Ron Cantrell
Shalom Shalom Jerusalem

John Doe Goes on Trial

April 2007

A new twist on freedom of religion is making headlines as a lawsuit against America's beloved anonymous John Doe gets underway. How sad that this issue has to surface in the face of Passover and Palm Sunday. FOX News Hannity and Colmbs will air the feature tonight.

Six Muslim Imams who were booted off a US Airways flight last year have consulted their lawyers and narrowed their lawsuit. Now, their radical shotgun approach involving everyone on board the plane has been scrapped.

The new plan is to single out the John Does who had the nerve to report the Imam's suspicious behavior simply because they were appalled at the unusual ritual that unfolded at the airport and aboard the airline. Islamic lawyers expect to read the motives and mental processes of the accused.

It began with the six Imam's drawing attention to themselves by praying publicly in the waiting area of the US Airways terminal. This was not whispered prayers of the faithful, but a public show that turned the waiting area into a mosque with cameras rolling to capture every moment. However, this was not what caused people to complain.

Once on board the plane, the Imam's, coming from an Imam's Conference on their way home, ordered seat extensions belts and stashed they under their seats (can be used as a swinging weapon), switched seats to be near exits, called on Allah loudly from the back of the plane in Arabic, and spoke against the US and President Bush regarding Iraq.

It was not a single event but all these things together that caused concerned passengers to address the stewards of the aircraft. The airlines also later claimed that the tickets were one-way tickets paid for with cash (an automatic red flag for anyone).

According to testimony from passengers, the questioning of the Imams and their removal from the plane was done in a quiet and honorable manner. According to the Imam's lawyer, their religious freedom was trampled.

How far can the limits of freedom of religion be taken anyway. What if there were deep dark sects who still ate humans as a sacrament. Should that be allowed at the airport? The Mormon's of Utah are not allowed one of their most hallowed religious beliefs of multiple marriage. What if a Catholic Mass broke out in the waiting area of an airport - would other passengers staring in disbelief be racist? Could the onlookers be sued if it irritated the Catholics. When the situation is overlayed on another group the issues become absurd.


John Doe Our Rallying Banner

In an amazing act of ignorance, the Islamic lawyers handed the American public a symbol upon which to focus their outrage at this unusual case. Without doubt, John Doe will now become a by-word like never before.

News sites carrying the story are filled with "talk-back" posts that portray the cross-section of American feelings on the issue.

Video on YouTube and other video sites are picking up the "I am John Doe" rallying banner and running with it. "I am John Doe" So Sue Me" T-Shirts are finding their way to the market.

A Minneapolis lawyer may set up a John Doe fund to aid those who will be sued in the future for reporting suspicious behavior. Their T-Shirt and lapel pin says:


HotAir has a video on the subject at:
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/03/28/i-am-john-doe/


Jihad Watch has an article on the John Doe issue at:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/015834.php

(the talk-back posts on this article are better than the news)

Freedom of religion is now the tool with which Islam wishes to take the democratic United States to task. However, just to focus on America regarding freedom of religion would be to miss a most important point. The continued crying of unfair and racist by organizations like CAIR (the Council on American Islamic Relations) who are supplying the lawyers in this suit should be answered on a global basis.

"Justice without borders" should be the rallying banner.


In The Jerusalem Arena

Why should I write about a lawsuit in the U.S.A. when I live in Jerusalem?

In the hermetically sealed democracy that is America, it is hard to have a workable perspective on issues that Islam is beginning to test us with. Upon comparing US issues to other areas, one can see that this is a battle without borders.

On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (known to Arabs as Haram el-Sharif), several years ago, our visiting group of tourists entered the area during the open visiting hours for non-Muslims.

Our guide asked if anyone had a Bible with them. He simply said he wanted to show us something. We expected a meaningful Bible reading. One lady extracted a small Bible from her purse and handed it to the tour guide.

Upon opening the Bible and beginning to read a Psalm, the Muslim guard came running at our group and shouting in Arabic at the guide. For several minutes our group watched with mouths agape at the spectacle. When the guard was finished and the Bible put away our tour guide interpreted the guard's rant for us. It went, "If you were not standing here with a group of American tourists, I'd slit your throat from ear to ear."

Our guide then told us that only Muslims were allowed to pray on the site in any manner. Jews and Christians are especially forbidden to pray, as well as any other non-Muslim religion. Our Bible reading was not near the mosque or the Dome of the Rock, it was in an out of the way open courtyard (red arrow in photo).

This unprecedented practice of religious discrimination has never been challenged. It is still the same today.


The Saudi Arabia Arena

The Saudi friendship whistle-stop tours of America in the last few years are aimed at convincing Americans that we have fast friends in the Middle East.

The lack of human rights and religious oppression in Saudi Arabia is the worst on the face of the earth.

Our own US soldiers were severely warned against showing any outward sign of their religion.

American oil workers who brought oil technology to the peninsula have lived like lepers for decades behind walls in ghettos with strict warnings against shows of religious piety.

Christian holidays especially have been targeted and Christmas trees have to be hidden even within the ghetto walls in case a Muslim might accidentally see the lights.


The highway to Mecca has a warning sign about 30 miles from the Islamic city. Non-Muslims are forbidden from coming any closer.

The sign reads Arafat Makkah (Mecca) Muslims Only "the right side is the freeway exit and reads Taif Riyadh, Obligatory for non-Muslims.

So, the major city of our friends in Saudi Arabia, whom we have made wealthy through oil export to the USA, is off limits to us. It matters not that before Muhammad expelled them, there were healthy communities of Jews and Christians in both Mecca and Medina.

How would it be if one of our politicians demanded that the Saudis pay restitution for the lost communities of Christians and Jews. Or any world politician for that matter. A Saudi state-funded church and synagogue in full view and open to the public would be an overture of friendship.

Since they fully understand the "Law of Return" how about a new Saudi ruling inviting Christians and Jews back to Mecca and Medina under a "Law of Return" clause.

All other Muslim nations have at least some Christian and Jewish presence. John Does and Joel Cohen's from all over the world should be able to embrace their long-lost roots.

 If Christians or Jews were to break out their Christian Bibles or Jewish Prayer books in the Saudi airport and be obvious about a prayer service . . . What would happen.

Better yet, what should happen?

Why is this black hole of spiritual human rights allowed by human rights watch dog groups. Why has this question never been asked?

Yet, on our own soil we are now embroiled in a lawsuit that is sure to make John Doe think twice about reporting suspicious activity wherever he may see it.

I'd like to imagine a fresh new First Church of Mecca; featuring the Right Reverend John Doe presiding.

In spite of the bad news . . .

We pray that you have a great Passover and that you will pray for Israel to have a peaceful Passover week.

As I write this, the narrow streets of the Old City are filled with Christians following the footsteps of a Messiah with palm branches held high.

They may not even know He was born Jewish and lived Jewish. Their parades through the Old City streets are kept safe by Jewish policemen as they proclaim Christ in total freedom.

Those Jewish policemen protect the liberty for Christians who wish to come on pilgrimage.

Other areas of Israel that have come under Islamic control have stopped pilgrims of other faiths from coming to visit (the tomb of Joseph in Shechem [renamed Nablus]).

How amazingly different from the arenas we have discussed.


Picture of Joseph's tomb in Shechem:

overtaken from the Jews and turned into an Islamic mosque.

Ron Cantrell
Shalom Shalom Jerusalem Ministries