The Islamic Society of Tulsa invited the Tulsa Police Department to a "Law Enforcement Appreciation Day" event at their mosque that was scheduled, probably deliberately, to be on Friday, the day for Muslims main weekly prayer like Sunday is for Christians. The officers were invited to watch the 45 minute prayer service and/or tour the mosque and/or listen to presentations on their Islamic beliefs upon requested or ask questions about Islam or they could just come and eat the food. I'm not really seeing the appreciation here as much as I'm seeing outright proselytizing under the banner of appreciation. Police officers shouldn't be ordered to attend an event centered around religious proselytizing but that is what appears to have happened in Tulsa.
After police officers were asked to go on a voluntary basis and not enough signed up it then became mandatory in a memo sent out by Deputy Chief Daryl Webster. The memo dated February 17th ordering the police captains to have officers at the mosque is titled "TOUR OF MOSQUE - MARCH 4th"and the email from Sheryl Siddiqui/Islamic Society of Tulsa, which was attached said to let her know how many were coming so she could have enough food and TOUR GUIDES! Nothing was written whatsoever about any plans specifically for appreciation of the officers, which seems odd! Nothing.
Captain Paul Fields felt it was illegal to order his officers to go and he believed it violated his civil rights and personal religious convictions, according to a story (with supporting documents) obtained by Channel 6 in Tulsa. His memo to Webster obtained by Channel 6 is worth reading. It states past invitations to like events were voluntary and the invitation to tour the mosque or to watch the prayer and/or learn of their religious believes was not part of the duties of a police officer. He felt being forced to enter a mosque outside of an official police call was a violation of his rights.
Webster wrote back to Captain Fields that in the past Catholic clergy invited officers to participate in services and attendance was always voluntary. He said the Islamic Society of Tulsa event was a secular law enforcement function that just so happens to take place in a venue associated with a religious belief. How Webster determined the secular part is beyond me since the invitation, although come and go, specifically asked the officers to watch the Friday Islamic prayer service, take a mosque tour, listen to a presentation on their Islamic believes and ask questions about Islam.
Webster wrote if Capt. Fields refusal became public their department would be subject to disrepute.
On Monday, Captain Fields was temporarily reassigned to another station by Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan.
Islamic of Tulsa Flyer:
I don't think an officer should be ORDERED to attend any event at a religious place of worship! It should always be optional. But, this particular invitation could be considered all the more controversial for the following reasons, as well:
The Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST) has or had rather close associations with organizations and/or individuals who were named unindicted co-conspirators in the largest Hamas terror-funding case in U.S. history (U.S. vs. HLF Case 3:04-cr-00240 Document 656-2) like CAIR, the Islamic Society of North America (IST constitutionally tied to them), North American Islamic Trust, Jamal Badawi (Muslim Brotherhood leader who represented them in a debate) and a top Muslim Brotherhood leader in Kuwait today, Tariq al Suwaidan, who gave them the money to buy a mosque.
CAIR uses on-going activism to work against the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies! The FBI cut ties with them because they have refused to answer questions regarding their leaders ties to Hamas. Sheryl Siddiqui is CAIR's secretary for the Oklahoma chapter and one of the main spokespeople for the Islamic Society of Tulsa.
The Islamic Society of North America was specifically named an organization the Muslim Brotherhood set up in America to help them destroy our democracy for Islamic supremacy. CAIR was named in a Muslim Brotherhood's Palestine Committee document along with the Holy Land Foundation. We are known and also judged by the company and associations we keep and theirs are very troubling.
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Also see:
Other posts on Islam in Oklahoma - mixed messages
Why is it people with third grade, (if that), educations in religion think it's appropriate to make comments on theological issues ?
Jesus and St. Paul preached in synagogues. Going to a mosque is not wrong, they worship God there, maybe they call Him by another name, but do you really think the Lord of the Universe, the Creator of 600 sextillion stars really cares one way or another what a few human ants call HIM ?
Posted by: Timothy P. Ross | February 27, 2011 at 03:10 PM
Well Timothy, the invitation seems rather clear about wanting to promote Islam.
Muslims do believe it's blasphemy to believe Jesus is the son of God. I can see why it could be problematic to be ordered to go to the mosque.
Posted by: Brandi | March 01, 2011 at 08:54 AM
My interest was caught by the title of this article. I may be unfair for the police officer to be forced to go to an event he doesn't like unless it is official and part of his service. If it is indeed official business then he should follow his orders as a respected officer will do.
Posted by: oj | April 13, 2011 at 07:27 AM