BIll Maher’s liberals
by digby
There wasn’t any violence, thank goodness:
Protesters at Friday’s “Freedom of Speech” rally outside a Phoenix mosque were met by counterprotesters.
The two groups lined both sides of the street in front of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix and yelled at each other, with a line of police officers standing in the middle of the street to keep them separated, CNN affiliate KNXV reported.
Jon Ritzheimer, organizer of the rally, is a former Marine, and he has no middle ground when it comes to Islam.
His T-shirt pretty much says it all: “F— Islam.” Some of the counterprotesters wore shirts that said, “Love Thy Neighbor.”
The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix is the mosque that Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi attended for a time. They’re the men who drove from Arizona to a Dallas suburb to shoot up a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest there. Both were killed by police early this month.
Many Muslims consider demeaning depictions of Mohammed to be blasphemous and banned by Islamic law.
“This is in response to the recent attack in Texas where 2 armed terrorist(s), with ties to ISIS, attempted Jihad,” the event’s Facebook page said.
Some 600 people said they would attend.
The rally was to start about the same time evening prayers were taking place inside the center.
The rally was to feature its own cartoon contest, similar to the one targeted in Texas.
“I think the whole thing, the cartoon contest especially, I think it’s stupid and ridiculous,” Ritzheimer said beforehand, “but it’s what needs to take place in order to expose the true colors of Islam.”
He knows from stupid, alright. And they have the desired effect: scaring innocent people:
Events like this one and other developments have Muslims in the area scared, said Imraan Siddiqi with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“Recently, the mosques here in Phoenix actually received threatening letters — very specific threats, saying that we are going to massacre your congregations,” he said…
“When we see these two things … then obviously it becomes more of a concern,” he said. “We’re advising people … it’s better to stay clear from the event, don’t engage with these people.”
No kidding.
Guys in full military fatigues here & armed to the teeth. No it’s not the National Guard. Outside #PHXMosque pic.twitter.com/8XnDPWgV1T
— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) May 30, 2015
Sign vs Sign at Phoenix #Mosque. One side anti-Islam another side professing religious tolerance. #America pic.twitter.com/TWQk3fS1Vn
— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) May 30, 2015