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bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
Hate Crime - Rage over anti-Islam rally
Dalson Chen - Windsor Star
Friday, January 12, 2007
Controversy filled a west Windsor church where the lecture of a purported
former Muslim terrorist warned that Islam is a religion of war being
brought to Canadian soil.
In a speech at Campbell Baptist Church on Thursday night, 49-year-old
Zachariah Anani said that Islamic doctrine teaches nothing less than the
"ambushing, seizing and slaying" of non-believers -- especially Jews and
Christians.
"Violence keeps going on," said Anani, a Lebanese-born convert to
Christianity who came to Windsor in 1997.
'No Prisoners'
The hour-long talk, entitled The Deadly Threat of Islam, described the
religion as worshipping a god who "fights and kills" and "strikes with
terror," and allows no prisoners in battles against non-believers.
"That's how Islamic doctrine obliges its followers to conduct in war time,"
Anani said.
More than 120 people packed the church to hear Anani's speech.
Many came to contest his views in a question period that often grew heated
with raised voices talking over each other.
"You're inciting hatred by the title of tonight's topic," argued Gary
Roberts while waving a hand with emotion.
Roberts, a 50-year-old Windsor resident, said he's not a member of the
church, but decided to come to the meeting as soon as he learned of it. "I
just couldn't sit back and not say nothing," he said. "I had to vent."
Windsor police said two officers in plain clothes attended the lecture at
the church's request.
Donald McKay, senior pastor at the church, said the event was organized
simply to propagate what the church believes to be "absolute truth."
"We have no desire to be offensive. We have no desire to polarize people
unnecessarily," McKay said.
But in asking Anani to clarify points of his speech, McKay described the
Islamic faith as "oppressive" and "vicious."
"The Muslims are coming over here to Windsor, Canada, for the purpose of
advancing this faith," McKay said.
A group of seven male Muslims who attended the meeting shook their heads at
Anani's speech. At the start of the event, the men declined to stand for
the church's hymn as a sign of protest.
Tarik Mohammed, 32, said that Anani took quotes from the Qur'an "out of
context," and demonstrated he could do the same with the Bible's Old Testament.
"If I want to go through this, I can find a lot about killing," Mohammed
said to Anani.
"What you did tonight, you preached hate. You did not preach
Christianity.... What you did right now is causing instability in our
community and throughout the world."
Gabriel Keresztes, who converted to Islam from Christianity three years
ago, agreed with Mohammed.
"You cannot sweep and generalize everything and you cannot put everyone in
a box," said the 23-year-old Windsor resident. "We stepped a step back
tonight in history, in the community of Windsor."
McKay said he finds it interesting that advocates of Islam would argue for
tolerance. "Islam is the most intolerant religion in the world today."
McKay said Anani killed "hundreds of people in the name of Allah" before
converting to Christianity, and Anani has brought his perspective to such
media outlets as CNN and Fox News.
Anani said he was responsible for deaths while engaged in the Lebanese
civil war before a missionary showed him the Christian path in 1975.
According to Anani, his goal is "awakening people to the truth."
"We've been bombarded all the time about how good and nice is Islam," Anani
said.
During the question period, 46-year-old church member Bruno Franciskovic
yelled that Muslims were responsible for the suicide attacks on the World
Trade Center.
"This day and age, you don't hear about Christians doing things like that,"
Franciskovic shouted.
Fatimah Abdullah, a 46-year-old Windsor Muslim, responded by shouting
"Timothy McVeigh" -- the U.S. citizen responsible for the Oklahoma City
bombing in 1995.
Abdullah said she found Anani's views "misinformed and ignorant."
"I can't see this as hate-mongering. I see this as ignorance," she said.
"This is an effort to push Christianity.... at the victimization of the truth."
The lecture was the first in a series of four this month.
Anani said he's not intimidated by the reaction to his first lecture, and
the series will continue as planned. "It's always like that."
source:
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=8f12e622-3aa5-47c8-86ac-6eecddd92b07&k=71255
===
CAIR-CAN and Windsor Muslims Ask Police to Investigate Possible Hate Speech
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -
(Ottawa, Canada Jan 13, 2007) The Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN), Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), Windsor Islamic
Association, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), and Al Hijra Mosque
and School, are asking the Windsor Police in Ontario to investigate the
lecture series, The Deadly Threat of Islam, as a possible forum for hate
speech. The talks, sponsored by Windsors Theological Institute in
association with the Campbell Baptist Church, are taking place each
Thursday until February 1.
CAIR-CAN has received complaints based upon the first talk entitled Be
Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The Frightening Facts About Islam. In response,
CAIR-CAN yesterday asked the Windsor Police to investigate the lecture
series and be on the alert for any hate speech that may be taking place at
the talks.
Under Canadian law hate speech is prohibited. Investigations into hate
speech fall under local police departments.
If hateful speech is indeed being propagated in Windsor, it must be dealt
with promptly under the law. We are asking the Windsor Police to take the
matter seriously and conduct an investigation.
Freedom of speech is a cherished Canadian value, however it is not an
absolute. Hateful speech only succeeds in creating an atmosphere of fear,
where divisions within Canadian society are made, said Karl Nickner Executive
Director of CAIR-CAN.
We are asking Canadians of conscience to speak out against hatred and
sensationalist campaigns. Groups that spread lies about a faith or people
simply act to harm innocent citizens.
We are proud of the diversity exemplified in Windsor and the thousands of
Muslim Canadians, from doctors to auto-workers, that have helped build our
city and country, stated Dr. Nabil Asfour, MAC Windsor Chapter Head
- END -
For more information please contact:
CAIR-CAN: Sameer Zuberi, Communications and Human Rights Coordinator,
613.795.2012; or Karl Nickner, Executive Director, 613.853.4111
Windsor Muslim Comminity: Dr. Nabil Asfour, MAC Windsor Chapter Head,
519.819.0497; Khalida Peer, Windsor Islamic Association, 519.966.5116
CAIR-CAN
Council on American-Islamic Relations CANADA
P.O. Box 13219, Ottawa, ONT, K2K 1X4
Tel: 1-866-524-0004
Fax: 613-254-9810
URL: www.caircan.ca
===
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