FoxNews--A Tulsa police officer and devout Christian is suing his department after being punished for refusing to go to a mosque for a mandatory cultural event.
Police Capt. Paul Campbell Fields, a 17-year veteran, was docked two weeks' pay, transferred, reduced to the graveyard shift and made ineligible for promotions for at least a year, after he told his chief his faith made it impossible for him to attend a "Law Enforcement Appreciation Day" at the Islamic Cultural Society of Tulsa, according to the lawsuit.
Fields, 43, is a non-denominational Christian, who quoted Scripture in legal explanation of his insubordination.
"This event is compelling me to go to a venue where a group of individuals is prepared to discuss their (Islamic) faith," Fields said during a May 2012 deposition, the transcript of which was obtained by FoxNews.com. "And in my faith, I have a duty to proselytize my faith to people (who) don't subscribe to my faith. I can't do that in uniform. And so therein lies the conflict or moral dilemma I face."
Fields' attorney, Robert Muise of The American Freedom Law Center, elaborated, "He was going to be in a place where people were going to refer to Jesus Christ as merely a prophet and not his Lord and Savior.
"And he wouldn't be able to respond to them in any way," Muise added. "That was very troubling to him."
Fields is seeking his docked pay, attorney's fees, as well as compensatory damages for the "humiliation" -- and damage to his reputation -- he suffered as a result of the affair.
The donnybrook has its origins in a Jan. 25, 2011, Tulsa Police Department staff meeting, in which Deputy Police Chief Alvin Webster informed fellow officers of the March 4 event at the Islamic center.
At that point, attendance was voluntary, according to the lawsuit.
The Islamic Cultural Center of Tulsa did not return calls or emails from FoxNews.com, but a promotional flier for the event cited in the suit states the event would include meetings with Muslim community leaders, a tour of the center's mosque, talks on Islam, as well as a 45-minute prayer service.
On Feb. 17, Webster sent out another email stating that attendance at the event was no longer voluntary, and that Fields was to order at least a few of the 25 or so men under his command to accompany him, there.
Fields replied that he believed the said order was an unlawful one, "in direct conflict with my personal religious convictions." In that email, Fields described Webster's order as, "conscience shocking."
Fields cc'd the department's chief, Charles W. Jordan, as well as other superiors on the email.
Four days later, Fields found himself explaining his actions at a meeting in Jordan's conference room. There, Webster asked -- on tape -- if Fields had solicited volunteers to attend the Islamic center's event.
“Yes, I have,” Fields replied, to which Webster asked, according to the suit, “Okay, and the response?”
"Is zero," replied the captain.
“All right," said Webster, "And so that makes this fairly easy. Are you prepared to designate two officers and a supervisor or yourself to attend this event?”
"No," said Fields, to which Webster replied by slapping the captain with the aforementioned punishments. Since then, Fields has toiled, according Muise, from 8:45 p.m. to about 7 a.m. on the "graveyard shift."
On Feb. 24, the department made the Islamic center event voluntary for all officers, although with a catch. Officers could give a medical excuse for not going, but not one based on religious grounds, the suit states.
For its part, the City of Tulsa denied comment other than to say, "The police department serves every citizen regardless of demographics. We cannot comment in this case or on any pending litigation."
Fields has said that if it were merely a police matter to which he was called, requiring him to enter a mosque, he would have no problem doing his duty as an officer. (Continue Reading.)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Police Captain Paul Fields Sues Over Mosque Assignment
Captain Fields has no objections to serving and protecting Muslims as he would any other U.S. citizens. But when his police department requires him to attend Muslim outreach events in order to reeducate him about Islam, it's time for the American Freedom Law Center (who are also our lawyers in our suit against Dearborn) to step in.
23 comments:
I pray that he wins his suit! We need more Christians STANDING against Islam! This is OUR country! Muslims have a whole vast area to be, but yet they come here and impose their beliefs on us. Wait...I remember...it's stage one of Jihad!!
It's good to know that, with all of the other cities filing bankruptcy, that Dearbornistan and Tulsa are lined up to throw money at folks who have had their constitutional rights violated in the name of Sharia. Dearbornistan and Tulsa must be flush with too much cash that they are giving away as fast as they can.
We - as a nation - are at fault for allowing Capt. Fields to believe that Muslims are citizens. Once we are rid of Obummah / Holder / Shrillary, we can advance the truth that Muslims CANNOT be "citizens" even though they take the oath.
The loyalty of Muslims is to Sharia, which - as an ideology - is seditious to our constitution. Muslims are invaders, period. Generous public servants such as Capt. Field should NEVER be placed in a position of having to protect those who want to destroy the very law and civility he works so hard to maintain.
Thank you, David, for sharing this all with us. We are profoundly in the debt of you and Rob Spencer and Pamela and Mr. Yerushalmi & Mr. Muise and Bonnie (BNI) and so many others.
I hope you can do a vid - if you haven't already - regarding the loyalties of Muslims. (I.Q. al-Razooli did a great vid some years ago about Muslim citizenship but I haven't seen it lately).
NO HATRED FOR MUSLIMS!
NO TOLERANCE FOR ISLAM!
KAFIR AND PROUD!!
The Tulsa City web site says that Mayor Bartlett is "interested in your comments and ideas".
You can write the good Mayor with those comments and ideas HERE
Racists will always be racists. Bigotry and hate is your religion and your way of life. Nothing new here. You used to practice it on the "people of color" in the past, and now on Muslims.
The south is nothing but a waste land of flies. It's almost irrelevant, anyway, and its states are a burden on the US economy anyway. So really, who should give a rats ass about any of what you bigots say? I am really glad though that your filth and domestic terrorism are coming out. Now the nation can really focus on the christian turds of the south and put them in their place; the toilet.
Osama Abdallah
www.answering-christianity.com
Now, I don't deny there are GREAT CHRISTIANS (and every letter indeed should be capitalized for them) out there. But you have to understand that there is a difference between one who would but couldn't be evil, and one who wouldn't be evil even if all of the opportunities in the world were given to him/her to be one.
Many people in the US *****WOULD***** be arrogant and racist and oppressive if they could. Their necks being under the boots of the nation that is preventing them from becoming ones doesn't mean that they're not evil ones.
Out of all of the White Supremists out there, I have yet to see or meet one good and normal person, who is not a total loser, among them. Let alone them being supreme.
The zionists who are bringing this country down are setting up this nation for a major civil war. The day will come when the south will seperate again. I know this is beyond some of you, but if this country continues to economincally decline and if it reaches a point of no return, then the overwhelming increase in:
1- Gangs.
2- Drugs.
3- White Militias.
Will explode this country into many lawless communities, which will then devour this entire nation, whole!
Osama Abdallah
www.answering-christianity.com
Is there a law in the US which forbids Christians to proselytise in uniform? If so i think that would go against the Bible and hence is something that need not be obeyed. I've not read anywhere in the Bible that officers/soldiers cannot preach the gospel.
This nation was not based on Chrisitanity...it is the conservative fundamentalists that are trying to brainwash people into thinking the nation is for Christians only! it is not the DUTY of a Christian to proselytize...it is our duty to act like Jesus did and through our good works faith will be shown. I suggest he read the red letter words in his Bible!
Osama, your irrational screed may be the result of low blood sugar. Why don't you just pop a Bud and have a nice, hot pork chop sandwich. It'll make you feel much better just like it does every night when your tired and hungry.
@Osama: Who are you talking to? Mr. woods? Everyone here?
Who said anything with white supremiscists? Are you saying Christians or people who are critical of Islam as white supremiscists? That is ridiculous since Islam is NOT A RACE, and telling the truth against Islam has NOTHING to do with white supremiscism. Once again, you smear people and show how dishonest and mean-spirited you are.
Osama apparently can't condemn the raising of one religion over another when that religion is Islam. Instead he calls people names. It is CLEAR He is no moderate, but a Islamic supremiscist who believes that Islam should be made superior to the kuffir. He wants to see a "bloodbath" against Chrisitans, and praises Islamic supremiscist, genocidal terrorist HAMAS.
I wonder if Samatar will ignore this illegal casino as well?
Also Osama, once again you are throwing stones in glass houses. You have made a number of bigoted statements against Chrisitans, and the frankly racist statement that a white person cannot be a muslim, therefore it should be presumed he is someone pretending to be a muslim.
Hypocrite!
Osama even when you're right you're wrong.
Unknown, You state, "it is the conservative fundamentalists that are trying to brainwash people into thinking the nation is for Christians only!"
Actually, the individuals of which you speak are merely reminding people that they have a constitutional right NOT to attend or participate in any religion that they do not choose to attend or participate in. These conservative fundamentalists (as you call them) are merely demanding that the government live up to its obligation to observe a Constitutional government and none other. If the government cannot do that then they deserve, city by city, to be sued out of existence.
@Unknown
Are you ignoring the verse which says "Go make disciples of ALL NATIONS and baptise them IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON AND HLY SPIRIT"? Then:
Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world AND PREACH THE GOSPEL/GOOD NEWS to ALL CREATION.
To me it's CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT this is a basic REQUIREMENT of all Christians and some modern/liberal bros and sis of mine, especially here in Germany, are shying away from doing that. I find that very bad indeed and pray that we all as Christians find the courage TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS WHEREVER WE MAY BE.
Americans do not have to understand anything about any religion or philosophy, because we are required by custom and law to live peacably and equally with all of them. (From my NadingZone.blogspot post of 2001)
@ Osama Abdullah
Is your religion teach hatred. Is your religion teach the word of 'kafir'. Is your religion teach to kill 'kafir'. Is you religion teach to destroy other civilization and change it to dirty Islam. Don't seperate your poison to the peaceful country. Go back to Islam country if you feel sharia make your life better. We don't want it but muslims force people to accept it. That is reality. We peaceful people suddenly come muslim call people kafir.
For me, muslims is not my enemy. Sin is my enemy.
unknown said....
it is not the DUTY of a Christian to proselytize
but Jesus ( in red letter words)said,
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
(Mat 28:19-20)
nuff said!!!!!!!!!
peace
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
It sure sounds like the red letters in my Bible make it a duty of every Christian to proclaim, proselytize, and actively teach Christianity to whomever has not yet believed.
@ Unknown,
I don't think you even know what you talking about, so stop talking if you know nothing!
For your info, preaching the Gospel is the number one job for any Christian (see the references already stated by others above and Romans 1:16, 10:11-17, 1 Corinthians 9:16,2Timothy 4:5...)
Once again Osamas vitriol, bigotry, stereotyping, nonsense, hatred is the best thing we have here against Islam and what it does to people!
Please keep it up Osama. I easily exposed Islam for what it is and always has been. And you clearly expose Islam for what it does to the mind!
I love it!
To protect and serve the citizenry is not to submit to the Ummah.
No non-Muslim should ever, ever be compelled to partake of any Islamic dawah or "get acquainted" thing.
We favor impartiality in our authorities. If they go cozy up to the local Islamic element, they aren't going to serve everyone.
That much is clear.
A policeman's duty is to enforce U.S. law, NOT to enforce or help Muslims enforce Shariah law or to convert anyone to Islam. As a governmental employee, a policeman cannot legally respect Muslims and Islam more than any other person or religion because the United States Constitution is still the law of the land.
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