Fight Breaks Out at Abubakar As-Saddique Mosque . . . in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Punches Thrown in Minneapolis Mosque: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Faouzi Mohamad Ayoub, Former Dearborn Resident, Added to FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List

Will the Islamophobia never end? Where's Mayor O'Reilly to tell us that Dearborn is the most peaceful place on earth?

DETROIT, MICHIGAN--Federal prosecutors in Detroit have unsealed a two-year-old criminal indictment against a former Dearborn man who, they say, tried to use a phony U.S. passport to sneak into Israel in 2000 to carry out a bombing for Hizballah.

The indictment, handed down in August 2009, said Faouzi Mohamad Ayoub, 44, who also goes by the name Fawzi Ayoub, used a passport in the name of Frank Mariano Boschi to try to get into Israel. The U.S. State Department has designated Hizballah as a Lebanese terrorist group.

The indictment was unsealed Friday, two days after the FBI added the man’s name and photo to its most wanted terrorist list. There are 31 others on the list. (Read more.)

Female MPs Get into Cat Fight on Floor of Afghan Parliament

We might call it the "Democracy Delusion." Quite popular among Western politicians of the past two decades, it goes like this: "The reason we're having so many problems in the Middle East, and Afghanistan, and Pakistan, is that Muslims need democracy. Once we give them the wonderful gift of democracy, they'll realize that they don't need to settle disagreements through violence. When terrorists are finally given the right to vote, their hearts will melt, and they'll embrace the rest of the world in a love-fest of teddy bears and candy-coated raindrops."

So we introduce democracy to Afghanistan, and people still settle disagreements through violence. Why? Because democracy doesn't change people's hearts. It simply brings to light the attitudes of the majority. If the majority wants to live in peace, you'll have a peaceful country. If the majority are becoming increasingly focused on following the example of Muhammad and his companions (who tended to settle disagreements through violence), democracy isn't going to help much.

AFGHANISTAN--Some Afghan lawmakers on their Tuesday session called on President Karzai to step down amid growing tensions between executive, judiciary and legislative branches of the government.

Parliamentarians claimed that President Karzai is sick and has lost the capability to govern the nation. (Read more.)

Michigan Legislators Introduce Ban on Sharia

The proposed bill would ban enforcement of any foreign legal code that conflicts with the Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, but I think we all know which foreign system Michigan congressmen might be concerned about.

HOUSE BILL No. 4769

June 16, 2011, Introduced by Reps. Agema, Hooker, Tyler, McMillin, Lund, Bumstead, Glardon, Heise, Rogers, MacGregor, Nesbitt, MacMaster, Franz, Moss, Potvin, Genetski, Haveman, Lori, Pettalia, Haines, Shirkey, O'Brien, Knollenberg, Lyons, McBroom, Opsommer, Johnson, Denby, Muxlow, Outman, Damrow, Jacobsen, Rendon, Hughes, Kurtz, Price, Yonker, Daley, Kowall, Huuki, Scott and Cotter and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

A bill to limit the application and enforcement by a court, arbitrator, or administrative body of foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights; to provide for modification or voiding of certain contractual provisions or agreements that would result in a violation of constitutional rights; and to require a court, arbitrator, or administrative body to take certain actions to prevent violation of constitutional rights.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

Sec. 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as the "restriction of application of foreign laws act".

(2) As used in this act "foreign law" means any law, legal code, or system of a jurisdiction outside of any state or territory of the United States, including, but not limited to, international organizations and tribunals, and applied by that jurisdiction's courts, administrative bodies, or other formal or informal tribunals.

Sec. 2. A court, arbitrator, administrative agency, or other adjudicative, mediation, or enforcement authority shall not enforce a foreign law if doing so would violate a right guaranteed by the constitution of this state or of the United States.

Sec. 3. (1) If any contractual provision or agreement provides for the choice of a foreign law to govern its interpretation or the resolution of any dispute between the parties and if the enforcement or interpretation of the contractual provision or agreement would result in a violation of a right guaranteed by the constitution of this state or of the United States, the contractual provision or agreement shall be applied as modified or amended to the extent necessary to preserve the constitutional rights of the parties.

(2) If any contractual provision or agreement provides for the choice of venue or forum outside of the states or territories of the United States, and if the enforcement or interpretation of the contractual provision or agreement applying that choice of venue or forum provision would result in a violation of any right guaranteed by the constitution of this state or of the United States, that contractual provision or agreement shall be interpreted or construed to preserve the constitutional rights of the person against whom enforcement is sought. Similarly, if a natural person subject to personal jurisdiction in this state seeks to maintain litigation, arbitration, agency, or similarly binding proceedings in this state, and if a court of this state finds that granting a claim of forum non conveniens or a related claim violates or would likely lead to a violation of the constitutional rights of the nonclaimant in the foreign forum with respect to the matter in dispute, the claim shall be denied.

(3) Any contractual provision or agreement incapable of being modified or amended to preserve the constitutional rights of the parties pursuant to the provisions of this section is null and void.

(4) If a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, business association, or other legal entity contracts to subject itself to foreign law in a jurisdiction outside of any state or territory of the United States, this act does not apply to that contract.

Sec. 4. This act applies only to actual or foreseeable violations of the constitutional rights of a person caused by the application of the foreign law.

British Muslims Call for Three Independent Muslim States . . . in the UK

It would be funny if it weren't so utterly sad. Every time we say something about Muslims wanting to establish Sharia in the West, we're called "racists," "Islamophobes," "bigots," "hate-mongers," etc. And yet, again and again, Muslims say they want Sharia in the West.

United Kingdom--Islamic extremists have called on British Muslims to establish three independent states within the UK.

The notorious Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) group have named Yorkshire towns Bradford and Dewsbury and Tower Hamlets in East London as testbeds for blanket sharia rule.

The medieval 'emirates' would operate entirely outside British law, according to a document on the MAC website.

The MAC group, led by Abu Assadullah, was set up last year and has become notorious because of its violent protests, most provocatively burning poppies during the Remembrance Day silence.

Under the heading 'Muslims should set up Islamic emirates in the UK', MAC says: 'We suggest it is time that areas with large Muslim populations declare an emirate delineating that Muslims trying to live within this area are trying to live by the sharia as much as possible with their own courts and community watch and schools and even self sufficient trade. (Read more.)

Apologetics 315 Interview

I just did an interview with Brian Auten at Apologetics 315 (an excellent site, if you aren't familiar with it). We discussed arguments for Islam, the Dearborn Arab Festival, and other topics. You can listen to the interview here.

Christian Preacher Harassed and Bullied at 2011 Dearborn Arab Festival

Dearborn is caught in a spiral. A few years ago, peaceful Christian missionaries would quietly come to Dearborn to preach the Gospel. Then security started slapping Christians around, and police began throwing Christians in jail and trampling on the Constitution. This drew some of the more vocal, confrontational, anti-Sharia Christian groups to the city (e.g. Terry Jones, Ruben Israel, etc.). But instead of showing the world how peaceful and loving Muslims are, Dearborn reacted with further hostility, even towards peaceful Christian preachers. This, of course, will draw even more anti-Sharia groups to Dearborn in the future. Will the city continue to respond in anger? If so, I see no end to the spiral.



For more Dearborn videos, click here.

Muslim Clerics Condemn Law That Would Protect Women from Domestic Violence and Marital Rape

The Qur'an allows men to beat women into submission:

Qur'an 4:34--Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

It also declares that women are the sexual property of their husbands:

Qur'an 2:223--Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will; but do some good act for your souls beforehand; and fear God. And know that ye are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give (these) good tidings to those who believe.

So what happens when women ask for protection from domestic abuse or marital rape? Muslim clerics recognize that to protect women would be to condemn the Qur'an.

BEIRUT — Lebanon's highest Sunni Muslim authority on Friday rejected a bill aimed at protecting women against domestic violence and marital rape, saying it would lead to the demise "of the family as in the West."

"Islam is very aware of and concerned with... resolving problems of poor treatment... but this should not happen by cloning Western laws that encourage the breakdown of the family and do not suit our society," said the influential Dar al-Fatwa in a statement on its website.

Dar al-Fatwa also slammed as "heresy" a clause in the bill that criminalises marital rape, accusing those behind the draft law of "inventing new types of crimes."

"This will have a negative impact on Muslim children... who will see their mother threatening their father with prison, in defiance of patriarchal authority, which will in turn undermine the moral authority" of fathers, it said.

"We must continue to follow sharia (Islamic law) as concerns the Muslim family," it added.

The bill, drafted by feminist organisations, lawyers and forensic experts, was approved by Lebanon's cabinet in 2010 and is currently under study in parliament.

Should it be passed, the law would come under the penal code -- under which cases are referred to a criminal court -- rather than personal status laws, which are ruled on by religious authorities in multi-confessional Lebanon.

The bill criminalises marital rape and calls for police intervention should a woman notify authorities of abuse by her husband or another family member.

If found guilty, defendants would have to undergo rehabilitation or face prison should they fail to do so.

Domestic abuse and harassment continue to be taboo in Lebanon, considered the most liberal country in the largely conservative Arab world, with very few women filing complaints as police generally turn a blind eye and send the victims home. (Source)

Honor Killing of Aya Baradiya Leads to Law Changes in Palestine

Change takes time in the Muslim world, but it seems that more and more Muslims are calling for change.

GUARDIAN--As Ibrahim Baradiya recounts the events surrounding the last moments of his daughter's life at the bottom of a dark well, the agony of grief is drawn across the face of his wife, Fatima. She says almost nothing. Her eyes are half-closed. She shakes her head with small, rapid movements. A deep frown furrows her forehead. When the story is finished, she fetches her daughter's trinkets – beads, bangles, a hair clasp, a key ring, a purple pom-pom – and spreads them over the table and she weeps.

The story of Aya Baradiya's murder is like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle whose full picture may never be known; a dark and disturbing tale of death, lies, rumour, ruptured family relations, shame, despair and anger.

But the killing went far beyond a family affair. After the discovery of Aya's body more than a year after the 20-year-old university student went missing, her uncle confessed to Palestinian police, claiming it was an "honour" killing. Widespread protests against such crimes, led by students and women's organisations, erupted. In response, the Palestinian president last month scrapped historic laws that permitted leniency for the perpetrators of so-called "honour" killings. . . .

Under a 1960 Jordanian penal code, part of which still applies in the West Bank, which Jordan ruled between 1948 and 1967, perpetrators of such crimes are treated with leniency as they are deemed to have mitigating circumstances. The maximum sentence is six months, according to police. A clause in a 1936 British Mandate law, still in effect in Gaza, also allows for leniency in the punishment of "honour" killings.

Reliable statistics are hard to come by, but it is thought there are around 20 such crimes in the West Bank and Gaza each year. Women who have been raped or molested, or are victims of incest, are considered to have stained a family's reputation. Such acts of violation are rarely admitted by the victim's family. . . . (Read more.)

Sam Shamoun vs. 1MoreMuslim on Allah's Repentance

Have you ever noticed that some Muslims are so desperate to attack Christianity, they don't care if they contradict Islam in the process? Here is another response from Sam Shamoun to 1MoreMuslim.

--------------------------------------------------------

It is time, once again, to turn the tables on 1MoreMuslim to show that he is both inconsistent and dishonest.

He wrote:

You should be busy correcting your theology, rather than teaching me about my language. And allah is not yahweh, Allah created human being knowing they will be wicked, so he felt no regrets, unlike Yahweh.

And:

unfortunately the only God who repents is the God of the bible, perhaps you can find other Greek Gods who do so.

What makes this assertion rather astonishing is that the Quran claims that Allah is a god who often and relents and changes his mind! Note the following verse carefully:

Then Adam received commandments from his Lord, and his Lord REPENTED towards him; for He is OFT-REPENTING (huwa al-tawwabu), Most Merciful. S. 2:37

Here is how the verse is translated in the various English versions:

Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He RELENTED toward him. Lo! He is THE RELENTING, the Merciful. Pickthall

Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord TURNED towards him; for He is Oft-RETURNING, Most Merciful. Y. Ali

Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He TURNED to him mercifully; surely He is Oft-RETURNING (to mercy), the Merciful. Shakir

Then Adam learnt from his Lord certain words of prayer. So HE TURNED toward him with mercy. Surely HE is Oft-RETURNING with compassion, and is Merciful. Sher Ali

Thereafter Adam received certain words from his Lord, and He TURNED towards him; truly He TURNS, and is All-compassionate. Arberry

And Adam caught certain words from his Lord, and He TURNED towards him, for He is the compassionate one easily TURNED. Palmer

And words of prayer learned Adam from his Lord: and God TURNED to him; for He loveth to TURN, the Merciful. Rodwell

And Adam learned words [of prayer] from his Lord, and God TURNED unto him, for he is easy to be reconciled and merciful. Sale

Notice that these versions render the Arabic words taba and tawwab as relented, relenting, turned, turns etc. Now my question to you is what does repentance mean if not a turning away from something towards something? What does repentance mean if not relenting from something? Moreover, what did Allah relent from? What did he turn from when he turned towards Adam in mercy and compassion?

Here are a few more cases where Allah is said to repent and change his mind or course of action:

Except those who repent (taboo) and make amends and openly declare: To them I repent (atoobu); for I am Oft-Repenting (wa ana al-tawwabu), Most Merciful. S. 2:160

Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance (al-tawbata) from his servants and takes the alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (huwa al-tawwabu), the Merciful? S. 9:104

And to the three who were left behind, until the earth became strait to them notwithstanding its spaciousness and their souls were also straightened to them; and they knew it for certain that there was no refuge from Allah but in Him; then He repented (taba) to them that they might repent (liyatooboo); surely Allah is the Oft-repenting (huwa al-tawwabu), the Merciful. S. 9:118

Let us see how the lexical sources define these words:

= Ta-Waw-Ba = TO RETURN; REPENT; TURN ONE’S SELF IN A REPENTANT MANNER (with ila or without it), TURN with mercy (with ala), ADAPT.

taba vb. (1) (Project Root List)

Now just in case 1MoreMuslim still wants to stubbornly deny that these words mean that Allah actually repents and changes his mind, here are some verses where the very same words are used in connection to Allah calling individuals to change or repent from their evils ways:

They will question thee concerning the monthly course. Say: 'It is hurt; so go apart from women during the monthly course, and do not approach them till they are clean. When they have cleansed themselves, then come unto them as God has commanded you.' Truly, God loves those who repent (al-tawwabeena), and He loves those who cleanse themselves. S. 2:222 Arberry

And when two of you commit indecency, punish them both; but if they repent (taba) and make amends, then suffer them to be; God turns, and is All-compassionate. S. 4:16 Arberry

And to Thamood their brother Salih; he said, 'O my people, serve God! You have no god other than He. It is He who produced you from the earth and has given you to live therein; so ask forgiveness of Him, then repent (tooboo) to Him; surely my Lord is nigh, and answers prayer. S. 11:61 Arberry

Save him who repenteth (taba) and believeth and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. And whosoever repenteth (taba) and doeth good, he verily repenteth (yatoobu) toward Allah with true repentance (mataban). S. 25:70-71 Pickthall

Believers, turn (tooboo) to God in sincere repentance (tawbatan); it may be that your Lord will acquit you of your evil deeds, and will admit you into gardens underneath which rivers flow. Upon the day when God will not degrade the Prophet and those who believe with him, their light running before them, and on their right hands; and they say, ‘Our Lord, perfect for us our light, and forgive us; surely Thou art powerful over everything.’ S. 66:8 Arberry

To further confirm that Allah literally changes his mind and repents, here is what the Quran says Allah did when the people whom Jonah preached to repented of their sins:

If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed and profited by its belief as did the folk of Jonah! When they believed WE DREW OFF FROM THEM THE TORMENT OF DISGRACE in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while. S. 10:98 Pickthall

Let us see how the Muslim expositors interpreted this passage:

(If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed) if only the people of a township believed when the punishment befell them (and profited by its belief) He says: their faith did not benefit them upon the descent of punishment (as did the folk of Jonah) except the folk of Jonah who benefited from their belief. (When they believed We drew off) WE DIVERTED (from them the torment of disgrace) the severe punishment (in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while) We left them without punishment until they died. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs, Q. 10:98; bold, capital and italic emphasis ours)

If only there had been one town - meaning its inhabitants - that believed, before chastisement befell it, and profited by its belief - except for the people of Jonah: when they believed, after seeing a portent of the chastisement, for they did not wait [to believe] until it came to pass, We removed from upon them the chastisement of degradation in the life of this world and We gave them comfort for a while, until the conclusion of their terms [of life]. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Q. 10:98; bold and italic emphasis ours)

And they believed, after they saw [with their own eyes] the chastisement WHICH THEY HAD BEEN PROMISED. So We gave them comfort, We kept them alive to enjoy their wealth, for a while, until their terms [of life] would be concluded [while they took comfort] therein. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Q. 37:148; bold, capital and italic emphasis ours)

… Then he mentioned the multitude of followers that Musa had, peace be upon him, then that he saw his nation of people filling from the west to the east. The point is that between Musa and Yunus, there was no nation, in its entirety, that believed except the people of Yunus, the people of Naynawa (Nineveh). And they only believed because they feared that the torment from which their Messenger warned them, might strike them. They actually witnessed its signs. So they cried to Allah and asked for help. They engaged in humility in invoking Him. They brought their children and cattle and asked Allah to lift the torment from which their Prophet had warned them. As a result, Allah sent His mercy AND REMOVED THE SCOURGE from them and gave them respite. Allah said…

In interpreting this Ayah, Qatadah said: "No town has denied the truth and then believed when they saw the scourge, and then their belief benefited them, with the exception of the people of Yunus. When they lost their Prophet and they thought that the scourge was close upon them, Allah sent through their hearts the desire to repent. So they wore woolen fabrics and they separated each animal from its offspring. They then cried out to Allah for forty nights. When Allah saw the truth in their hearts and that they were sincere in their repentance and regrets, He REMOVED the scourge from them." Qatadah said: "It was mentioned that the people of Yunus were in Naynawa, the land of Mosul." This was also reported from Ibn Mas`ud, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and others from the Salaf. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 10:98; bold and capital emphasis ours)

These commentators candidly admit that even though Allah had sworn to punish Nineveh, he nonetheless repented from destroying them when he saw their repentance!

The foregoing proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that when taba and tawwab are used in respect to the Islamic deity we are to interpret this as Allah literally changing his mind and course of action.

Now watch as 1More tries to pervert the plain and unambiguous meanings of these texts and Arabic words in order to force the Quran to agree with his theological presuppositions. Watch him do the very thing he condemns Christians for doing in trying to force these verses to fit in with his mistaken notion that his god is perfect and therefore never repents and changes his mind.

Lord willing, in my next post I will prove that Allah doesn’t simply allow people to do evil, as 1More erroneously asserted, but that he actually creates them to be evil and to act wickedly!

Inconsistency, thy name is 1MoreMuslim!

Malak's Journey from Islam to Christ

I just read the testimony of a young woman who left Islam and became a Christian last year. Her name is Malak. I'll post the beginning here. You can continue reading on her blog.

I didn’t grow up abused or neglected; my parents loved me more than they loved themselves. I was the result of seven years of failed attempts and desperation that led to in-vitro as a last resort. I was named Malak, Arabic for “angel”, because my dad thought I was a gift from God. My family is devoutly Muslim and proudly adheres the Shia’a School of Thought. Islam was a huge part of my life growing up and I spent almost as much time in Islamic School as I did my regular secular public schools. I started fasting during Ramadan when I was eight, and learned Salat (the five daily Islamic prayers) at age nine.

I came from your average family—my dad worked as a carpenter, my mom was the stay-at-home-and-raise-the-kids wife, and my siblings and I did a great job at being destructive little monsters (as every good child should be). Dad was the authority and disciplinary figure in our home, mom never had the heart to punish us when we did something wrong, she rarely even yelled at us.

For as long as I can remember dad was in and out of hospitals a lot, my siblings and I spent a lot of time at my uncle’s house because mom would stay overnight at the hospital with dad; we were often there for weeks at a time. I never really knew what was wrong with him because I was so young, but one day when I was in the fifth grade my mom told me that he had cancer. I laughed, I didn’t know what that meant and I didn’t know how else to react. I remember going to my friend’s house that day and telling her about it, the news didn’t really register with either of us, we just continued playing outside. Fast forward to sixth grade, late-November 2004, dad was back home for a few days. The night before he went back to the hospital I’d really irked him because I kept refusing to clean my room and he yelled, “I only have so little time left on this earth and you kids are shortening that time!” That was the last time he was home alive. I got to see him at the hospital for the last time on November 29th; he died December 1st of liver cancer that had spread to his lungs.

I wasn’t raised to trust in God or love Him; Islam was more of a guide on how to live a good and moral life. A bunch of rules with no real reason to follow them other than the get out of jail free card they might guarantee you. So when my dad died I didn’t know how to cope and neither did my mom; I remember walking in on her crying one night and in an attempt to comfort her, told her it was okay and that dad was in heaven now, happy and healthy. She got upset with me and insisted that my dad would rather be here with us on earth suffering than happy in heaven. Even as an eleven year old kid I thought that was strange, isn’t heaven supposed to be the greatest place ever? Back then heaven was just a place of worldly pleasures, a place where you got whatever you wanted and lived however you wanted; there was no sadness or death, just a place to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. God wasn’t the focus, the worldly stuff was, the idea of “being with God” was never really taught, He was God, what did He care about being in the presence of humans? Our goal was to be good so that He would let us into Paradise and we could finally be happy and content, with or without Him there. So when mom said that dad would rather be here with us then in heaven I realized that nothing could be more important, nothing could satisfy, other than family—not even heaven or God. Yes, when asked I would always say “God is first”, but only because that’s what you’re supposed to say.

My faith in God got shaky; I didn’t trust Him much. He’d taken my dad away which, according to my mom, was a huge mistake on His part. My dad was supposed to stay here and take care of us, what did God think He was doing when He took him away? Doesn’t He know that my dad would rather be here than in heaven? Shaky faith turned into anger and soon into unbelief. I never called myself an Atheist, it went against my conscious, but I refused to acknowledge Him and wanted nothing to do with such a malevolent deity. This didn’t last long though, once my Islamic School had started up again the fear of hell was beaten back into me with scary stories of eternal torment and Judgment Day; still no love, trust, or even respect for God, just fear for my own soul. (Continue reading . . .)

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Facing Imminent Execution in Iran for Apostasy and Evangelism

While CAIR complains about Islamophobia (in a country where Muslims are free to proclaim their faith from the rooftops), a Christian pastor is about to be executed by the Iranian government for leaving Islam and preaching to Muslims.

TEHRAN, Iran (Worthy News) — An Iranian pastor, convicted of apostasy and sentenced to death, may have only hours or days to live, according to a US-based Christian ministry acquainted with the facts of his case.

Jason DeMars, of Present Truth Ministries, told ANS: “We have been notified that the conviction of brother Youcef Nadarkhani for apostasy, as well as the sentence of death, has been upheld and confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court.

“The way that this situation is typically handled is that at any time, and without advance notice, they will carry out the death sentence. First, they will ask him to recant, and if he does not, then he will be executed.”

DeMars says: “There is nothing more to be done to help his case from within Iran. The only thing that can affect his case now is international pressure.

“I ask that each of you earnestly pray and follow what God calls you to do. We know that we are called to be faithful unto death and that many are killed for their faith everyday around the world, but as Christians let’s do what we can for Youcef, pray for him and raise our voices against the Iranian regime.”

Youcef Nadarkhani is 33-years-old and from Rasht, in the Gilan province of Iran.

For the past ten years he has been a pastor in a network of house churches. He was previously imprisoned in December of 2006, the charges being apostasy (leaving Islam for Christianity) and evangelism (spreading the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ), but was released two weeks later.

Youcef is married and has two sons, ages 8 and 6. They were attending a local school when the government decided that all children should be taught about Islam, including those from Christian families.

Youcef went to the school and protested this based on the Iranian Constitution, which allows for freedom to practice religion. As a result, the secret police called him before the political tribunal in Rasht, Iran on October 12, 2009. At that time he was arrested, charged for protesting, and has been in prison in Lakan (which is seven miles south of Rasht) ever since. Later the charges were changed to apostasy and evangelism to Muslims.

DeMars told ANS that throughout this time he has had access to an attorney, and has been allowed visits from his wife, children, and friends.

“However, for the first month in prison and two weeks before his trial up until now the visits and meetings with his attorney have been limited. They have used various methods to try to convert him back to Islam, including giving him pills, apparently in an attempt to claim that he was insane.”

Because Youcef’s faith remained strong, Iranian authorities decided to arrest his wife in order to place more pressure on him. On June 18th, Fatemah Pasindedih was arrested and placed in prison in Lakan.

DeMars said: “During this time their boys went to live with a relative. Both Youcef and his wife Fatemah were threatened by authorities that their children would be taken away and given to a Muslim family.

“Youcef was not swayed to turn back to Islam, so his wife was put on trial without an attorney, and sentenced to life in prison. An attorney was later hired and the sentence appealed. The sentence and conviction were overturned and she was released.”

On September 21 and 22, 2010, Youcef was put on trial, and verbally given the sentence of death. A written verdict was delayed and then delivered, on November 13, 2010, by the 1st Court of the Revolutionary Tribunal. He is to be executed by hanging for the crime of apostasy. Twenty days are allowed to appeal the sentence with the Supreme Court of Iran.

DeMars said Youcef is now in the secret police security prison in Lakan. He has been held in solitary confinement. Recently he has been allowed visits from his attorney and wife once a week.

DeMars concluded: “Please contact your elected officials using the principle of the Importunate Woman of Luke 18:1-8 who had the judge listen to her because she continued to bother him. Please help us as we tirelessly fight against this conviction against our brother.

“It is critical that we continue to pray for Pastor Youcef and make our voices heard. Please reach out to your elected officials and to the international news media so that Youcef’s fate will come to light.”

For more on the Islamic penalty for apostasy, watch this video:

Netherlands: Muslim Boys Disrupting Non-Muslim Funerals

Why Did Jesus Say, "The Father Is Greater Than I"?

Roger Williams Meets Thomas More (No Reference to Famous Historical Figures!)

Sometimes a picture says much more than a thousand words. Here we see the infamous volunteer Roger Williams harassing yet another peaceful Christian at this year's Arab Festival in Dearborn, Michigan.

For those who don't remember Roger, he's the one who lied to police last year, claiming that we had surrounded him and that he asked us repeatedly to leave him alone, but we just wouldn't.



Roger even filed a false police report (which the city never charged him for), asserting that security actually had to rescue him from us! He then lied under oath in court (but wasn't charged), in a desperate attempt to get us convicted. (Note: Police testified at our trial that we weren't arrested based on Roger's complaint. They said that we were arrested for our supposedly riotous behavior when Nabeel was calmly answering the questions of Muslims who approached him.)

Based on Roger's actions, I didn't think there was much of a chance he'd be back for the 2011 Arab Festival.

Welcome to Dearborn, Michigan, where reality is never what you'd expect.

Three things are worthy of note in the above picture.

First, Roger isn't going after Terry Jones or Ruben Israel's group. He harasses quiet, peaceful Christians who attempt to discuss the Gospel with Muslims. The shocking thing is that Roger actually considers himself to be a Christian. He's from strange group that believes they can impress Muslims by attacking other Christians. Supposedly, after years of seeing people like Roger harass Christians (so the theory goes), Muslims will be attracted to Roger's unspoken Gospel message and will embrace Christianity. This absurd mentality is becoming increasingly popular in Dearborn, where the only Christians who are truly welcome are the ones willing to throw other Christians under the bus.

Second, despite the fact that Roger (a) threatened us, (b) lied to police, (c) filed a false police report, and (d) lied under oath in court, the Arab Chamber of Commerce had him back to continue harassing Christians this year. If Christians are really welcome at the festival, and if the Arab Chamber of Commerce really respects the Constitution, why would they invite a known liar and troublemaker to stalk Christians at the festival? I'm guessing this will come up in court.

Third, the woman in the photo is holding a copy of the court ruling declaring that Christians are free to distribute materials on the public sidewalks around the festival. Apparently, Roger and the other volunteers thought that some Christians might not be aware of the Thomas More Law Center's legal victory, and that these Christians could therefore be bullied and intimidated. Not so. Christians came armed with documentation and insisted on their Constitutional right to distribute pamphlets, DVDs, Bibles, etc. In a desperate attempt to shut these Christians down, the festival volunteers yet again lied to police and said they were harassing people. Fortunately, Wayne County Police didn't buy it. Kudos to Wayne County Police for showing more respect for the Constitution than Dearborn Police have shown, and to the Thomas More Law Center for spending hundreds of hours, pro bono, defending the rights of Christians in Dearborn.

Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif and Walli Mujahidh Arrested for Terrorism Plot

Pay close attention to Rep. King calling out the media for their blatant misrepresentation. The media are reporting that someone in the community came forward with information about the plot, making it sound as if a peaceful Muslim, dedicated to his peaceful religion, decided to thwart the evil plans of two men who had hijacked his religion. In reality, an ex-con paid informant came forward with information about the plot because that's how he gets his paycheck.

Answering Muslims Turns One Million

After four years, we finally reached the 1,000,000 visits mark. I think we can get the next million in half the time!

Best Muslim Response to Arab Festival Anger

I haven't posted much of my recent video footage from Dearborn yet, though I will certainly be posting some videos in the next few days. Nor have I posted some of the important videos filmed by others at the Arab Festival (but I'll be posting many of those as well).

However, I did want to draw attention to an especially refreshing video made by a Muslim woman after the festival. In the video, she calls on her fellow Muslims not to respond angrily or violently to the protected free speech of anti-Islam protestors. I say her comments are "refreshing" because so many Muslims and non-Muslims suffer from what we might call "Always Someone Else's Fault Syndrome" (ASEFS).

When security guards physically attacked us after Nabeel asked a question at a booth in 2009, Muslims generally (though not always) blamed us. Many non-Muslims blamed us as well. In 2010, when police arrested us for having a peaceful discussion, Muslims generally (though not always) blamed us. Many non-Muslims blamed us as well. When Dearborn Police and Mayor O'Reilly were exposed for outright deception, Muslims generally ignored it. Most non-Muslims ignored it as well. Several weeks ago, when Muslims (and some non-Muslims) stormed the police barrier for a shot at Terry Jones, many Muslims and non-Muslims blamed Jones. At the 2011 Arab Festival, when certain Muslims reacted violently to Ruben Israel's group, virtually everyone blamed Ruben Israel (and, believe it or not, they blamed us as well).

It seems, then, that Muslims are never responsible for their actions. If a Muslim throws a bottle, or a punch, it must be someone else's fault--namely, the person who offended the Muslim. Even many media representatives (just check out the blatantly biased work of Niraj Warikoo of the Detroit Free Press) suffer from ASEFS.

Those who have contracted ASEFS, however, are the real Islamophobes. They don't expect Muslims to follow the same rules as everyone else, because they don't believe Muslims are capable of responding rationally. Many critics of Islam, however, are so vocal in criticizing the actions of certain Muslims specifically because we hold Muslims to the same standards as everyone else. That is, we hold Muslims accountable because we believe they are responsible for their actions. Who are the racists here?

That's why it's good to see someone calling on Muslims to behave civilly, even when Islam is being criticized. Kudos to our Mulima friend Gina.

Pat Condell: Name the Poison