Columbus, Ohio has a very large Muslim population. The word “infidels” and “Qur’an 3:151″ were written in black spray paint on the front and side of three churches. Quran 3:151 is:
And yet Father Doug Marcotte, Associate Pastor for St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, said, “It’s upsetting to people, certainly because we have a beautiful church, but also because what is the message if there is a message? Because, there’s just not a whole lot to go on.”
Not a whole lot to go on, Father? Strike terror in the hearts of non-Muslims. What else do you need to know?
Though there are still a lot of questions as to why “infidels”, and why the Quran.
Only if you are a moron or a dhimmi.
And the media runs to Islamic supremacists for the standard Muslim dissembling and deception. Why not ask me or Robert Spencer what it means?
“Qur’an 19:88″ and “infidels” were left on two spots of East Columbus Christian Church during that same time period.
“We condemn this, and I read the verse, most importantly what that showed me is the ignorance who actually misquoted or misinterpreted the Quran”
Misquoted??? The Muslim who vandalized the churches was citing Quran verse numbers. How can that be a “misquoting”? It’s a bloody number of a Quran verse.
More of that wonderful interfaith-dialogue we are clubbed with daily.
Quran 19:88 is an attack on Jesus: Those who say: ‘The Lord of Mercy has begotten a son,’ preach a monstrous falsehood, at which the very heavens might crack, the earth break asunder, and the mountains crumble to dust. That they should ascribe a son to the Merciful, when it does not become the Lord of Mercy to beget one!
The local FOX report was pathetic – all about covering up Islamic texts and teachings:
COLUMBUS, Ind. (Aug. 31, 2014) — Three Columbus churches are hit by graffiti artists, who left a message that many are questioning.
The graffiti artist tagged the outside of the churches with specific chapters and verses from the Quran. The vandalism is being condemned by members of the Islamic religion and the entire community.
The word “infidels” and “Qur’an 3:151″ were written in black spray paint on the front and side of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church.
“It’s upsetting to people, certainly because we have a beautiful church, but also because what is the message if there is a message? Because, there’s just not a whole lot to go on,” said Father Doug Marcotte, Associate Pastor for St. Bartholomew Catholic Church.
Fr. Marcotte thinks it happened sometime between Saturday night and before Sunday church services. It was discovered, but quickly removed. Though there are still a lot of questions as to why “infidels”, and why the Quran.
“What are you trying to say, and are you just trying to be mean,” asked Fr. Marcotte.
Similar graffiti was cleaned off the front of Lakeview Church of Christ in Columbus. No specific mention of the Quran here, but “infidels” and another word were spray painted by the front door.
“Qur’an 19:88″ and “infidels” were left on two spots of East Columbus Christian Church during that same time period.
“We condemn this, and I read the verse, most importantly what that showed me is the ignorance who actually misquoted or misinterpreted the Quran,” said Nassim Khaled, a resident of Columbus who volunteers at the Islamic Center.
Khaled says the important thing to realize is reading the verses, that were spray painted on the buildings, alone, can make them sound scary. In his eyes, they’re actually far from that. Khaled met with members of that East Columbus Christian Church to show togetherness.
“We show our support, we actually want to come and clean this mess with our friends and neighbors of the church,” he said.
Police have been notified, and one of the churches actually had a surveillance camera nearby. They hope that’ll provide some clue as to who did this.
A littler bit better coverage:
“3 Columbus churches vandalized with graffiti overnight,” By WTHR, Channel 1, September 1, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ind. – Columbus Police said they’ve never had anything like it – three churches vandalized in the same night.
Someone spray painted them on the outside. It’s the words used, though, that have some people asking if this was more than a prank.
“It was just one word. It said ‘Infidels!’” Father Doug Marcotte said of what was spray painted on Saint Bartholomew’s Catholic Church in Columbus overnight Saturday.
Parishioners saw that, along with the word “Qur’an 3:151″ on their way into mass Sunday morning.
“It’s certainly not a warm and fuzzy verse. It talks about the infidels, their refuge being the fire,” explained Father Marcotte.
Specifically, that passage of the Qur’an reads: “We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah of which He had not sent down [any] authority. And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers.”
Saint Bartholomew’s wasn’t the only Columbus church vandalized.
“It’s really bizarre and the fact that they hit two other Christian Churches. It’s not like we’re all in a line. So why did they pick the three of us,” asked Father Marcotte.
Outside East Columbus Christian Church and Lakeview Church of Christ, members there found the same kind of graffiti Sunday morning.
“Is there somebody that really believes this that we’re all infidels so they felt the need to write it all over our church? “ asked Father Marcote. “Is this some sort of nasty prank? Is this someone that’s trying to incite people against Muslims? I mean I don’t know,” he added.
Columbus Police said they’re looking at surveillance video to help figure it out.
Until they do though, parishioners at Saint Bartholomew’s have been unsettled by the defacing of their church, at the very least.
“There’s a lot of bad stuff being done in the name of Allah and so when people see this happening in Columbus, whether that was truly the person’s intent or there’s something else going on, It makes people nervous. It makes people upset. It makes them scared,” said Father Marcotte.
Columbus police would not comment on whether they had alerted federal authorities to the vandalism because of its nature. The priests at Saint Bartholomew’s said they’ve been contacted by members of the local Muslim community in Columbus who have condemned the vandalism and offered to help clean it up.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
Editor’s Note: For a better viewing experience please use option near the bottom right corner to switch to full screen mode (it will appear after the video begins playing). I had problems embedding this video. -Dean Garrison
Courtesy of Pamela Geller.
