In letter, Gingrich blasts arrests of missionaries at Dearborn (Arab) festival

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit Free Press

POSTED: 12:03 P.M. AUG. 3, 2010
In letter, Gingrich blasts arrests of missionaries at Dearborn festival
BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER


Newt Gingrich is blasting Dearborn Police for arresting four Christian missionaries at an Arab festival in June, saying it’s an example of Islamic intolerance. He cites the case as one reason why he opposes construction of an Islamic center near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.

In a recent letter, the former Speaker of the U.S. House says that the jailing of the four Christian missionaries is an example of Islamic extremism coming to the U.S. "This is a clear case of freedom of speech and the exercise of religious freedom being sacrificed in deference to sharia’s intolerance against the preaching of religions other than Islam," Gingrich writes in a letter published last week.

-snip-

The four Christians were with a Web site called Acts 17 Apologetics, which seeks to convert Muslims. They visited the Arab festival in 2009, producing a video that critics say was selectively edited to make the city and Muslims look bad.

Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly Jr. and others have said the missionaries were trying to provoke people at the festival in order to gain attention and raise money for their small group. They note there were several other Christian groups at the Arab festival, as in previous years, who had no problems.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20100803/NEWS02/100803032/1318/In-letter-Gingrich-blasts-arrests-of-missionaries-at-Dearborn-festival

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Remember ACORN?

You gotta see the comments at the DFP link.

[JHB]

1. Which wife is he cheating on these days? Third? Fourth? n/t

[Matariki]

11. THIS is the perfect response to his bullshit

I only wish that reporters would follow your example....

[LynneSin]

22. Depends on the health of the current wife

He only dumps them when they are laid up in the hospital recovering from Cancer.

[JHB]

26. I think that was just his first one, not sure about the second.

But he does have a track record of cheating his current wife with the future next one, so unless he's flip-flopped on the issue it's a fair bet he's cheating right now.

[Bozita]

27. Also depends on the vintage.

Newt has always shown a preference for the newer models.

[KansDem]

2. Newt had his heyday 16 years ago...

Why are we still listening to him?

[Matariki]

8. Hmmm, he's clearly up to something

either he's planning on running in 2012 or he's planting the seeds of a crazy-making culture war to drown out real topics during the next election

[roxiejules]

18. Gingrich is planning on a 2012 Presidential run

Newt Gingrich, who said Monday he planned to lay the foundation for a 2012 presidential run...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39723.html

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Done.

[Enrique]

4. sharia law in Michigan!!!

:scared:

[PanoramaIsland]

5. "Newt:" as always, the prime example of a correctly-named politician.

[Frisbee]

15. I didn't know his middle name was "douchebag".

:rofl:

[PanoramaIsland]

17. Here's hoping he'll slither under some rock like the newt he is, and leave all of us alone.

[Thor_MN]

28. Salmanders drop their tail while being chased, Newt drops wives to chase tail

[Carnage251]

6. I wonder if he would of spoke out against atheists getting arrested at a evangelical event

Disgraced former congressman STFU!

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Ah yes, I forgot Newt was also opposed to building the Islamic center in NYC.

[JHB]

16. Amazing how he's suddenly concerned about New York

Back during his congressional career, he used it as a punching bag in just about all of his standard stump speeches. May have went over well among Cobb County, Georgia conservatives, but it gives him a rat's banana's worth of right to speak about what should be done in NYC.

[pinboy3niner]

10. So Newt was FOR law and order before he was AGAINST it? nt

[get the red out]

12. But......Christians protest Muslims

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/09/26/86162.html

Back in September Christians protested Muslims for praying on Capitol Hill. So how can Newt possibly run around screaming "freedom of speech" when so many Christians believe Muslim citizens shouldn't express themselves? The double-standard is sickening.

[Old and In the Way]

13. I'm sure Newt would be similarly outraged if Muslims were arrested

proselytizing for converts at a Christian festival. This is pure political division and a big FU to our core principles of religious freedom and tolerance. It's the anti-thesis of what America is all about.

[nyy1998]

14. Of course, if Muslim "missionaries" come to a church and get arrested

Newt will sleep happily.

It really bugs me that ppl will try to change other people's religious beliefs just because they don't agree with it.

[groundloop]

19. As a Christian I'm embarrassed and sickened by Newt's actions

I'd like to see Newt debate the Bible with President Obama or former President Carter. He clearly doesn't have a clue.

[mitchum]

24. I would like to see Newt debate the Bible with a somewhat bright 8 year old

Gingrich would likely get his clock cleaned in that Sunday School Rumble

[DFW]

20. Not much of a double standard there, Newt?

I remember once when some "Christian" missionary asked me to contribute to her trip to India to convert Hindus
to Christianity. I said OK, if she would contribute an equal amount to Hindu missionaries to finance their trip
to American to convert Christians to Hinduism. She was appalled, and saw no parallel whatsoever.

[LynneSin]

21. I have absolutely no issue with Christians being at a Muslim festival, I went to one back in DC.....

HOWEVER

If those Christians were acting like assholes, bugging other attendees at the festival then they deserve what they got.

About 5-6 years ago I was in DC for a protest and the night before there was a Muslim related festival going on nearby. Because we had nothing else to do we went to it and it was quite nice enjoying the festivities. However, I wasn't there to cause trouble or harass others. No one paid any attention to us and were very polite.

[maxsolomon]

23. Newt's actually smart enough to know this is Bullshit

he's just trying to fan the flames and buy himself some evangelical cred for 2012. cynical, transparent.

[alp227]

25. Look I know this is a progressive site, but can't we have some REAL news on frontpage today?

I'm watching PBS Newshour right now, and the lead stories are the drill fluid operation at the Deepwater Horizon oil well and the sentencing disparity reduction between possession of crack and powdered cocaine. But I recommend this to mock the hack ex-politician and broken record GinGRINCH.

In my book, both ex-pol hacks like GinGrinch and all religious apologists are in my "who cares" bin. I'll be back in an hour or so and find some REAL news that matters to us on the frontpage aiite?

Coming soon: the new book How the GinGrinch Stole Politics!