Muslim Parents Protest Local Christian Church’s Easter Egg Flyers, Say It Violates US Consitution
Muslim parents from Dearborn, Michigan are protesting what they call a violation of the US constitution. The parents claim that the flyers for an Easter egg event, which were distributed by the local Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church at the public school where their children attend, were in violation of the separation of church and state.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Muslim parent Majed Moughni was in disbelief over the distribution of religious pamphlets on government property. He claims that the flyers bothered his two children, who allegedly complained to him that they felt uncomfortable receiving the flyers, which encouraged them to go to the Christian church.
The school district did not leave any statement for the press regarding the Muslim parents’ protest. However, Neeta Nichols, pastor of Cherry Hill said that the flyers were not intended as a blatant disregard for the separation of church and state, adding that the Easter egg flyers were merely an invitation for their community to the annual event. He emphasized that the event was not religious in nature and that it was only a part of the outreach project of the church:
“Part of our ministry in Dearborn is to invite the community to let them know we’re here. We’re offering various kinds of programming, fun opportunities, so what we can be engaged with the community.”
Fox News Insider reported yesterday about an interview of Elisabeth Hasselback with president of the American Islamic Forum For Democracy, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, who called the Muslim parents’ claim “absurd”. He believes that the Muslim parents’ contention that the giving of flyers was equivalent to the violation of the separation of church and state was preposterous. He even questioned the alleged reaction of the Muslim parents’ child to the brochure, saying:
“Do we really believe that his nine-year-old daughter was threatened by this scary brochure that he held up for the media in Detroit?”
He further gave harsh commentary on the Islamist movement, which Jasser felt was surging throughout America:
“We can’t let this alliance between the hyper-secular anti-religious left and the Islamists to continue to marginalize the big part of American culture which has a lot to do with Christianity.”
Jasser said that he, a Muslim, has participated with various events hosted by different faiths, but claims that he never felt it threatened his Muslim faith.
There is no news whether “Eggstravaganza”, Cherry Hill’s Easter egg event, will push through despite opposition from the Muslim parents.
[Image Via Detroit Free Press]