- Moderator
- #101
Muslims in Georgia announced a town meeting with the purpose of building a Muslim-only cemetery, an Islamic school, and yet another mosque
"The Express reports that the non-Muslim majority responded to the proposals by marching on the town square with firearms in tow to not only protest the construction of the Islamic facilities but also to demonstrate the American freedoms that are opposed by Islamic fundamentals and outlawed under Sharia law.
Newton County Muslims were apparently so appalled at the peaceful demonstration that they immediately called off the town meeting over a proposed mosque and attached religious school."
so wrong
so right
so wrong
so right
people have been heard. This is what democracy is about
as long as it stays peaceful
Now is there a compromise of a church donating space on Fridays for prayer or letting them use a hall for feeding the homeless when not serving food? Park gazebo? Maybe even a synagogue could rent or offer space at certain hours or on Fridays? Make it open to the public so the community knows what is happening in a mosque and what is being sermonized so they can understand and learn to have less objections? Find ways to integrate into the community instead of being isolated and treated with suspicion? Have community forums where by modifications to the misuse of sharia can be discussed and reform might be implemented? Christians, jews, etc. are subject to state and federal law above their religious laws and beliefs. Find a way for muslims in the community to conform as well. Teach them to understand they are american's first and muslims second.
Marching, with firearms, protesting the building of a religious house of worship, or school, or cemetary is wrong in so many ways....legal, of course, as long as it's peaceful but I wonder how I, if I were an American citizen who is Muslim, would feel seeing that. Would it be the same way the Jews felt when the Germans started closing down their business and synagogues? The presence of firearms changes the message and gives it a far more sinister aspect.
It's both very American....and very unAmerican.
some communities that have carry permits might also allow them to be carried in town hall meeting
???
Or checked in at the door but carried outside
???
the people made a statement just showing up. Muslims did not want to plead their case to the town.
Or, they are worried about violence and decided to postpone it - the article you posted pretty much says it all.
Article title: Armed militia storm council meeting after right-wing anger over Muslim plan for mosque
Local armed militia in a small US town forced a council meeting to be cancelled following growing security concerns over their presence.
The violent group of right-wing protesters carried guns into a local square to demonstrate against "the presence of Muslims" in the country
The meeting, which was expected to lift a ban on new places of worship, was called off amid growing tensions in Newton County, Georgia.
...The group, led by local resident Chris Hill, is now under investigation from Homeland Security and local law enforcement.
Newton County manager Lloyd Kerr said the group were "exhibiting harassing or violent behavior".
She added: "Unfortunately, in today’s society, uncivil threats or intentions must be taken seriously."
Following this, nearly 30 members of the armed militia stormed the local town centre armed with machine guns, forcing the mosque meeting to be cancelled.
One of the Most Biased Anti-Gun 'News' Articles I've Seen in Some Time - Publius Forum
Yet...you quoted that Express article as a source in your OP?
There's isn't a huge difference between a couple of dozen and 30 and brandishing assault weapons is certainly intimidating, and the Newton County manager seemed to think so.
From some other articles:
Newton County mosque meeting canceled after social media posts
In a statement posted on Newton County's website Monday, commissioners said the decision was made to cancel the meeting after "careful deliberation and consideration of concerns regarding crowd control and law enforcement regarding social media postings evidencing hostilities in the community. "
The Muslim community did not cancel anything, the commissioners did because they were afraid of violence or, as yet another tactic to delay. It does not seem as if the Muslim community in this case was unwilling to present their proposal to the community and ease their fears, but rather as if the larger community was refusing to hear them doesn't it?
Apparently, it met all the zoning requirements, the only reason it was opposed was that it was a mosque. Should those citizens not be allowed to build a house of worship within the same constraints as any other religious group? Should threats of violence be allowed to interfere with those rights?
Georgia officials were set to approve a new mosque — until an armed militia threatened to protest
For decades, leaders in Newton County, Ga., have tried to make things easy for anyone who wanted to build a church, with zoning rules that have a “places of worship” exception to streamline the construction process.
But recent plans for a mosque complicated things for county leaders.
About a month ago, word spread that Muslims wanted to build the county’s first mosque on an empty plot at Highway 162 and County Line Road. Since then, a Muslim leader says, a quagmire of bureaucracy and “Islamophobic” public meetings have shined a glaring national spotlight on this county of about 100,000 people, 35 miles east of Atlanta.
...the latest wrinkle came this week, when county commissioners, citing security concerns, canceled a meeting that was expected to allow construction of the mosque to move forward.
The concerns arose after a self-described militia group from a neighboring county posted a video on Facebook threatening to demonstrate outside the meeting with guns drawn.
But recent plans for a mosque complicated things for county leaders.
About a month ago, word spread that Muslims wanted to build the county’s first mosque on an empty plot at Highway 162 and County Line Road. Since then, a Muslim leader says, a quagmire of bureaucracy and “Islamophobic” public meetings have shined a glaring national spotlight on this county of about 100,000 people, 35 miles east of Atlanta.
...the latest wrinkle came this week, when county commissioners, citing security concerns, canceled a meeting that was expected to allow construction of the mosque to move forward.
The concerns arose after a self-described militia group from a neighboring county posted a video on Facebook threatening to demonstrate outside the meeting with guns drawn.
