lovely backwards american missionaries taunt arab american festival

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Tensions flared Friday evening at the annual Arab International Festival in Dearborn as members of some Christian missionary groups — including one called the Bible Believers — taunted Arab Americans with a pig’s head and signs that promoted hatred of Islam.

“You’re gonna burn in hell,” one missionary shouted at a group of young Arab-American boys listening to him speak on Warren Avenue, where the festival takes place.

The festival continues today in Dearborn, but the members of the Bible Believers won’t be there because they’ll be protesting a gay festival in Ohio, said Arab Festival organizers.

The three-day festival is the largest public gathering of Arab-Americans in the U.S.; it has drawn Christian missionaries for years, but in 2009, some become more aggressive, leading to arrests and legal feuds. Dearborn has the highest concentration of Arab-Americans in the U.S., many of them Muslim, making it a magnet for some Christian missionaries.

The Bible Believers also protested at last year's Arab Festival, holding up both anti-Muslim and anti-Catholic signs and causing one Arab-American Muslim girl to cry.

About a dozen with the group stood facing the festival on Friday with signs that made bigoted remarks about Islam and its prophet, Mohammed. One of the missionaries had a pig’s head mounted on a pole that he displayed in front of his group. Muslims don’t eat pigs because their faith teaches that the animal is unclean.

Some of the signs the missionaries held read: "Islam is a religion of blood and murder" and "Muhammad (Islam's prophet) is a ... liar, false prophet, murderer, child molesting pervert."

Wayne County sheriffs tried to keep the peace; a few times, three officers on horseback rode by, trying to keep the young Arab Americans at a distance from the Christian missionaries.

At one point, some kids started throwing water bottles and pop cans at the missionaries. Others chanted “Allah-U-Akbar” (God is the greatest). One of the Christians shouted in response “Jesus Akbar.”

At another point, three girls wearing Islamic headscarves yelled back at the missionaries: “Read the Quran,” referring to Islam’s holy book.

A Christian missionary with another group told a group of Arab-American Muslim boys that they are ''transgressing against God.'' One boy then spilled some water on the missionary.

Most of the confrontations were between elderly missionaries and Arab-American kids.

Earlier in the day, a group of Christian missionaries targeted the biggest mosque in Michigan, the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, standing right outside the mosque lawn to hand out fliers during Friday prayers.

In his Friday sermon, the imam of the mosque, Hassan Al-Qazwini, warned parents that some missionaries at the Arab Festival could target their children for conversion: ''Be careful. ... They could be taken (spiritually) from us.''

Other missionaries at the festival were less confrontational, handing out fliers telling Muslims to convert and handing out free Christian books.

One wore a T-shirt that read ''I (heart symbol) Muslims'' while handing out fliers that urged Muslims to ''accept the Lord Jesus Christ.''

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792

[Peter_Pan 661]

Not as lovely as the Musims burning Christian churches! And you know .. killing Christians, and generally people.

Of course, if I open a thread on that, it is considered racism and discrimination!

Edited June 17, 2012 by Peter_Pan

[Anh map 2,098]

*Moved from Middle East, North Africa forum to Politics and Religion forum. Topic is not about the immigration process.*

[Dakine10 5,452]

Of course, if I open a thread on that, it is considered racism and discrimination!

Opening a thread is beside the point, since you posted it here anyway.

I don't think what you posted was discriminatory, but I don't see what it has to do with the original topic unless you're trying to turn this thread into a religious ####### for tat. There are plenty of examples of atrocities attributable to any religion. It's a futile path to go down really.

[together4evr 360]

I never knew the was an international Arab festival. Maybe next year my husband will want to attend. Thanks for the info.

Gotta love freedom of speech in America. Everyone has a voice and an opinion.

But I admire those that respect others beliefs and not use others venues as an avenue to express their own beliefs. In the process insulting others in the name of Jesus or name of Allah or any other greater being someone believes in.

[Danno 1,228]

Tensions flared Friday evening at the annual Arab International Festival in Dearborn as members of some Christian missionary groups — including one called the Bible Believers — taunted Arab Americans with a pig’s head and signs that promoted hatred of Islam.

“You’re gonna burn in hell,” one missionary shouted at a group of young Arab-American boys listening to him speak on Warren Avenue, where the festival takes place.

The festival continues today in Dearborn, but the members of the Bible Believers won’t be there because they’ll be protesting a gay festival in Ohio, said Arab Festival organizers.

The three-day festival is the largest public gathering of Arab-Americans in the U.S.; it has drawn Christian missionaries for years, but in 2009, some become more aggressive, leading to arrests and legal feuds. Dearborn has the highest concentration of Arab-Americans in the U.S., many of them Muslim, making it a magnet for some Christian missionaries.

The Bible Believers also protested at last year's Arab Festival, holding up both anti-Muslim and anti-Catholic signs and causing one Arab-American Muslim girl to cry.

About a dozen with the group stood facing the festival on Friday with signs that made bigoted remarks about Islam and its prophet, Mohammed. One of the missionaries had a pig’s head mounted on a pole that he displayed in front of his group. Muslims don’t eat pigs because their faith teaches that the animal is unclean.

Some of the signs the missionaries held read: "Islam is a religion of blood and murder" and "Muhammad (Islam's prophet) is a ... liar, false prophet, murderer, child molesting pervert."

Wayne County sheriffs tried to keep the peace; a few times, three officers on horseback rode by, trying to keep the young Arab Americans at a distance from the Christian missionaries.

At one point, some kids started throwing water bottles and pop cans at the missionaries. Others chanted “Allah-U-Akbar” (God is the greatest). One of the Christians shouted in response “Jesus Akbar.”

At another point, three girls wearing Islamic headscarves yelled back at the missionaries: “Read the Quran,” referring to Islam’s holy book.

A Christian missionary with another group told a group of Arab-American Muslim boys that they are ''transgressing against God.'' One boy then spilled some water on the missionary.

Most of the confrontations were between elderly missionaries and Arab-American kids.

Earlier in the day, a group of Christian missionaries targeted the biggest mosque in Michigan, the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, standing right outside the mosque lawn to hand out fliers during Friday prayers.

In his Friday sermon, the imam of the mosque, Hassan Al-Qazwini, warned parents that some missionaries at the Arab Festival could target their children for conversion: ''Be careful. ... They could be taken (spiritually) from us.''

Other missionaries at the festival were less confrontational, handing out fliers telling Muslims to convert and handing out free Christian books.

One wore a T-shirt that read ''I (heart symbol) Muslims'' while handing out fliers that urged Muslims to ''accept the Lord Jesus Christ.''

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792

Why not post a vid of these folks in action, this behavior seems unusual except by some odd "Westboro Baptist" type group.

They are being referred to as "missionairies".... what organization are they with?

Put up

[Mithra 1,185]

Its sad that these ppl have to ruin what is normally a nice day for families. All kinds of families Arab or otherwise. I've been to the festival in the past but won't go with this type of foolishness going on.

[Mithra 1,185]

Togetherforever - are you in MI? The festival runs the week of Father's Day every year. My husband isn't crazy about it since there aren't many Egyptians. Mostly Lebanese, Iraqi and Yemeni.

[together4evr 360]

Togetherforever - are you in MI? The festival runs the week of Father's Day every year. My husband isn't crazy about it since there aren't many Egyptians. Mostly Lebanese, Iraqi and Yemeni.

No I am 6.5 hours away from there. I live 2.5 hours south of Chicago. Hopefully next year I will remember when it is and we can try to attend a couple days. He is so bored out here in our little community. He goes to Mosque but they speak English there so he finds it a bit strange still. So, I think he will enjoy finding a place where he hears alot of Arabic. I feel very bad for him cause I cannot imagine what he must be going through coming here. I think he is so brave and sweet to leave everything to come to me. He is adjusting well but I know he misses moms cooking, arabic and the sea of Alexandria.

He just asked me yesterday where this dearborn place is... lol I guess he heard it has the highest number of Arabs there in the united states.

[Mithra 1,185]

yes, the highest arab population in the US. We live about 30 mins from dearborn. You'll have to let me know if you ever come up this way. We can show you around. your husband would probably like being around so many arab speakers and there are tons of nice restaurants and stores. Not many egyptians but my husband has managed to meet quite a few but closer to where we live.

Btw- my husband is from a town 20 mins from Alex (by car).

[together4evr 360]

He said he would love to! He is ready to move to a big city so he wants to check out other places. We just came back from Miami and he liked it more then my small town but I think any big city has more opportunities and diversity then small towns. I will look you up when we have some time off work again.

[PMartin37 161]

Were there police around to corral these lunatics?

I think the best thing to do is let the police deal with these "believers" and don't feed the idiots.

[~Jackie~ 30]

Next year the Arab Fest willl be back in Milwaukee! Great food and music all day into the night. It was cancelled last year and this year because it collided with Ramadan.

Jackie

[JohnR! 5,495]

Next year the Arab Fest willl be back in Milwaukee! Great food and music all day into the night. It was cancelled last year and this year because it collided with Ramadan.

Jackie

Bad planning! Move the festival.. WWMD?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

If your religion can't claim to be innocent of bloodshed in the name of it, then STFU you're a hypocrite plain and simple.