US Church Places Anti-Islam Sign, Sparks Protests

Source: almanar.com.lb, 13-07-2009

Religious discrimination against Islam is on the rise in the different parts of the world and are portrayed in very different forms.
American Muslims, Christians and Jews have staged protests outside an American church that posted an anti-Islam sign in its front lawn saying "Islam is of the Devil."

Dozens of people gathered in front of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, on Wednesday evening for a prayer vigil in response to the sign.

Terry Jones, the pastor at the church, said that the center does not plan on taking down the sign that was placed last Sunday, and that more messages will be displayed in the future.
"We think we are losing our heritage as a Christian nation," Jones said as one of the reasons the church put up the sign.
"To be a Christian, you would have to agree with that sign," Jones added.
He said the sign is not meant to attack individuals but to attack the religion of Islam because it is "oppressive and violent."

Ismail ibn Ali, president of Islam on Campus at UF, said in an e-mail that he hopes non-Muslims who read the sign will Google "Islam" and see what the religion is about before making judgments.
"Even though they are allowed to post a sign based on our beloved First Amendment, this is not an action which brings understanding and only misinforms people about the religion of Islam," Ali said.
He said he hopes everyone who is offended by the sign will peacefully ask the Dove World Outreach Center to remove it.

Eve MacMaster, pastor at Emmanuel Mennonite Church who organized the prayer vigil, said she wants people in the community to know most Christians do not agree with the message that the Dove World Outreach Center is sending by posting the sign.
"It troubles me that my faith is represented by such a negative message," MacMaster said.
"We decided that the most appropriate response was to meet in prayer," she said. "It's not a good thing for our community to have a sign that shows that much hatred," MacMaster added.