Muslims Outraged

[JeffL]

"If one lies down with dogs, then one may wake up with fleas."

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Church's sign has Muslims outraged
Florida pastor says criticism of Islam is legal and fair
Associated Press
Friday, January 17, 2003

Jacksonville --- The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida is calling on state religious leaders to repudiate a Jacksonville Baptist church's roadside sign the group claims is anti-Muslim.

The sign outside the First Conservative Baptist Church in Jacksonville's Mandarin area reads: ''Jesus Forbade Murder. Matthew 26:52. Muhammad Approved Murder. Surah 8:65.''

Altaf Ali, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida, said his organization attempted to talk with the Baptist church's officials about the sign, but were rebuffed with belligerent language.

''All Americans must band together to condemn hate speech designed to divide our nation along religious and ethnic lines,'' Ali said. ''Any attempt to marginalize or vilify one religious community is an attack on all people of faith.''

The church's pastor, the Rev. Gene Youngblood, who also leads the Conservative Theological Society and Conservative Christian Academy, said he has been using the marquee-type sign to express the church's opinion for 15 years and has no plans to remove the message.

''First and foremost, are we not entitled to freedom of speech?'' Youngblood said.

Youngblood, who said he is an expert on world religions, said he had been threatened and his property vandalized. He said he has filed 13 police reports since July.

Youngblood said his church would issue a formal statement later.

Iman Zaid Malik, spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, said some Christian friends brought the offensive sign to his attention.

''Misinformation must be rejected by all people of conscience,'' Malik said. ''This shows that the vast majority of Americans reject hate and seek a society where good overcomes the evil.''

Malik said the Quran verse indicates that those who believe and are steadfast in battle will overcome much larger armies. It is not an endorsement of murder, he said.

The verse reads: ''O Prophet [Muhammad]! Inspire the believers to conquer all fear of death when fighting, [so that] if there be twenty of you who are patient in adversity, they might overcome two hundred; and if there be one hundred of you, they might overcome one-thousand of those bent on denying the truth, because they are people who cannot grasp it.''

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the Quran also states, ''whoever murders a person . . . it will be as if he killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life, shall be regarded as if he saved all mankind.''

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THEY'RE offended? Big deal.

Re: Last two paragraphs. Oh, yeah? Denying what truth? And why is a busload of virgins awaiting the cowardly Islamic creeps who commit acts of mass murder?

Words are cheap. I must have missed the official condemnation of these cowards by worldwide Islamic leaders.

[David]

I really do not see were the verse condones murder. I think the preacher may have misquoted this one. This is nothing more then a reiteration of David meeting the Philistines and in particular Goliath.

[JeffL]

They are supposed to overcome anyone who does not grasp the truth.

But what truth am I - or is this country - supposed to grasp, David? The Islamic terrorists' truth or the truth accepted by most of the rest of the civilized world?

[David]

They are supposed to overcome anyone who does not grasp the truth.

I do not see were it says they are to overcome anyone who does not believe their truth. It says when in a fight, fight with your whole heart and have no fear.