democratic Front.”
The Indian Express has now reported that the Indian police are getting threatening calls, stating that “A day after two activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested, an officer in the probe team got a threatening call from a district functionary of the outfit. Several district-level PFI leaders have gone into hiding following raids at the organization’s strongholds in the rural areas of Ernakulam. The call to the circle inspector was tracked down to Rasheed, a district PFI leader.”
Asia News reports that: “Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians condemns this ‘barbaric act’ and recalls that ‘Sharia is not the law of India.'”
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty supports our universal human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of religion, as well as personal security and life. We urge those whose hearts are burdened with hate and intolerance to ease such burdens from their hearts. Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.
Human rights activists around the world are condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran court’s decision to stone Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani for adultery. We condemn this barbaric and inhuman practice and demand that the U.S. government and international justice and human rights groups speak out on this. We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran ENDS this inhuman practice of stoning.
Protests are being held in Washington DC and London on July 2 and in Toronto and Cologne Germany on July 4. The international point of contact is maria.rohaly@gmail.com
The Washington DC protests on July 2 beginning at 6 PM will be held at the Islamic Republic of Iran Interest area of the Pakistan Embassy at 2209 Wisconsin Ave N.W., Washington DC. The protest organizers state that the event will include “Walk to DuPont Circle to read demands and share information with the community about Sakine Mohammadi, Zeinab Jalalian, and removing the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.”
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Protest Statement for Washington DC Event
Friday July 2 at 6pm in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy (2209 Wisconsin Ave NW, Wash DC).
The children of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani have reached out to the world with a heart-rending appeal: Protest against our mother’s stoning!
Mission Free Iran is organizing Washington DC’s participation in the global protest to respond to the appeal of Sakine’s children and demand a stop to the barbaric execution of Sakine by stoning.
We will meet in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy at 6pm on Friday, July 2, 2010 to tell the Islamic Republic that we will not stay silent while one more woman is stoned to death in Iran. We will later walk to DuPont Circle and raise awareness of Sakine’s situation in the community.
Please feel free to bring your own signs with messages protesting the barbaric and criminal stoning act that the Islamic Republic has planned for our sister, Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani.
* We will demand freedom for Sakine.
* We will demand an end to stoning, and to all executions in Iran.
* We will demand removal of the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
* We will demand that the Islamic Republic be put on trial in international court for its crimes against humanity.
There will be an open mike so that anyone who wishes to speak may express themselves.
“He said his mother was an outspoken critic of the regime and especially Khomeini from day one. She was a teacher and had spoken against the regime and authorities at work. “One day when we were all having lunch, they stormed in and took my mother with them … it all happened so quickly. It didn’t even take two weeks when, one day, they announced in the town ‘come and witness a women being stoned.’ That woman was my mother.”
He said that with fear and in a state of shock, he went and from a distance witnessed his mother being stoned to death… he believes though that his mother was still alive when buried. This man has sent me his indictment against the savage thuggery of this anti-human, fascist regime, to be introduced to an international court.”
– Rescue Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani, Prosecute Leaders of the Islamic Republic! by Mina Ahadi
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— International Committee Against Stoning Protest Letter
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News Media Reports:
CNN: Iran: Death by stoning imminent for Iranian woman, attorney says
— CNN: “Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, is waiting to die in Iran by a method of execution described by her lawyer as ‘barbaric’ — stoning.”
— “She will be buried up to her chest, deeper than a man would be, and the stones that will be hurled at her will be large enough to cause pain but not so large as to kill her immediately, according to an Amnesty International report that cited the Iranian penal code.”
— “The 42-year-old woman from the northern city of Tabriz was convicted of adultery in 2006, and her execution is imminent, said prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei.”
— “Ashtiani was forced to confess after being subjected to 99 lashes, Mostafaei said Thursday in a telephone interview from Tehran.”
— Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Fear For Iranian Woman Facing Death By Stoning
— RFE/RL: “According to Article 83 of the Laws of Islamic Punishment in Iran, ratified in 1991, the penalty for adultery is death by stoning.”
— Ynet – Iran: Children appeal for help in saving mother from execution
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Other Global Protests
LONDON, England: Friday July 2, 18:00-21:00 outside the Islamic Republic Embassy, 16 Prince’s Gate, London SW7 1PT, تلفن اطلاعات: 07515732665
KÖLN (Cologne), Germany: Sunday July 4, Mourning Mothers will gather at the Church Door in the City Center at 11am to protest the threatened executions of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani and Zeinab Jalalian.
TORONTO, Canada: Sunday July 4, Community Fair at the Toronto Pride Week festivities; activities will consist of handing out fliers and talking to the community about stopping the stoning of Sakine. (more details forthcoming)
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Washington DC Protests Logistics Information
The Washington DC protests on July 2 beginning at 6 PM will be held at the Islamic Republic of Iran Interest area of the Pakistan Embassy at 2209 Wisconsin Ave N.W., which is in the vicinity of the Dupont Circle or Woodley Park/Adams Morgan subway stops (Red Line); however, note this may be a significant walk. Walking should take about 45 minutes. See detailed walking directions below.
The protest organizers state that the event will include “Walk to DuPont Circle to read demands and share information with the community about Sakine Mohammadi, Zeinab Jalalian, and removing the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.”
Google Street Map Area of 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington DC
Google Walking Directions from:
— Dupont Circle Metro Stop (1525 20th Street Northwest, Washington, DC) to 2209 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC
1. Head north on 20th St NW toward Q St NW 33 ft
2. Turn left at Q St NW 1.1 mi
3. Turn right at Wisconsin Ave NW 0.7 mi
Destination will be on the right
Google Walking Directions from:
— Woodley Park/Adams Morgan Metro Stop (2700 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC) to 2209 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC
1. Head southeast on Connecticut Ave NW toward Woodley Rd NW 207 ft
2. Turn right at Woodley Rd NW 0.3 mi
3. Continue onto Garfield St NW 0.5 mi
4. Turn left at 34th St NW 0.2 mi
5. Turn right at Massachusetts Ave NW 246 ft
6. Turn left at Observatory Cir NW 0.3 mi
7. Continue onto Calvert St NW 0.1 mi
8. Turn left at Wisconsin Ave NW 0.3 mi
Destination will be on the left
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The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), listed as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, planned to picket and protest a Jewish synagogue, Congregation Har Shalom, and the Chabad Jewish Center of Northern Colorado, in Fort Collins, Colorado today.
The WBC has a long history of protesting and picketing Jewish synagogues in New York City and throughout the United States, including spreading Holocaust Denial in its videos stating “you lie about the holocaust days.”
On July 9, 2010, the WBC plans to picket and protest a Jewish house of worship in Dallas, Texas (Congregation Beth el Binah), as well as the Dallas Holocaust Museum, Jewish Community Center of Dallas, Yavneh Academy of Dallas, and Texas Jewish Post.
The Jewish Star has reported on the WBC: “The automated telephone greeting at the Westboro Baptist Church features a pleasant, Southern-accented female voice who advises if you are a ‘Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, or Christ-rejecting Jew,’ that ‘God hates you all.'”
On June 24, 2010, the WBC also praised “world terror” and terrorist attacks on humanity. The WBC group has praised terrorist bombings on a Somalia mosque, praised terrorist attacks against Iraqi Christians, and has praised the shooting and the murder of police officers. At the end of April 2010, the Florida-based Dove World Outreach group decided to support and defend the WBC, and held a joint march with the WBC hate group. Dove World Outreach’s objective is to promote a message that “Islam is of the Devil.”
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights, including our universal human right of dignity, and our universal human rights of freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “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.”
We condemn such protests against houses of worship as seeking to intimidate and spread fear among those seeking their universal human rights of freedom of worship.
We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate, Love Wins.
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our universal human rights, including freedom of worship for all people, and we object to protests against houses of worship. However, some groups seek to protest against houses of worship.
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!”
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.”
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 Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has reported on the Christian Action Network’s anti-homosexual activism. In March 2010, the leaders of the SIOA organization that held the June 6, 2010 protest against the 45 Park Place mosque protest, withdrew from plans to hold a May 1 film event in Los Angeles due to what they stated were “the abusive, ugly rhetoric found in various pieces of CAN literature.”
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..”
On June 3, 2010, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stated its opposition to such protests against houses of worship, in our posting “New York City Mosque Protest, Islam, and Religious Freedom.” R.E.A.L. also remains concerned about the unwillingness of the New York Post to take action on the continuing reader comments on its web site calling for terrorist bombings against the 45 Park Place mosque. We believe it is wrong to seek to intimidate others who seek to practice their freedom of religion, and we reject intolerance, hate, and violence.
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.
Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.
According to media reports, Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday, June 29 in Washington DC. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) will have a public awareness event in front of the White House at 12 Noon on Tuesday June 29 during the meeting, to urge Saudi Arabia to support religious freedom, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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.
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.”
In addition to R.E.A.L.’s June 29 White House event, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) will be joining the Saturday, June 26 demonstration at the Saudi Arabian embassy.
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.
We urge others to join us in such support for unqualified, universal human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.
Additional Reports:
USCIRF Urges President Obama to Raise Religious Freedom Concerns During Saudi King’s Visit
June 26: DC Saudi Arabia Embassy Protest for Women’s 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.”
