Sharia Law Comes to Dearborn, Michigan?

[alienlovechild 75]

Could you rephrase the question, please?

Ok, actually my question is open to all and not just Muslims but I'd like to hear your view.

What's the difference between the the concept of freedom of religion under the U.S. Constitution when compared to the traditional policy of religious tolerance in nations that have a predominately Muslim population?

[slim 1,514]

I watched that video in it's entirety. Nobody was arrested. If you listen carefully, the guy says they were taken to the security booth.

That means they were detained by event security, not arrested by the cops and charged with "disorderly conduct" as the OP posted. They weren't "taken downtown to the cop station" - they were taken to the security booth and then released. They didn't mention being charged with anything at all.

The "cops" came in a pick-up truck with a yellow lightbar on top. Do cops in Michigan have yellow lights? Did they do anything that event security anywhere else in the world wouldn't have done?

It looks to me like this was an intentionally staged video to conjure up exactly the responses that've been posted here in this forum. Flip it for a moment. What would be the response if, say, four "obviously Middle Eastern" young men showed up at a festival in Podunk, Iowa and started handing out information while videotaping? I'm pretty sure we'd see a similar video - sans the "outrage."

[alienlovechild 75]

I watched that video in it's entirety. Nobody was arrested. If you listen carefully, the guy says they were taken to the security booth.

That means they were detained by event security, not arrested by the cops and charged with "disorderly conduct" as the OP posted. They weren't "taken downtown to the cop station" - they were taken to the security booth and then released. They didn't mention being charged with anything at all.

The "cops" came in a pick-up truck with a yellow lightbar on top. Do cops in Michigan have yellow lights? Did they do anything that event security anywhere else in the world wouldn't have done?

Should've clicked on the article, Slim.

"Police in the heavily Arab Detroit suburb of Dearborn say they arrested four Christian missionaries for disorderly conduct at an Arab cultural festival.

Police Chief Ron Haddad says his department made the arrests Friday. The four are free on bond."

I don't think rent-a-cops wear patches with City of Dearborn on their uniforms.

[slim 1,514]

Should've clicked on the article, Slim.

"Police in the heavily Arab Detroit suburb of Dearborn say they arrested four Christian missionaries for disorderly conduct at an Arab cultural festival.

Police Chief Ron Haddad says his department made the arrests Friday. The four are free on bond."

I don't think rent-a-cops wear patches with City of Dearborn on their uniforms.

Then it was four other guys or they arrested these guys later.

The dudes in the video weren't arrested. Watch it.

[Golden Gate 530]

Ok, actually my question is open to all and not just Muslims but I'd like to hear your view.

What's the difference between the the concept of freedom of religion under the U.S. Constitution when compared to the traditional policy of religious tolerance in nations that have a predominately Muslim population?

Here is an example from predominately Muslim Morocco:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/relmorocco04.html

[alienlovechild 75]

Then it was four other guys or they arrested these guys later.

The dudes in the video weren't arrested. Watch it.

Ok, they arrested other 4 Christian missionaries for disorderly conduct at the festival.

Hard to watch the arrests since the cop told them to turn off the camera at the festival.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

A Bridge of Understanding

By Josh McDowell

The Arab Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with several presenting partners, hosted the 14th annual Dearborn Arab International Festival June 19-21, 2009. This three-day celebration of Middle Eastern food and culture drew crowds of over 250,000 people from across the country, one of the largest Arab gatherings outside the Middle East. As an American Christian with a presenting booth at the festival, I have to say that I have never been more impressed with the hospitality, openness and warmth of the organizers and the Arab and Muslim people I met at the festival.

The purpose for my participation at the festival was to give out complimentary copies of my Arabic murder mystery novel, The Witness. Over 1.5 million copies have already been distributed throughout the Middle East in 13 different languages. I was inspired to participate in the festival in response to Hajja Subhia Abu Elheja’s declaration that “Now more than ever it has become important to bridge the gap of understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.” Hajja is the executive producer of the remake of Mohammed: The Messenger of Peace.

The negative reception I feared receiving before I went to Dearborn was completely dispelled by each person I met. I expected great hostility towards my Christian viewpoint, but instead received gracious hospitality. I anticipated cold rejection, but instead experienced warm reception. More than 3,600 festival participants went out of their way to enter my booth to request a personalized autographed copy of The Witness. Not once in that entire three days did I encounter hostile arguments – not one point of conflict, not one raised voice in heated debate. What developed at the booth was an atmosphere of appreciation and understanding. In addition, several hundred people came back to personally thank me for the novel. One woman sat in the parking lot and read the entire book in three hours!

Among the comments from the 30 participants who attended the Festival with me was a businesswoman who said, “I came with fear; I left with joy.” Another person remarked that, “I came with trepidation; I left with love in my heart.” In fact, if everyone in America could experience this festival and meet the wonderful Arab and Muslim people that I encountered, America would be a better nation.

I was very impressed with the level of organization and professional treatment we received from the festival organizers. I visited Dearborn two months before the festival to meet with Ahmad Chebbani, the director of the Arab Chamber of Commerce; Ronald Haddad, the Chief of Police; the Reverend Haytham Abi Haydar of the Arab Christian Church; Imam Hassan Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America; along with Bassam Mourad, editor of the Alhadath Newspaper M.A.T. It was my desire to personally deliver to each one of them the two books we would be distributing. I wanted to assure them of our respect for the festival guidelines and rules, one of which was the limiting of literature hand-outs to designated areas. We accepted this as a legitimate means of avoiding crowd congestion and maintaining the free flow of patrons and freely handed out our literature at our booth!

My experience of the Dearborn Arab International Festival resulted in several observations that I would like to share:

1.The Dearborn Muslim community is one of the most gracious hosts I have ever met. Many of them invited us into their homes with a warmth and hospitality desperately needed in our alienated and lonely world.

2.It was a great joy and blessing to observe so many men maintaining a fatherly presence with their children. This is certainly one family value lacking in much of American culture on which both Christians and Muslims agree.

3.Much of the mistrust and bigotry surrounding Muslim/non-Muslim relations is a result of ignorance, be it unfair stereotypes or isolated negative personal experiences. One time I heard two people speaking in Arabic and thought they were mad at each other, but they weren’t. The Arabic language might sound harsh to an English speaker, but it’s not.

4.The Arab community has the most fantastic food and makes the best desserts ever! I am personally ordering online from my now favorite bakery, The Shatila Bakery, one of the many incredible food providers at the festival.

5.I learned over 200 new names unfamiliar to many Americans (Mohammed being the most popular).

My personal thanks and deep gratitude go to the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, the Dearborn Chief of Police, and the entire Arab community of Dearborn for the positive, enlightening, and joyful experience my group and I had at the festival. I also so appreciated the working relationship I had with Bassam Mourad, editor of the Alhadath Newspaper M.A.T, Osama Siblanni, the editor of the Arab-American newspaper and Laura Bauer, editor of the Press and Guide. My prayer is that we had as much positive effect on the community as they had on us. I hope to have the honor of being invited to return next year, because it is our desire to bridge the gap of understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.

About Dr. Josh McDowell

Dr. Josh McDowell has written or co-authored over 120 books and given over 24,000 lectures in 118 countries. He is the founder of Operation Carelift, a humanitarian aid effort to help children of the world. In 2005, Dr. McDowell hosted the first-ever Moroccan/American business symposium in Fez, Morocco. He has recently been invited to speak at large stadiums in five cities throughout Egypt next year.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Dearborn, Michigan is one of the most densely populated Arab, Muslim communities in the US. It is estimated that out of 98,000 inhabitants, nearly 30,000 are Arab Muslims. That is why ACP took over 60 volunteers from 6 different states to reach out.

ACP Staff Writer

July 2007

In 2007, ACP hosted over 60 volunteers from 6 different states and distributed over 45,000 pieces of Gospel literature. Over 10% of the people at the festival received a Gospel of John, a film about the life of Jesus, a child’s DVD or a DVD of former Muslim testimonies. Some received all four. The main emphasis is not how much material was passed out, but what God did through the volunteers. Over 42 people trusted Christ; 80% of those being Muslims. God multiplied the efforts from 2006 where five volunteers passed out over 3,000 Jesus Film DVDs and brought 17 people to Christ. Read more about the experiences of volunteers below.

At the Mosque

It is imperative to uphold and offer the freedoms we have in American to those coming from Islamic backgrounds. Many, who came to this land for freedom, still find themselves living as though they are in an Islamic country. ACP volunteers stand outside on the public sidewalks as the faithful leave the Mosque. Even though some Muslims ask them to leave, a good number receive our material. A small group usually stays to talk for hours afterwards. One of our volunteers who visited a center in Dearborn gives his impression of the experience.

Our first assignment was to distribute Jesus DVD’s and other literature to the Detroit Islamic Center. I was warned that this center is one of the most dangerous centers in the United States . To my surprise it happened to be the most interesting of all. We had a group of seven or eight people around us asking questions with one gentleman yelling at me. Another told me to leave right away because I was in a dangerous place. Another told me he was calling the police and would make me leave.

Luckily the Ministry to Muslims pastor arrived and a dialogue began. It was intense for thirty minutes. Then conversations mellowed and broke into about five different groups. God’s Word was being taught in front of the most dangerous mosque. WOW! It was awesome. Clergy and Muslim leadership were listening and learning about who Jesus was. Amazingly, seeds were being planted because it went from arguments to talking to shaking hands and exchanging Korans for Jesus DVDs. We were invited back to address the leadership.

Other team members who were at the mosque saw the intensity of conversations and asked their prayer support back home to pray. A direct answer to prayer was the calming of conversations.

Door to Door

Many who had come to Dearborn been never been on an outreach like this before. Some were a bit timid, but God overcame timidity by preparing the hearts of those we visited at home. He truly, “sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” (LK 10:1)

Friday I spent going door to door…what went on was phenomenal. A smile is truly the universal language…which my team member and I shared with the beautiful faces of babies, children, and moms/women who came to the door. My heart was filled with warmth and joy for all the people I saw…I was smiling and warmly saying, “Hello, I have a free gift for you today…yes, free. Have you heard of Jesus, he loves you.” I would look right into their beautiful eyes and smile…90% smiled back and received the DVD, which I felt would do its job when they watched it.

Here is another volunteer's experience of going door to door:

“What I would have thought was a ruined conversation turned out to be blessed. I visited a young girl and her mother. They were from Lebanon . As I chatted with them, the older, worldly, and seemingly frustrated son drove up. He disrespectfully obeyed his mom, parked in the backyard and came out to talk with us. Since Muslim men are very protective, I thought I would lose the conversation now that he arrived. But, after seeing the Jesus Film the night before and realizing he was a sinner (we talked about the 10 commandments and how we have broken them) he wanted to pray with me! Believing God has a son is the greatest sin in Islam. So, before I prayed with him, I made sure he understood Jesus was God and that he must worship Him as Lord. To my surprise and joy, he agreed. After the prayer, he said, ‘Something is touching me. Someone is with me. I have goose bumps.’ I explained the promise of Heaven and the power of God; he gave me a hug and invited our teammates to dinner with the family. Truly the angels are rejoicing in heaven.”

At the Festival

“Person after person received our material, smiled at us and walked away. A good number stopped to talk with us, even though they were at the festival to have a good time. One volunteer met D., a twenty year old man. He gave him a Jesus DVD, but D. did not leave. D. kept standing in front of the volunteer, so he asked him some questions about eternal life. He had no idea but was willing to listen, so the ACP volunteer presented the gospel to him. He listened intently and was willing to repent and pray to receive Jesus.”

Some volunteers experienced opposition from some of the festival attendees. But, even with opposition, God was still calling people to Himself. One ACP volunteer experienced the Spirit of the Lord speaking through her.

I offered the Jesus DVD to two young men in their twenties who were very hip and trendy. One of them said, “No, we’re Muslims.” As they walked away, I asked, “Do you go to the Mosque?” That same young man turned around and said, “No, so I guess you can say, I’m a bad Muslim.” Since they both stopped walking, I asked if they believed in God. One answered, “Yes, but I don’t know who He is yet, so I guess you can say, I’m seeking.” I asked, “What is your name?” He said his name was S. I said, “S. you just said something very scriptural, the Lord said, ‘If you seek Me you will find Me. ’” I shared my testimony and told them about God who answered my prayer. S. said, ‘So, you think Jesus is the way.’ I said, “S., you just said something again that is very scriptural. Jesus said, ‘I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me. ’” The other guy, A., said, “No way.” I said, “Yes way. Do you see what’s happening? Jesus is right here now. He knew I would be here, even before the foundation of the world, to talk to you about Him. He sent me from California to Michigan for you both and is knocking at the door of your heart, saying, ‘Are you ready to let me in?’ So I ask you both, are you ready?” They both said yes, first S. and then A. They both said the sinner’s prayer and promised to watch the DVD’s and read the Book of John.

Even until the last minute, God still calls people. One volunteer had an exceptional experience the last day of the festival.

“As the festival was closing, on Sunday evening I spoke with a young man named A. He was the last person I spoke with actually. He came to me and I remembered that I had given him a Jesus DVD on Saturday. He said with a big smile that he had watched the DVD and now has Jesus in his heart and in his arms and all around making gestures with his hands to his heart, arms, and head. Praise God!”

Thank God He is always seeking those who are His. He never gives up. When the festival was over and all ACP volunteers went home, it was not the end of God's work. One volunteer spoke with an Iraqi Shiite. He fled from Iraq ten years ago because of the regime there. He was so sad, when an ACP volunteer told him about Christ, His eyes got wide and he said He got a Jesus Film last year. He said he believes in it, he just did not know what the next step is. The volunteer prayed with him and told him to contact the ministry to get information about how to get connected. He was so excited and almost cried. When we arrived to the office after our trip, we had a call from that same man asking for a Bible in Arabic and English. God’s work is continuing. Please pray for this ministry.

[alienlovechild 75]

Here is an example from predominately Muslim Morocco:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/relmorocco04.html

Morocco is widely considered to among the more moderate Muslim nations and has history of religious tolerance not to be confused with a right to freedom of religion. Plenty of restrictions depending on your faith.

Hot off the presses. . . but not big news in the States.

"A congressional committee is holding a hearing today on religious freedom in Morocco, which expelled nearly 100 Christian foreigners in March. Morocco is investigating an American school that parents have accused of spreading Christianity."

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0617/Christians-expelled-Morocco-and-US-spar-over-religious-freedom

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Sacré Coeur Cathedral - casablanca

Notre-Dame de Lourdes - Casablanca

Coptic cathedral, Cairo

All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Cairo

St Michael Assouan Cathedral, Aswan

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Cathedrale de Notre Dame d'Afrique, Algiers

St Sarkis Cathedral, Tehran

Christmas in Tehran

Our lady of the Rosary, Doha, Qatar

[Sofiyya 1,687]

National Evangelical Church

St. Patrick's Cathedral in Karachi, Pakistan

St. Joseph's Convent School Chapel, Karachi, Pakistan

Catholic Cathedral, Jakarta, Indonesia

[alienlovechild 75]

Coptic cathedral, Cairo

All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Cairo

St Michael Assouan Cathedral, Aswan

Ok, nice travelog photos. I guess should've posted some photos of the 1,500 American mosques to prove there's no bigotry against Muslims in America.

I guess my question about freedom of religion vs. religious tolerance was too tough for this crowd and I won my bet after waiting six hours for an answer. Shame on Americans who don't know the Constitution and shame on those who claimed they knew something about tolerance as practiced in the Islamic world. Triple fail(ure) without a doubt.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Maaloula, Syria

Orthodox Coptic Church - Abu Dhabi - Emirates

St. Fransiskus Church - North Sumatra, Indonesia

Basilique Notre-Dame d'Afrique | Algiers l Algeria

Church of Mostaganem l Algeria

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Ok, nice travelog photos. I guess should've posted some photos of the 1,500 American mosques to prove there's no bigotry against Muslims in America

No bigotry? Have you read this board when the subject of Islam or Muslims is posted? Have you read this thread?

I guess my question about freedom of religion vs. religious tolerance was too tough for this crowd and I won my bet after waiting six hours for an answer. Shame on Americans who don't know the Constitution and shame on those who claimed they knew something about tolerance as practiced in the Islamic world. Triple fail(ure) without a doubt.

Not tough, alc, but, with all due respect, incoherent. I just wanted to post the pictures of churches and synogogues in Muslim countries before telling you that.

You ask to contrast the Constitutional protection of religious freedom with the "traditional policy" of religious tolerance in predominantly Muslim nations. I scratched my head because there is no traditional policy governing all Muslim nations. What is the norm in the nation with the world's largest Muslim population, Indonesia, is not the norm in Saudi Arabia, for example. The same is true between Morocco and Egypt, etc.. That's why I didn't understand the question, and I still don't. Sorry.

Edited June 25, 2010 by Sofiyya