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ALERT: Arrested for Being Christians at an Arab Festival…in America?
Mark Ellis (June 22 , 2010)
"No hating, no disturbing, no harassing... It remains only to be concluded that we were arrested simply for being Christian Preachers at the Arab Festival in Dearborn."
FOUNDING EDITOR'S NOTE: There is a U.S. Constitution, a Bill of Rights, a Declaration of Independence, and a God in Heaven who is watching and I do not sense that Our God is pleased—with an arrest of Christians sharing their faith. Please join me in prayer that we will see a SEA CHANGE of whatever spiritual force is attempting to make this anything other than a Christian Nation with freedom for all religions as well. –Steve Shultz, Breaking Christian News.
(Dearborn, MI)—This past Friday, on June 18th, three Christians; Dr. Nabeel Quereshi, David Woods, and Paul Rezkalla, were arrested at the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan, according to an ANS News report.
A video, recorded by the three the next day after their release, explains what happened when they stood at the festival and only spoke with those who freely approached them. They maintain that they did not hand out Christian pamphlets, nor did they preach at people.
"We didn't approach anyone," says Nabeel on the video. "We waited for them to approach us, and they did." He says that at first, the Muslims that came up to them would accuse them and call them racist, but "in a matter of minutes, multiple times, we were talking very amicably [with them], and enjoying the conversation. We made many friends yesterday…"
Toward the end of one of those conversations, however, officers approached and handcuffed the three, leading them away to the police truck.
A fourth person (an 18-year-old female), "Nageen," who had been filming the entire situation from a distance, was soon also surrounded by security, and brought to the police area as well.
Dr. Nabeel notes, "It cannot be said that we were arrested for causing a disturbance, because we did not approach anyone, rather everyone with whom we spoke first approached us. It cannot be said that we were harassing anyone, because the moment anyone said 'stop talking to me,' we would stop talking to them. And it cannot be said that we were spreading hate speech, because we said virtually nothing about Islam at all. On the contrary, we repeatedly affirmed our love for all Muslims. Whenever I was asked 'Why would you love me?' I said 'Because Jesus loves you, and He told me to love you.'
"No hating, no disturbing, no harassing... It remains only to be concluded that we were arrested simply for being Christian Preachers at the Arab Festival in Dearborn."
Steven Atkins, a resident of Toronto, Canada, who was visiting the festival and observed the incident lamented, "I never thought I would see this in America."
According to ANS News: Dr. Nabeel Quereshi is co-director of Acts 17 Apologetics Ministries. He holds an MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School and an MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University.
This year, the city of Dearborn banned the distribution of Christian literature near the festival. Some accused the city of catering to its large Muslim population when the law was passed. On June 17, a three-judge panel from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency motion on behalf of Pastor George Saieg, allowing him to distribute literature and talk about his faith to Muslims at the festival.
Watch the video report recorded by Dr. Quereshi and colleagues, CLICK HERE.
Mark Ellis (June 22 , 2010)
"No hating, no disturbing, no harassing... It remains only to be concluded that we were arrested simply for being Christian Preachers at the Arab Festival in Dearborn."
FOUNDING EDITOR'S NOTE: There is a U.S. Constitution, a Bill of Rights, a Declaration of Independence, and a God in Heaven who is watching and I do not sense that Our God is pleased—with an arrest of Christians sharing their faith. Please join me in prayer that we will see a SEA CHANGE of whatever spiritual force is attempting to make this anything other than a Christian Nation with freedom for all religions as well. –Steve Shultz, Breaking Christian News.
(Dearborn, MI)—This past Friday, on June 18th, three Christians; Dr. Nabeel Quereshi, David Woods, and Paul Rezkalla, were arrested at the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan, according to an ANS News report.
A video, recorded by the three the next day after their release, explains what happened when they stood at the festival and only spoke with those who freely approached them. They maintain that they did not hand out Christian pamphlets, nor did they preach at people.
"We didn't approach anyone," says Nabeel on the video. "We waited for them to approach us, and they did." He says that at first, the Muslims that came up to them would accuse them and call them racist, but "in a matter of minutes, multiple times, we were talking very amicably [with them], and enjoying the conversation. We made many friends yesterday…"
Toward the end of one of those conversations, however, officers approached and handcuffed the three, leading them away to the police truck.
A fourth person (an 18-year-old female), "Nageen," who had been filming the entire situation from a distance, was soon also surrounded by security, and brought to the police area as well.
Dr. Nabeel notes, "It cannot be said that we were arrested for causing a disturbance, because we did not approach anyone, rather everyone with whom we spoke first approached us. It cannot be said that we were harassing anyone, because the moment anyone said 'stop talking to me,' we would stop talking to them. And it cannot be said that we were spreading hate speech, because we said virtually nothing about Islam at all. On the contrary, we repeatedly affirmed our love for all Muslims. Whenever I was asked 'Why would you love me?' I said 'Because Jesus loves you, and He told me to love you.'
"No hating, no disturbing, no harassing... It remains only to be concluded that we were arrested simply for being Christian Preachers at the Arab Festival in Dearborn."
Steven Atkins, a resident of Toronto, Canada, who was visiting the festival and observed the incident lamented, "I never thought I would see this in America."
According to ANS News: Dr. Nabeel Quereshi is co-director of Acts 17 Apologetics Ministries. He holds an MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School and an MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University.
This year, the city of Dearborn banned the distribution of Christian literature near the festival. Some accused the city of catering to its large Muslim population when the law was passed. On June 17, a three-judge panel from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency motion on behalf of Pastor George Saieg, allowing him to distribute literature and talk about his faith to Muslims at the festival.
Watch the video report recorded by Dr. Quereshi and colleagues, CLICK HERE.
