My xenophobe neighbors are bringing Usama Dakdok to town in a couple weeks to preach his fearful, angry nonsense about all Muslims being terrorists. He has subjected Brainerd and Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, to his hyperventilations over the past couple weeks, and some Minnesotans have shown us how we ought to respond to such vileness.
Pastor Todd Wooden of the Oak Street Chapel invited Dakdok to speak at his church on September 29. The church board of trustees has since asked Pastor Wooden to resign:
Board President Dace Julifs said Friday that Usama Dakdok’s presentation didn’t reflect any of the congregation’s views and Wooden did not adequately inform the leadership ahead of time about what would take place Thursday. The board members authorized Julifs to ask for Wooden’s resignation.
“That was a pastor gone rogue,” Julifs said. “Oak Street Chapel, we are a kind and caring and open people” [Zach Kayser, “Church Board Calls for Pastor’s Resignation over Anti-Islam Presentation,” Brainerd Dispatch, 2016.09.30].
Pastor Wooden says his board doesn’t have the authority to ask for his resignation.
Dakdok then attended a program in Detroit Lakes on October 2 to tell two Muslim speakers what their religion really says:
Two Muslim Americans, Dr. Fauzia Haider and Concordia College professor Ahmed Kamel, were guest presenters at the event.
During a question-and-answer session that followed, Dakdok stood and thanked them for coming before stating they are not theologians, adding, “which obviously, to me, means you do not know what you are talking about.
“The doctor (Haider) said that we worship the same god,” Dakdok said. “Allah is not god… your Quran does not teach that Allah has a son, therefore Allah cannot be God.”
It was the beginning of an increasingly contentious exchange.
“Do you know the Quran better than me?” Haider retorted at one point. “Who is the Muslim, you or me?”
“I am a scholar, you are not,” Dakdok responded [Vicki Gerdes, “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor Event in DL Interrupted by Anti-Muslim Activist,” DL-Online, 2016.10.05].
Dr. Haider, a Fargo physician, put this crimp in Dakdok’s Muslims-hate-America narrative:
“When my mom first came to America, she made a statement that was very interesting,” Haider said. “She said, ‘Americans are really good Muslims’… because they do what Muslims are supposed to do: They’re honest in their dealings, they don’t cheat, they don’t lie, they take care of their neighbors, there’s accountability, there’s justice — and Islam is all about having a just society. That’s what her perception was of America, and she’s a practicing Muslim” [Gerdes, 2016.10.05].
Detroit Lakes resident Paula Quam offered this extended response to Dakdok’s hate speech in this open letter after the event:
At the meeting, you tried to “educate” guest speaker Fauzia Haider on her own faith, as if you had the right to clarify what her religion should mean to her. We’re sure you would have been open to her breaking down the actual meaning of your own religious beliefs for you, but she didn’t do that. It’s almost like she thought you had the right as an American to believe in your God the way you wanted to. Huh strange. It’s weird when people break out their true American values like that [Paula Quam, “An Open Letter to the Fearmonger Who Crashed Our DL Event,” DL-Online, 2016.10.05].
Some fearful, angry people will attend Dakdok’s next Three-Hours Hates (two of them, October 18 and October 20) in Aberdeen. We can only hope their fear and anger will spread no further.
Do these right wingers get paid to be arrogant pricks? They have to be raking in money or they couldn’t afford to be so offensive.
I also found out Dakdok is returning to Winner on Oct 22nd and 23rd, this time at the Winner Assembly of God Church. His presentation is going to be “Lies in the Textbooks” according to the flyer I saw at a grocery store.
Cory, Do you know what presentation Dakdok is going to give in Aberdeen? There should be flyers up at grocery stores or any other place with a bulletin board.
Your comment is right on point, MFI. It’s as old as “The Music Man”. ♬ “Muslem” with a capital M and that rhymes with them and you MUST be scared. ♬ It’s 100% about extracting money from fearful fools. Young Dems know better. Young Repubs are too afraid of their parents to do anything but look away.
If the wingnut party crashes and burns this election cycle, it will still be home to and harbor racists and haters such as these people.
I’ve always have found it curious why a certain segment of our society likes or even loves to be afraid.
Fear is like hate, it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to always be running from your shadow.
I agree Roger, I have a theory though and it is called boredom. I have visited nursing homes and assisted living establishments and see that there. Of course, there is not much activity in these places because many are understaffed. What I see in senior centers and in places where there is just to much time on our hands, is the boredom that breeds fear. Fear is a contagious seed that is planted by those who are paid salespeople. They preach to folks (tee vee is the preferred medium) that feel like they got taken because they have little to show for the work they did throughout their lives. The crowd is receptive to hear the hate so they can blame their situation on someone or something. It cannot be all the Indians fault so it has to go further than that, religion has always been the go to play in the playbook of hate. Catholics could not possibly pull this off, so it has to be something more sinister. What could be more sinister than a Black President with a Muslim name. Bingo! A trifecta for the bored. Dakdok is just another crooked face in the crowd that is getting compensated like the rest of the fear mongers to plant the seeds of hate and distrust by a political machine that lives in the hearts of evil people. The new republican party does not have anything to offer but hate and fear. No solutions to problems, only obstructionism. No new ideas, just dusted off innuendos of the sordid past. Clever sales people, with proven focus groups and wordsmiths that have found the perfect search engine, a willing pulpit to continue the fraud all wrapped in the flag and carrying the Book.
Mike, I don’t know what they get paid, but we do know they have an Aberdeen PAC raising money to bring them here.
Wade, AF,TF is advertising two Dakdok sessions here, the 18th and the 20th. Then two in Winner? Ugh! I haven’t seen textbooks mentioned in the Aberdeen FB postings; I’ll watch for flyers at the stores. That topic you mention sounds like more Branstnerism and Trumpism: delegitimize all other sources of information (the schools, the press, the experts) and push people to believe no one but the fascists at the front of the room.
I would not go to Mr. Dakdok’s speeches. He seems insaner than most. And did he make up that name just for being on the stage? Usama Dakdok. It does sound neat.
Hey mike from iowa, a question re your post:
” Do these right wingers get paid to be arrogant pricks? They have to be raking in money or they couldn’t afford to be so offensive.”
If the right wingers you mention were women, would you have referred to them as “c—s”? Just wondering.
Hey ele from somewhere. Was that a rhetorical question? Pricks works for all right wingers-male, female or whatever. Right wing femmes are just as nasty as their male counterparts. See Exhibit A Fake Noize.
Hey hey mikie. No, it was not a rhetorical question. I almost did expect a more thought provoking answer from you. Silly me. No question about it, you are true to form. All you contribute is a bunch of bitching, whining, vilifying adjectives and baseless accusations. And that apparently works for all left-wing males, females and transgenders. LOL
Wow ele, someone got into the Trump chest on the nasty. Lighten up on that caffeine girlfriend, it makes you seem small. mfi was speaking of daktook, the Man with the hand out for greasing.
Hey! Let’s clean it up here. This isn’t a Trump rally.
Who said anything about Trump? I responded to mfi’s “prick” remark. I just love how you guys spin things. You all get an A in Alinsky 101. BTW I can’t wait for your entertaining definition of what my “A” grade stands for.
You are correct ele, Trump was not mentioned. It is my fault for taking that liberty as what you wrote seemed…well it seemed so Trump like. It really never occurred to me that you were so well versed in slang that most women find insulting and degrading so much so, they prefer not to repeat it. You clearly deserve your “A” grade, thanks for sharing.
(Alinsky? Read him once, found him unenlightening. Trump, Dakdok, and friends use Alinsky far more than “us guys.” And I don’t spin. Please stop shouting at the television and talk to us real people, “ele”.)
Sorry Cory. Hey ele from somewhere, you want enlightenment you need a brain, peferably one that doesn’t take marching orders from Fake Noize. Tell me how does it feel to openly support white racists? Bet Daddy Drumpfy is proud as hell and just waiting to grope you.
Have a nice day. :)
So typical. What makes you think “ele” is a woman? Physical or otherwise? Your sexism is showing. Regarding the facts B4 you, maybe you had better read Alinsky again along with Quigley. Apparently the Clintons found both very enlightening…on first reading.
What did you do-misspell eel?
Whoa, boy do I feel like you could drop me with a feather. I thought it was elo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R20f-TPKjzc
Jeff Lynne and ELO were great back in the day. Lynne found more success with the Travelling Willburys.
How we do like to change the subject when we have nothing more beneficial or significant to offer. This cat again grows tired of being entertained by mice. See ya till your next rant.
hello eli, how are you coming along? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8SRD0FK2EE I think I finally got it right.
Can’t pass this one. As usual, you got it wrong. But thank you LMAO .
Us Libs are entertaining. You right wing nut jobs are boring and full of it.
http://www.salon.com/2012/02/07/saul_alinsky_the_activist_who_terrifies_the_right/
Every Mother’s son wingnut has tried to use Alinsky against Obama and Dems. Read ’em and weep, eke or eel or elo or whoever.
Better call Saul..One thing for certain, this ain’t ele MacPherson..or could it be, puzzled look…naw
What a beautiful and absolutely gorgeous Fall day here in MN! Went on a beautiful peaceful walk with my daughter to a nature park to see the amazing Autumn colors, sat back to watch my boys kick butt over those Texans. Skol Vikings! Now eating dinner and waiting to watch an entertaining debate. Entertaining sports, crazy politics and beautiful Fall weather, it just doesn’t get any better than this!
That’s right, Mike. No one can ever say that Cory’s blog is boring. We libs are spirited and proudly so! Just admit it ‘pubs, you know Cory has the best political blog in SD.
“How we do like to change the subject when we have nothing more beneficial or significant to offer,” says “ele”, who changed the subject from Dakdok’s arrogant misinformation and the model rebuttals of Minnesotans to fabricated charges of sexism among the commentariat.