Friday, June 17, 2011

Arabfest 2011 Starts Today!

While David's in Dearborn about to engage in evangelism and defending the Gospel, don't forget to be praying for him and the Acts 17 team!

For those of you who might not know, Dearborn's decision to stop people from evangelising with literature on the sidewalks of the festival has been ruled unconstitutional. This year, David intends to distribute thousands of tracts to Muslims explaining the truth of the Gospel and responding to the average arguments posed by Muslims. Before 2009, when Dearborn imposed its restrictions, this had been an effective method of introducing Muslims to Christ.

This year's Arabfest promises to be interesting. Pastor Terry Jones will be at Arabfest; he and his message are sure to attract a lot of attention. Let's pray God will be glorified, and that Acts 17 will be able to successfully minister through this weekend.

37 comments:

Neil said...

Praying now. May God bless your efforts and use you all for his glory and the salvation of his elect!

Bob Sorensen said...

As I'm tempted to say here in New York, "Allahu this, Pal!" But seriously, this should indeed prove interesting. We should all be praying for your safety as well as your witness.

Radical Moderate said...

Terry Jones is going to be at Arab fest, oh that does not sound good, not good at all.

Radical Moderate said...

David, Sam and others

I don't think this is a good idea for David and crew to be at Arab fest at the same time Terry Jones is there. Not for the reason you may think.

Terry Jones is going there with a bullet proof vest and he will be armed. This man is somewhat unstable when it comes to the handling fire arms. He shot his own renta car the last time he was in Dearborn.

I would hate for David and crew to be shot by Terry Jones because he got nervous.

Radical Moderate said...

Terry Jones is poaching on Acts 17 turf.

Juniper in the Desert said...

Praying for you all! God bless you!

Haecceitas said...

Radical Moderate,

I share your concern about Terry Jones' presence, but this one in particular is not well founded:

"I would hate for David and crew to be shot by Terry Jones because he got nervous."

What are the odds? I think it is at least 5000 times more likely that they would be shot by an angry Muslim (and even this is rather unlikely IMO).

GreekAsianPanda said...

Good luck to David. Hopefully Acts 17's tracts will get more attention than the Terry Jones idiot, but I doubt it. David should totally show him up. That'd be so awesome.

Radical Moderate said...

Haecceitas said...

"What are the odds? I think it is at least 5000 times more likely that they would be shot by an angry Muslim (and even this is rather unlikely IMO)."

My response, the guy shot his own car. What did his car do to him? Obviously this guy is a little nervous, careless, and reckless when it comes to fire arms.

In other words, if he feels threatened he might just pull that gun out and start shooting, not paying to much attention to what he is shooting at, he might even shoot his own self in the process of retrieving his fire arm.

A nervous man with a loaded weapon and a itchy trigger finger is more of a danger to himself and those innocent others just standing around. Then he is to any perceived threat.

Radical Moderate said...

Well it looks like Terry Jones was stopped from entering the festival so its a mute point.

Joe Bradley said...

Here's the news feed on why Terry Jones didn't show up:

http://tinyurl.com/634ugkf

Haecceitas said...

Dearborn Mayor O'Reilly urges community to ignore Jones visit

While O'Reilly doesn't mention Acts 17 by name, it may not be far fetched to think that he implies that Acts 17 is part of the same phenomena.

But this is the part that I found very interesting:

"They are coming here to promote the concept that Islam is a false faith and that Muslims by teaching and nature are violent.

We know that there is no substance to their message – their goal is to promote fear and hatred in others."


So if their message is that Islam is a false faith and O'Reilly claims that their message has no substance, should we conclude that according to O'Reilly, Islam is a true faith?

West African said...

cant wait for the feed back on the festival.

Michelle Qureshi said...

Jones says he didn't think they were going to get physical? How could he have not thought that?

Fernando said...

The muslim vioelence has started against christians eben in the USA... where is this going to stop?

Joe Bradley said...

Since, if this type of treatment were directed toward a radical Muslim, the perpetrators would be characterized as Islamophobic bigots, would this make the rioters a bunch of Christophobic bigots?

Is Christophobic bigotry pervasive in Dearborn or was this demonstration just an aberration?

Answer the question O'Reilly, you can't hide forever.

Joe Bradley said...

More from Ground Zero. The Judeo-Christophobic Bigots really acted up!

http://tinyurl.com/5twg6t9

Radical Moderate said...

@Fernado

Those that stopped Terry Jones were members of a group called BAMN, "By any means necessary".

There a bunch of young foolish people, who don't have jobs, I would be surprised if any of them are in higher education. There proffesional protesters. They show up to be loud and extremely and confrontational with extreme prejudice to any event the disagree with.

Evidently most weren't even from Dearborn. Go to there website

Nut Cases

Joe Bradley said...

RE: BAMN

"It is a far left-wing militant civil rights activist group that organizes demonstrations and litigation to achieve its aims, and it organizes primarily in colleges and K-12 schools. Critics argue that it adopts extreme measures of actions including the threat of violence against initiatives removing affirmative action."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAMN

Their new mission (for which they have received a rather handsome donation no doubt) is in support of the Judeo-Christophobic Bigots.

If the Dearborn Police can't do their duty of protecting the safety of the Judeo-Christians who wish to utilize their First Amendment rights, perhaps the national guard should take over!?!?

goethechosemercy said...

Historically, the Arab identity encompassed Christianity. What is happening in Dearborn today has a thread of modernity, but it also has a thread of the medieval.
The Muslims know this, that's why they've tried to keep these kinds of things from happening.
They fear diversity in the world, because they fear the other. The Arabs fear diversity within themselves because of their history of conflict.
But now is truly the time for them to have, understand and refuse to hate diversity.
There is no unity in diversity, there is only the destruction of diversity in such a demand.
The only protection for diversity is diversity itself. You have made the Arab festival American, and I am praying for all this ministry and Creed 2:6.

Radical Moderate said...

@Joe Bradley

You wrote...

"More from Ground Zero. The Judeo-Christophobic Bigots really acted up!

http://tinyurl.com/5twg6t9"

Wow amazing video. A couple of things. First this is all Mayor O"Reily and the Dearborn Police departments fault that people like Terry Jones and Ruben Israel showed up this year at the Arab Fest.

Second, notice that these guys are dong the verse same thing that David, Nabeel, Negeen and Paul were falsely accused of. Also notice that all though the crowd was throwing water bottle and being disruptive there "WERE NO ARRESTS"

These guys are truly obnoxious. The Acts 17 crew where not carrying signs, they were not blowing air horns, they were not shouting nonsense, they were just walking enjoying the fest having conversations with people when approached. And the crowd chaired when they where arrested.

Amazing something is seriously wrong in Dearborn

Joe Bradley said...

One of the reason that Islam rejects diversity and embraces intolerance is Islam's inability to endure and survive scrutiny by other non-Islamic individuals. Within Islam, all examination must be strictly controlled so that it has the appearance of an inquisition, which produces validation without delving too far into the unjustifiable soft spots of Islam or the Qur'an.

Even a cursory examination of the Qur'an shows that it, concomitantly, both condemns and supports activities that other religions, legal systems and moral structures find, uniformly, repugnant. There are even different schools of thought on the origins of the printed Qur'an. The only thing Muslims seem to agree on is that the concepts of the Qur'an were given to Muhammad by Gabriel who received them from Allah. The ensuing transcription is a topic of great disagreement but basic to the veracity of the Qur'an.

It is this objective scrutiny of the Qur'an which diversity will render. A diversity which will shake the basic foundations of Islam. A diversity which cannot be allowed lest the "holy men" will lose their power over the faithful. Holy men who wield (and benefit from) this power in the name of Allah.

Joe Bradley said...

RM,

You are absolutely right that the problems at the Arab festival are all O'Reilly's fault. Had he enforced Constitutional Law in the beginning, the more militant proselytizers would have, probably, stayed home. Clearly, if Mayor O'Reilly thought the Acts 17 folks were bad, he found out that he was living in a fools paradise.

I believe that O'Reilly sees an issue for which he can pander to his voting base and Christianity is merely an expedient to be consumed in his political rhetoric of "It's us against them!" In my opinion, he is fomenting violence among the Muslim Gang Bangers for his own political ends and O'Reilly's inflammatory letters are no less caustic than those he assails.

Something IS wrong in Dearborn but nothing that the removal of O'Reilly wouldn't fix.

BLT31 said...

Say what you may about Pastor Terry Jones but he is correct on two issues. One is freedom of speech and the other is this one:

http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/sharia-rejects-the-foundational-principle-of-american-law/

Joe Bradley said...

BLT31,

You are absolutely right. The First Amendment applies to all persons within the United States and it is, apparently, held in contempt by the Islam and their army of Muslim Gang Bangers who throw things at those with whom they do not agree.

Sharia and the united States Constitution are NOT compatible, they are completely different systems of law and government which are diametrically opposed to one another. While the speech and expressions of the Christian speakers may be upsetting to the Muslims, as long as Constitutional law is in force in Dearborn, the Muslims just have to put up with it. If they long to live under Sharia, there are airplanes leaving every day to those countries which practice Sharia.

Perhaps, rather than to continue to inflame the Islamic community with a dark, apocalyptic vision of things to come if Christians are allowed to preach, Mayor O'Reilly should make Dearborn a safe place for those wishing to exercise their First Amendment rights. If this is not possible through existing police, there are alternatives. Martial law, calling up the National Guard, or shutting down the Arab Festivals altogether. Gangs and the violence they bring are a problem to our constitutional way of life. Whether fueled by drug wars or religious wars, Gang Bangers everywhere share a common tactic to achieve their goals - coercion through violence. The Muslim Gang Bangers are no different, they merely cloak themselves in hypocritical righteousness when they go into battle.

It is plainly wrong for Mayor O'Reilly to garner political capital by throwing the Constitution under the bus.

Joe Bradley said...

Perhaps this is why Muslim children grow up to be such angry adults!?!?

http://tinyurl.com/64ma8rh

Radical Moderate said...

Video contains Strong Language, use headphones and not to be played at work.

More video from my Muslim friend at Dearborn. Here a actual fight breaks out between the KJV only group and some "Yutes". No arrests were made.

But notice something, these nut jobs were doing the very thing that David, Nabeel, Negeen and Paul were falsely accused of. They were shouting into the crowd, they were caring huge offensive signs, someone had a air horn. A huge crowd had gathered around them, etc... And yet the police did not intervene.

It was only after violence broke out that the police broke up the crowd. But no arrests were made even after punch's were thrown.
The KJV group of Ruben Israel was rightfully ejected, to the chants of WE WON.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37xQ3SCK8h4&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Yusuf Alamo said...

"One of the reason that Islam rejects diversity and embraces intolerance is Islam's inability to endure and survive scrutiny by other non-Islamic individuals. Within Islam, all examination must be strictly controlled so that it has the appearance of an inquisition, which produces validation without delving too far into the unjustifiable soft spots of Islam or the Qur'an."

[The Noble Qur'an 49:13]
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

Joe Bradley said...

RM, it has been said that, "Just because one has the right to do something doesn't make it the right thing to do." The actions of these, asserted, Christians proves this point.

From a legal standpoint (Constitutional Law that is) they come uncomfortably close to the adage of "Falsely yelling fire in a crowded theater" - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s opinion in the United States Supreme Court case Schenck v. United States in 1919.

As a Christian, I am embarrassed at the actions of these individuals. I am greatly heartened, however, that the Act's 17 folks have always acted in the highest principles of Christianity. Hopefully the firebrands on the other side of this issue, such as Mayor O'Reilly, now realize this and see the contrast.

Jesus was watching and I'm pretty sure that he will address their gang banging ways on judgement day.

Radical Moderate said...

@ Joe Bradley said..

It was painful to watch the actions of these bafoons. I understand they went as far as to say that unless you read the KJV you are going to hell.

These are the same folks that drove Dr White away from his mission at the Mormon Temple and The Easter Pageant in AZ.

It's like Mayor O'Reily in his zeal to kill the Christian message, has just unleashed the wrath of God on his fair city. Instead of Christians sharing the Message of Love, he gets these guys.

Rubin Israel said in the interview with a reporter that the reason they are there is because they heard about the arrests of Christians for handing out hand bills. We know this is not the case, but then he says something "You arrest Christians you get us".

Like God is saying "You want Godless, fine I will give you the Godless, you want hate, I will give you Hate, you want shouting into a crowd, you got it now, you want offensive signs and slogans and some idiot blowing a air horn and violence here you go."

Notice the KJV only tell the Muslim video taping that "The police have told them they are going to help us"

The Muslim asks the Captain if this is true, he responds no, we are here to enforce the law. The Muslim responds "Yes enforce the law does not mean taking sides on any theological issue." The police captain responds in the affirmative "Ok, look all I can tell you is we are here to enforce the law".

Then at 13:15 seconds after the fight, as the KJV people are being ejected from the fest, you see a uniformed police officer cheering with the crowd and giving high five's.

Also notice, these guys were not in the "Free Speech Zones" they set out to march with their offensive signs slogans and AIR HORN into the fest itself. They are quickly surrounded and cut off from movement. I believe you can even hear Ruben Israel at one point say "Lets keep moving" but there was no place for them to move.

This is the very same thing that David and Crew were falsely accused of.

This was planned, by Mayor O' Reily and crew, this was a passive aggressive attack. Like a work slow down in Labor disputes or even a work stoppage a blue flu if you will.

There is something seriously wrong in Dearborn.

Ree said...

"As a Christian, I am embarrassed at the actions of these individuals. I am greatly heartened, however, that the Act's 17 folks have always acted in the highest principles of Christianity. Hopefully the firebrands on the other side of this issue, such as Mayor O'Reilly, now realize this and see the contrast."

That would be nice, but don't count on it. Rather, it looks like the obnoxious behavior of some Christian groups from this year are portrayed as just more of the same of what occurred last year with Acts 17, albeit with slightly "different tactics."

The article from the Dearborn Patch says,

"'Every new protest is a new learning experience because they have different tactics,' he said. 'But certainly we want to explore legal means to assure public safety to a higher degree because some of those things were unacceptable occurrences.'...
The conservative Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Dearborn in February on behalf of the Acts 17 Apologetics, who protested at the Arab International Festival last year. The suit is still in litigation at the Federal District Court in Detroit."

http://dearborn.patch.com/articles/dearborn-learns-from-protests-at-arab-international-festival

In other words, this article defines the behavior of Acts 17 last year as a "protest." The gist of the article is that the city is now learning how to better respond to these "protesters" to ensure public safety.

So no, I don't think the Dearborn leaders have realized anything.

Fernando said...

Dear Yusuf Alamo... how beautifuul off you is to quote from the Uthman's qur'an... to sad you're simply picking here and not there... that is nothing else than an apeall to muslims nott to habe factions between them: it does nott aplly to all humanitie and it's nott a sign off tolerance in diversity, rather an appeal nott to habe diversity in islam... eben iff it was whate you pretended, to sad islam's history sayes otherwise...

Joe Bradley said...

Thanks for the reality check Ree. I must have been dozing off and entering the "wishful thinking" state of R.E.M..

I must keep in mind that we are talking about the Axis - Dearborn, Mayor O'Reilly and his Politburo the Dearborn Patch. ;-}

Joe Bradley said...

Yusuf, Islam has been stuck in antiquity since the gates closed in the 10th century. It is doubtful that even a new Ijtihad would do any good in straightening out Islam since, as I have pointed out many times before, for every activity that the Qur'an condemns - it also supports. Since the basic document cannot be altered, even by a new Ijtihad, the fruits of a new Ijtihad would still be based on a house of cards.

However, since I do not possess any of the qualifications of a Mujtahideen, I'm sure my opinion will be ignored, however true it may be.

Haecceitas said...

Did you get any interesting footage from this year's Arabfest? I'm assuming that things were much more peaceful this time as far as the treatment of your ministry in particular is concerned (at least there weren't arrests and presumably no serious physical confrontation either), but I would assume that there would still be something interersting that you could share with us, such as discussions with Muslims that objected to your literature.

Joe Bradley said...

I agree with Haecceitas. I would like to see video from the Acts 17 ministries. I hope the other, more vocal, individuals didn't make it too difficult to minister.

Jacob Bek said...

As a believer in the Messiah, I have an obvious slant toward life. As a Journalism teacher, I feel it is important to have a healthy dialogue, as encouraged by the First Amendment. When religious books and philosophies are exposed to public scrutiny, the teaching of Jesus (Yeshua) will lead us all. Good luck to the ministers serving in Dearborn. My prayers are with you.