The Michigan ARAB FESTIVAL has been cancelled for a second
year in a row…why?
Here in Michigan (Dearborn area) we have the largest
population of Arabs in the United States. The yearly festival was great for
Arabs and non-Arabs alike. It featured Arab culture and especially Arab food
and we just love Middle Eastern cuisine.
The problem with the Arab Festival is that it draws many
Christian fanatics who feel compelled to attend the festival to protest against
Islam or to try to convert the Muslims attending the festival; convert them to
Christianity…really?
When the police tried to limit the disruption by the rabid
Christians, things got a little out of hand and the City of Dearborn ended up
paying $300,000 in fines.
The Christian protesters also sued the city for violating
their right to free speech under the First Amendment; a federal judge disagreed
with their charge.
To me the situation is just unacceptable.
All festivals are patrolled by police to maintain law and
order. People that attend festivals depend on the police to keep festivals safe
for attendees and vendors.
Vendors can purchase a booth and sell, display or proselytize
their stuff in a peaceful manner.
The problem is that you have Christian fanatics that want to
disrupt and cause problems. On the other hand you have Muslims that object to
Christians trying to bad mouth Islam and that inevitably leads to conflict.
To me this is a simple police matter; keep the peace and if
you have to arrest people, so be it.
Everyone has a right to attend a festival; no one has the right
to disrupt a festival.
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