Man accused of trying to run over fundamentalist group

[Bozita]

Source: Press & Guide

Man accused of trying to run over fundamentalist group
Published: Friday, July 13, 2012
By J. Patrick Pepper
Twitter: @jpeppernews


DEARBORN - Mike Mohamad Agemy was trying to “stop the hate.” That’s what he told police June 17 after he was arrested for trying to run over a group of Christian fundamentalists who were denouncing Islam in front of the largest mosque in the country, Dearborn’s Islamic Center of America.

A police report obtained under the Freedom of Information Act provides details about the incident that has touched off a firestorm of commentary on right-wing blogs and fanned the notion held by some that Dearborn’s Muslim community is hostile to Christians.

The group Agemy is accused of assaulting is called the “Bible Believers.” Based out of California, they had already been in the news that weekend for their anti-Islam demonstration at the Arab International Festival in East Dearborn. That display, which included a pig’s head on a pike and signs about Islam that many found offensive, led some festival-goers to pelt them with eggs, plastic bottles and reportedly rocks.

According to police as well as a statement Agemy provided detectives, two days after the festival confrontation, Agemy was driving east down Ford Road when he saw the demonstrators standing on a grassy median in front of the Islamic Center. Curious, he merged his white Ford Explorer into the turnaround lane and headed toward the mosque to check it out.


Read more: http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2012/07/13/news/doc50003e8378b0f826281472.txt?viewmode=fullstory

[Scootaloo]

1. No sympathy

Really, dude? Trying to run people over won't "stop the hate," congratulations for restocking their ammo. And now, you go to jail. Dumbass.

That said, I'm not sure why the fundies would dodge... I mean, they're guaranteed to go to heaven, right?

[Warpy]

2. I'd like to see the fundies charged, as well.

There's a difference between freedom of speech and incitement to riot, which is what denouncing any religion outside its place of worship is likely to do.

There are no people with clean hands in this little drama.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. You sell your first amendment rights pretty cheaply

How did you feel about Occupy? They certainly were inflammatory too.

[primavera]

40. I'm not sure that we don't take this too far

First of all, not all speech is protected - you can't threaten someone with physical violence, for example, and use the 1st Amendment as a shield against prosecution for assault. Neither is incitement to violence protected. Intentional infliction of emotional distress is not a protected form of speech. So we already have limited freedom of speech, and yet we haven't spontaneously combusted; the only question is how we wish to define those limits.

Second, pretty much every country in Europe has some variation on our First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech, yet most have on their books laws excluding hate speech from the normal freedom of speech protections. Yet they do not seem to have lapsed into tyranny.

Why wouldn't it work to have here some sort of anti hate speech laws? Occupy could still protest peacefully, as could right-wing groups, as long as they didn't engage in hate speech. But groups like Westboro Baptist, who exercise their "freedom of speech" only to disrupt, upset, and offend others as much as humanly possible, could be held accountable under the law. Would that really be so horrible?

[RZM]

16. Charged for exercising their first amendment rights?

Are you seriously arguing that 'denouncing any religion outside its place of worship' is 'incitement to riot?'

The religion forum here isn't a house of worship, but there's a whole lotta denouncing that goes on there. I would hope nobody gets charged for it.

[Warpy]

20. Posting in a general forum and denouncing a specific faith at its house of worship

is a false equivalency that would make even Ann Coulter blush.

Congratulations.

[RZM]

21. Is it?

In the end, it's all speech, right?

As long as the protesters aren't breaking any laws I don't really have a problem with it. I don't much care for their message, but it's not my job to worry about how people choose to exercise their first amendment rights. Idiots are a dime a dozen and they love to do their thing in public. It's part of living in a free society.

[Zyzafyx]

31. You "don't much care" for their message?

Well hello, Pamela Geller!

[RZM]

35. Go away n/t

[heaven05]

29. exactly

[jtuck004]

3. Maybe he was blinded by their halos? n/t

[JoePhilly]

6. Not all Muslims see the US as the "great Satan" ...

If you believe that, then you also must think that every variation of Christianity believes and adheres to the exact same doctrines.

Which of course they do not.

What you did is take the worst belief of one part of Islam and apply it to all other parts of Islam ... should we do the same to the Christian religion? Do they all think it is OK to kill abortion DOCs, or Gays?

Should we say they do?

[alp227]

5. The easiest way to drop this "my imaginary friend is better than yours" BS?

Be an atheist.

And Mike Agemy is a TURD, there is no excuse for intentionally running over someone (unless there's a compelling self defense reason).

[sofa king]

13. It's like watching two roaches fighting.

I want them both to lose.

[denvine]

26. Well said!

[Marrah_G]

32. Especially when it's the same damn imaginary friend

[primavera]

41. Do we know he actually tried to "run them over"?

The article didn't really make it clear as far as I could see. The article said that he never came closer than 6-8 feet of any of the protestors. If he was moving at 5 mph, simply forcing them to step out of the way, that would be different than gunning the engine and racing full speed towards the center of the group with the intention to seriously injuring or killing one or more of them, no?

[HomerRamone]

7. I have no problem with the pelting with eggs nt

[may3rd]

8. They should settle it by having their gods fight in a Texas cage death match video game

WHo's god is righteous will win,
the losers must submit to the decision and convert

[heaven05]

30. ha!

[christx30]

33. If a Christian

Were watching that, would be pray for his God's victory? And if he did, would God turn to him and say, "thanks, but I'm trying to concentrate."

[randome]

38. And while He had His Holy Cheek turned...

...sucker punch Him!

[Hugabear]

9. "See, we told you all that Muslims were violent anti-American terrorists"

"And all we had to do was provoke them repeatedly until one of them acted out! That proves they're ALL violent terrorists!"

[dash_bannon]

10. Get some lions...

Maybe we should sick some lions on the Religious Wrong?

[xfundy]

27. No, that's an absurd notion.

Perhaps you should rethink. We're all humans, but some of us, not me, want us all to be ruled by their interpretation of what an invisible man told them to do.

Speaking of the Invisible man--Does one watch as you get off, go to the bathroom, etc? Does he get off on judging you about that? Sounds like a problem, a big one, on his part, or yours.

[TeamPooka]

11. head in hands...

shaking head...really dude?

[Archae]

12. The guy is an idiot.

I mean, why damage a car that way?

[magic59]

15. Well, as the saying goes

You go looking for trouble you generally find it.

"That display, which included a pig’s head on a pike and signs about Islam that many found offensive"

They call themselves Christians but they really work for Satan as many churches like them do.

[4th law of robotics]

37. A protest, even an extremely bigoted one

is still a far cry from violence.

You meet words with words. You don't meet it with violence.

They were asking for a counter-protest. Not vehicular manslaughter.

[NoPasaran]

17. What a waste, using his car

He should have used a flamethrower and sent them all to Hell.

[Incitatus]

18. While I don't condone running over people

I could help but think of this

[Canuckistanian]

19. Not good.

He's just angered a bunch of extremists beyond their usual insanity.

He's actually increased the hate. Way to go.

[Throd]

22. Stop the hate by running down people with a car?

[awoke_in_2003]

23. it's what all the cool kids are doing

[slackmaster]

24. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes

A round of stupid prizes for everyone involved in this ridiculous story.

[Homer Wells]

25. Sounds like some of Dearborn's

batshit crazy "Christians" are hostile to Islam.
Cuts both ways!

[Suji to Seoul]

28. "Stop The Hate" by attempting to run over people saying something you do not like???

Anyone else see the logical fallacy here?

[E-Z-B]

34. Drat. I was hoping this was the Phelps crew.

[4th law of robotics]

36. Way to disabuse them of the notion that muslims are irrational and violent.

Totally showed them!

[booley]

39. while i understand the sentiment, I can't condone the practice

The Fundie Christian community has been pretty hostile to the Muslim community there. I can see how that would fray nerves.

But even if that was the case here, the guys actions are firmly in the "NOT HELPING" camp.