50,000 Muslims to Pray on Capitol Hill: Guess Who's Not Happy?

isnt (ultimately) the problem with islamic jihadists that they think they have the right to effect our lives based on thier beliefs and ignoring ours?
as much as christians rail against muslums doing this to them they feel its ok for christians to dictate thier belief systems to the world too.
how many more centuries till they irony is noticed?
its not the belief systems that are wrong its the bahavior of the people

sounds like a religious war is brewing in the USofA. can't wait to be caught in the crossfire

I don't know why the article says that they are praying for the soul of America. The Muslims simply performed one of their prayers in that location to show everyone that they are a peaceful people. Nothing further was meant from it and it shouldn't be over analyzed; not everything should be. It's a simple act of providing the public with all sides of the story, nothing more.

I say this as a Muslim myself that would've attended this event if i was able to.

all have to say is in time like this a little prayer is not a bad thing.

Some People thrive on turning a positive into a negative.......Our Country is in dire need of prayer..I feel like, "the more the merrier".

It just shows that some Christians and Muslims will now engage in more tit for tat over the street corners as they both try to show which side has more power. Sorry to sound so cynical but spirituality to me is something that should be kept private. Show your love by doing good, not by boasting. We get the point. They all believe in God and want to pray.They have mosques and churches for that in case they didn't realize it. Taking this to the streets like some American Idol competition to see who can pray better is in my view demeaning to both their religions.

Attempting to smash a religion with persecution and ridicule ultimately fails because the human spirit is too strong (though extermination by genocide may be different). Conservative fundamentalists in moderate nations such as America and Indonesia have only aggravated opposition to fundamentalism. The result: more Americans have turned Muslim and more Indonesians have turned Christian.

As Paul McCartney's mother Mary said to Paul in a dream. "Let it be."

"Across the street from the service, Christian protesters gathered with banners, crosses and anti-Islamic messages. One group, which stood next to a 10-foot-tall wooden cross and two giant wooden tablets depicting the Ten Commandments, was led by the Rev. Flip Benham of Concord, N.C.

"I would suggest you convert to Christ!" Benham shouted over a megaphone. Islam "forces its dogma down your throat." A few Christian protesters gathered at the rear of the Muslim crowd, holding Bibles and praying."

A-freakin'-men. Love that Christian 'tolerance'.

Wapoo, Saturday, September 26, 2009: Nearly 3,000 people gathered on the west lawn of the Capitol on Friday for a mass Muslim prayer service that was part religion and part pep rally for the beleaguered U.S. Muslim community.
As faint shouts of "Repent!" from Christian protesters floated across the gathering, dozens of long rows of men in robes and white knit caps and women in head coverings prostrated themselves to God, gave praise and listened to sermons as part of the congregational prayer that occurs about noon Fridays.

"Stop being so scared!" thundered Imam Abdul Malik of New York. "You ain't done nothing wrong. Just do the work of Allah, and believe."

The service comes as the Muslim community has been rocked by verbal attacks from conservative Christians that have grown stronger since the election of President Obama and by the recent arrests in a terrorism investigation involving several Muslim men, including an imam.

"We wanted to bring people out to show you don't need to fear America," said Imam Ali Jaaber of Dar-ul-Islam mosque in Elizabeth N.J., the service's main organizer. At the same time, he said, he wanted to remind non-Muslims that "we are decent Muslims. We work; we pay taxes. We are Muslims who truly love this country."

Across the street from the service, Christian protesters gathered with banners, crosses and anti-Islamic messages. One group, which stood next to a 10-foot-tall wooden cross and two giant wooden tablets depicting the Ten Commandments, was led by the Rev. Flip Benham of Concord, N.C.

"I would suggest you convert to Christ!" Benham shouted over a megaphone. Islam "forces its dogma down your throat." A few Christian protesters gathered at the rear of the Muslim crowd, holding Bibles and praying.

At one point, organizers asked them to tone it down.

"We would never come to a prayer meeting that you have to make a disturbance," Hamad Chebli, imam of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey, said from the lectern. "Please show us some respect. This is a sacred moment. Just as your Sunday is sacred, our Friday is sacred."

The noise from protesters faded somewhat during the final portion of the service, which lasted nearly two hours.

Organizers said this month that they hoped to draw about 50,000 people from mosques across the country for the gathering, billed as a day of unity for the nation's Muslims. But it failed to attract the support of national Islamic organizations and drew only a fraction of that number. Some people were frightened off by the conservative Christian attacks, said Hassen Abdellah, president of Dar-ul-Islam.

Nonetheless, organizers said they were happy with the turnout.

Abdellah had become the focus of criticism in recent days because he was part of the legal team that represented one of the men convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Kia Campbell, a homemaker from Durham, N.C., who came with several members of her family, said they were concerned about their safety.

"It wasn't going to keep us from coming," she said. "But it wasn't that we didn't feel cautious."

Takoma Park engineer Mohammed-Amin AbaBiya said he was happy to be at a "historical" event.

"This shows that America is one, that religion is one," he said, beaming, after the gathering ended and people began to stream off the lawn. "It shows solidarity and brotherhood. In the future, we are going to come more often, I hope."

"Praying for the soul of America". Does that mean they are trying to convert it?

Although it is as useful as sprinkling holy water on a burning building, they do have the right. Will it anger the many brands of Christians and Jews we have here? Most certainly. Maybe it will give them a little taste of what it feels like to have someone else's beliefs thrown in your face.

I am excited for this! I think it sounds like an amazing and beautiful thing.

I may agree with freedom of religion, or non-religion, but I don't like any religion bringing their beliefs to the white house.
Have a look-see at any country whose religion is also their politics, and you'll find extreme repression, human rights do not exist, and their god being invoked every time someone is killed in his name.
Separation of church and state, it is the only way civilization can move forward.
And the rhetoric will begin. Obama is a muslim, etc.etc....Just more fuel for the RW fire.
As to this happening....did it?

seriously if you are worried about the islamification of this country you are so bitterly misled as to what threats are real and wich are manufactured.
despite our country being a polyglot for the last 200 yrs still it is an independant american culture not jewish or buddist or atheist or hindu or anuthing else. it is the lack of reliance on religion that is what our culture is.
quite simply if you are afraid of more muslums spreading thier culture into the future fabric of our nation just out fuck them.
seriously thats what it boils down to.
you make more people raised in your way of thinking, (supposed) threat resolved

No one dies because of prayer. It is religion that leads to destruction.

Sam6,

the event hasn't even happened yet.

I think this is beautiful.

Bad headline. More like 1000.

Then why pick this venue? How about the Grand Canyon or another beautiful space to make it more meaningful and spiritual? I don't even want 50,000 Christians praying on Capitol Hill. I am sorry, but the seat of government in this country is way too religious for my liking. And this is coming from someone who believes in the words and teachings of Christ, who even himself looked down on boastful religious practices like public praying. This makes it look as if it is just a counter measure of defiance to RW Christians rather than a peaceful gathering even if it isn't, and of course the location will bring out some of those who will defy that. Don't tell me people aren't aware of this fact and that it could well mean trouble which we do not need on top of everything else going on this country. I am just tired of the religious back and forth going on in this country and the protagonists in the middle egging both sides on. What's next a 1 million Christian march on DC to counter and out do this? When and where will it end? When someone is killed? All it will take is one incident to set off the spark. I can pray for the country in the privacy of my own home where it has meaning. I don't need to go in front of a camera to get publicity. And frankly, this is what I see now regarding this and the RW Christians responding.

Anyone who opposes this on the basis of them being Muslim is exposed as a racist. If any country is in need of prayer right now, it's this one.

I think the idea that is presented here is a very poignant one in the way that 50,000 people would choose to gather together to pray FOR the country.Now being an atheist I disagree with the religion that they are a part of but that doesn't mean that the message goes unnoticed, and that to me is the part to be taken into consideration, and not petty issues of government and hate.

How long till the lie that they are orienting towards the white house instead of mecca becomes propogated on the right? Or that this is another symptom of Obama's messiah complex. I'm taking wagers. My bet is about now.

Can we stop making this into some allegorical message and just look at it as it is? These Muslims want to show that there is such thing as peaceful Muslims, and that Islam is a religion of peace, and here they are demonstrating that. At Obama's inauguration there was a nation-wide prayer led by a pastor, was there not? If the Christians were allowed to pray at Capital Hill, than Muslims should be able too. And what about the Atheists? Well, if you don't believe in a religion then don't pray. Freedom of religion, anyone?

upon first reading this, many might wonder if these Muslim realize they will upset some people... well of course, whats the point of doing it without hashing out the arrogant ass holes?

Sure we all want separation of Church and State, but this is not being held by members of the government, and this is not some attempt to get the government to recognize Islam in any sort of way. Plus it doesn't seem that they want to make this a common thing. These Muslims are going to the capitol to pray FOR the country. So any trouble brought on will be due to the selfish and arrogant, and we should not be blown away when it happens, but address the concerns and issues we all have. I look forward to this event.

I would love to film/photograph this event for current!

I'm just waiting for a christian group to plan to pray on the same day and force violence into the issue then spin the whole thing into a "terrorist movement".

Well, not too keen about such a large religious gathering at the capitol, but no harm done, so not a big deal.

On another note: "Stop Islamization of America, or SIOA"

Lol, this group makes me want to wear a burka to school for the fuck of it. Call it a fashion statement!

Cue the "I told you Obama was Muslim" comments.

ironically isnt it the christians who want more religion in public life. prayer in school is ok but capital hill no?gather in hate is pias but praying in mass is offensive?
its not christian idealogy or jewish odealogy vs muslum idealogy its hatefull members of a majority securing thier position through persecuting a minority.
these christians make jesus wince and david horowitz is a mouthpiece half the jews in this country would love to shut up.
if you see information from david horowitz the story is us good arab bad every time. he does not represent judaism any more than rap artists who thank jesus in acceptance speaches represent christianity

Yeah, that should give the Becksters something to foam over for a while

They're praying for america, not a say in government. honestly, nothing wrong with that.

For those deists out there who happen to be in Washington this is probably a gathering worth attending or at least watching. One of the cooler things about Islamic practice is how an entire city will stop for a minute or two while the entire group uniformly turns in one direction and together worships God. It is supposed to produce an incredible feeling of unity and purpose. They rise and fall in giant waves and it is hard not to be caught up in it even if one is not worshiping.

I wonder if they are posting participation rules for Christians

Gee, no condemnation of this from atheists? I don't care if you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, or whatever, keep your religion out of politics. Are they actually looking to bring on trouble?

I don't like the idea of anyone praying on Capitol Hill. The United States was established as a secular nation, and that's how we should keep it in order to prevent religious intimidation.

Therefore, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhist, Zoroastrians, Bahai, Sikhs, Shintos, Mormons; whatever religion you may practice- please pray on your own in your temple, mosque, church, wherever, but stay the hell off of Capitol Hill.

They can't get pver their religious concept of blaming Muslims for 9/11...They cannt accept the fact, fear.....