The article is posted by a New Jersey-based Tea Party activist. In other postings, the Tea Party activist also promotes “Stop Islamization Of America!” and “Help Pamela Geller Stop Islamization Of America.”
In addition, the Tea Party Patriots blog article promotes the views of an Annie Hamilton of Los Angeles, California that “Islam is NOT a religion,” and states that “there is no such thing as a moderate muslim, regardless of what you’ve heard – from the mouth of the son of a well known Imam. Islam is as Islam does. And Regardless of what you might think, there is no such thing of a ‘mild’ muslim, even the ‘quiet’ ones who live on the street corner, drive the BMW and work in the dr’s office…they go to mosque, satisfy the pillars, pray, etc…and the money they are giving, that is funding terror.”
In an emailed press release titled “Menifee, Hemet, and Murrieta Tea Parties not involved in Temecula Mosque Protests,” California Tea Party activist Shellie Milne states that “The organizers of the Menifee, Hemet, and Murrieta Tea Parties wish to emphatically state that not only are they not involved in organizing any planned Mosque protest, but that we would strongly condemn the use of dogs to harass anybody, anywhere.” The press release also stated that “The vast majority of Tea Party people are honest, decent, patriotic Americans who love their country and believe in the values that made America great. We are neither racists or ‘Islamophobes.'” An excerpt of Shellie Milne’s press release was also posted as a comment on the Huffington Post.
California Tea Party Activist Shellie Milne Opposes Temecula Mosque Protest (Photo: Menifee/Sun City Tea Party Meetup Group)
Responsible for Equality And Liberty’s (R.E.A.L.) Jeffrey Imm reached out to California Tea Party activist Shellie Milne for further details from her press release. California Tea Party activist Shellie Milne stated that she was a firm supporter of the United States Constitution and all of its freedoms, including freedom of religion. In her press release, Shellie Milne stated that Tea Party representatives are not “Islamophobes.” As a Mormon, Shellie Milne told R.E.A.L. that she was familiar with religious discrimination, and she supports the U.S. Constitutional freedom of religion.
California Tea Party activist Shellie Milne stated that the local Tea Parties around Temecula had a meeting of leaders who stated their objection to the mosque protest plans by the Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party Citizens in Action group led by Diana Serafin, who Shellie Milne said that she knew. Shellie Milne stated that other local Tea Parties were going to prepare a press announcement rejecting the Temecula mosque protest, which we have not yet received, and we will provide an updated report should we receive any further press release.
California Tea Party activist Shellie Milne stated that local Tea Party groups had had “trouble” with the Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party Citizens in Action group, and have sought to distance themselves from that group. In addition, Shellie Milne stated that the national Tea Party Patriots was a group that “anyone could join,” and that the Tea Party Patriots has had difficulty policing its website due to such openness.
Shellie Milne stated that she believed that the Tea Party was to support the U.S. Constitutionand its freedoms, no matter what your emotional feelings might be about any one group. Shellie Milne stated her supporters reject the Temecula mosque protest planned for July 30 in California. Shellie Milne stated that she believed that those who do not focus on defending the U.S. Constitution are missing the point of what the Tea Party is about.
R.E.A.L. encourages others in the Tea Party movement to follow the leadership of Shellie Milne to reject “Islamophobia” and to recognize our freedom of religion and freedom of worship is defended by U.S. Constitution that the Tea Party activists state that they are seeking to defend.
SWRC Tea Party Citizens in Action (Left) and Murietta Tea Party (Right) - the SWRC Tea Party Leader Promotes Temecula Mosque Protest, the Murietta Tea Party Leader Denounces It - Who Speaks for the Tea Parties on Freedom of Religion and Worship?
While national Tea Party groups are silent on this issue, there are Tea Party groups and leaders around the country that continue to protest mosques and hold events on Islam. In the coast-to-coast protests against mosques and Islam, too often the Tea Party organizations keep getting mentioned.
California Tea Party activist Shellie Milne’s responsibility in denouncing the planned Temecula protest against house of worship is an example that other Tea Party activists should support, if they support American Constitutional and universal human rights.
At the beginning of July 2010, R.E.A.L. created an online petition for Tea Party supporters to sign and show their public support for freedom of religion and freedom of worship. It simply states: “This petition is provided for Tea Party activists who support the United States Constitution, including our freedom of religion and worship, which must not be interfered with according to the 1st Amendment of the Constitution. This petition is for those Tea Party Activists who do NOT accept protests against mosques or any other houses of worship. This petition is for those Tea Party activists that seek to disassociate with those Tea Party activists who reject our universal human rights of freedom of worship and religion — for all. ”
National Tea Party Patriots Web Site Promotes Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party Citizens in Action Group Mosque "Rally" (July 28, 2010 Screen Shot of Tea Party Patriots Web Site)
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Tea Party Patriot Web Site List Diana Serafin's Telephone Number - the Same One on the Tea Party Patriot Web Site for the Temecula Mosque Protest (Screen Shot: Tea Party Patriots)
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. 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.”
National Tea Party Patriots July 29 Event Shows National Promotion of "Islamization of America" Tea Party Event (Screenshot: Tea Party Patriots Web Site)
Southlake, Texas: Highland Street Area Near HMMA (Google Maps)
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Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) will contact the National Tea Party leadership for comments on this report, and if we receive a statement from them, we will update this posting.
The Valley News reports on plans by local individuals in Temecula to hold a protest on Friday July 30 at the existing business warehouse facility where the Islamic Center of Temecula is currently seeking to hold worship services.
The Islamic Center of Temecula is currently holding religious services in a warehouse (Photo: Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times)
According to the Valley News in its report “Temecula mosque proposal targeted in pending protest”
— “a loose-knit coalition of area residents is planning a demonstration at the Islamic Center’s existing facility along Rio Nedo west of Murrieta Creek.”
— “An e-mail alert sent to area newspapers last week announced that a one-hour ‘singing – praying – patriotic rally” will begin at 12:30 p.m. July 30 at the Islamic Center’s existing facility. The advisory — sent by a leader of a conservative coalition that has been active with Republican and Tea Party functions – recommended participants ‘bring your Bibles, flags, signs, dogs and singing voices.'”
— “‘We will not be submissive,’ the notice proclaimed. ‘Our voices are going to be heard!’ The alert went on to question what its authors described as Islamic beliefs. It suggested that participants sing during the rally because Muslim ‘women are forbidden to sing.’ It suggested that rally participants bring dogs because Muslims ‘hate dogs.'”
Screen Shot of Tea Party Patriot Website - with SWRC Tea Party Group Plans for Mosque Protest
Group Defines Itself as the SWRC Tea Party on Web Site (Photo: SWRC Tea Party Web Site)SWRC Tea Party Citizens in Action web site states its mission as "Southwest Riverside County Citizens in Action was created to return the local Tea Party Movement to the people." (Screen Shot: SWRC Tea Party Web Site)
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Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) will contact the National Tea Party leadership for comments on this report, and if we receive a statement from them, we will update this posting.
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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. 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.
But in Temecula, California, Anti-Islam group and other activists are organizing to prevent an Islamic mosque from being built by the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley in a vacant lot in that city. According to the North County Times, the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley purchased the land for the mosque in 2005, and has stated that the application process for the mosque has taken nearly two years, while it has gone over details with the Temecula government. The Islamic Center of Temecula is currently holding religious services in a business warehouse.
The Islamic Center of Temecula is currently holding religious services in a warehouse (Photo: Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times)
This Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party group has been seeking to stop the building of the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley mosque – stating “It will bring in Islam and usher out our freedoms and liberties, as has happened all across Europe and already parts of the US, “and stating “Not in our city!!!! Not in our Southwest Valley!” The SWRC Tea Party group plans to have their supporters “pack the house” to an August 18th hearing to prevent the mosque, because they view that Islam is “a radically intolerant belief system that is compatible with the freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. ”
California: Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party against Islam and Temecula Mosque (Photo: SWRC Tea Party Web Site)
Temecula Tea Party Politician Patrice Lynes has Petition against Mosque (Photo: PatriceLynes.com web page)
As R.E.A.L. has previously done with other reports of Tea Party activists that seek to protest mosques and attack Islam as a religion, R.E.A.L. will contact the National Tea Party for comment, and will update this if we receive any comment. We have not yet received any comments on this topic from the National Tea Party yet.
North County Times has reported that Islamic Center of Temecula Valley imam Mahmoud Harmoush has indicted that the group needed the space for growing numbers of families in the area, for the group that was founded in 1998. According to the North County Times, “The nearest mosques are in the cities of Riverside, Corona and San Diego, Harmoush said. He said local Muslims are excited about building a new one in Southwest County, but not everyone shares that enthusiasm. Among those at the meeting Friday at City Hall was Diana Serafin, a Murrieta resident and local political activist who said she is not opposed to the mosque, but what she believes it represents: the so-called Islamification of America.”
Pastor Bill Rench, the Christian pastor of the Temecula-area Calvary Baptist Church, stated that he opposed the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley mosque. According to the Los Angeles Times, Pastor Bill Rench told the press that Islam and Christianity “mix like oil and water” and predicted a “confrontational atmosphere” if the project moves forward. Pastor Bill Rench told the LA Times that “The Islamic foothold is not strong here, and we really don’t want to see their influence spread… There is a concern with all the rumors you hear about sleeper cells and all that. Are we supposed to be complacent just because these people say it’s a religion of peace? Many others have said the same thing.”
Pastor Bill Rench Opposes Planned Temecula Mosque (Photo: KABC TV)
Pastor Bill Rench told KABC News that “it’s not peaceful, so we have several members from an Islamic background, and have expressed concerns themselves because of their history in it” (see also ABC video link). KABC also quoted another Temecula resident Junior Satele: “To put a mosque around here is going to get a lot of people worried, just because of what’s going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
KABC News also reported that the Islamic center’s chairman, Haid Nael, says there is no reason for concern and all the group is planning to is expand from the current building where they have been worshiping a few miles away because it is too small. KABC quoted Hadi Nael, as stating: “We don’t go out door to door, we don’t pass flyers, we don’t pass booklets.. This is really surprising to see in a free country, that there is some kind of opposition for a peaceful community like us… All we do is just pray for God. That’s all we do.”
KABC reports that “The approval of the mosque has not been finalized. The issue will come before the Temecula planning commission in August.” This is where the Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party seeks to influence the planning commission to reject the mosque application that has been underway for two years.
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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. 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.
"Culturist" and Brooklyn Tea Party Leader Dr. John Press Calls for Protests against Mosques in Manhattan and Brooklyn (Photo: Craig Wirga / New York Daily News)
America is a nation for and composed of people of all races, all ethnic backgrounds, all religions, and all identity groups. We remember that United We Stand – in every race, every ethnic background, every religion, and every identity group. R.E.A.L. takes exception to those who would deny freedom of religion and freedom of worship, whether it is in the United States or anywhere else in the world.
