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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 === -muslim voice- ______________________________________ BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
