Posted on 01/29/2006 1:18:38 PM PST by WKUHilltopper
PJI Supports California Pastor's Claim That County Violated His Rights
By Allie Martin January 27, 2006
(AgapePress) - A former Muslim who is now a Christian pastor claims his rights were violated when he was arrested for playing Christian music in a park.
Azim Shariat, an Iranian who came to the U.S. 30 years ago and became a citizen, converted from Islam to Christianity in 1981 and is now a pastor. Several years ago, he attended a Persian New Year's festival at a public park in Orange County, California, where tens of thousands of other celebrants were gathered.
While there, Shariat took out a portable radio/audiocassette player he had brought along and began playing Christian songs. Someone in the predominately Muslim crowd complained to police, who arrested the Christian festival attendee for allegedly violating a noise ordinance.
Shariat was shocked when the police accosted him, especially since many other people in the park were playing other types of music. But after what the minister describes as his humiliating, public arrest and physical mistreatment while in custody, the County decided not to prosecute and the charges against him were eventually dropped.
Pastor Shariat filed suit against Orange County, challenging the way the ordinance he had been charged with violating was applied. However, the initial trial court ruling did not go in the minister's favor. Although several law enforcement officers testified with widely differing views of what the law required and to whom it should be applied, the trial court nevertheless ruled in the County’s favor that the law was not vague.
It was a Persian cultural event, and yes, one can be from Iran and be a Christian or a Muslim or even a Jew.
We as Christians need to stop playing the victim card. I know he was wronged, but they wronged our Lord before him. Count it all joy.
Our grace and love will change the culture more than our lawsuits.
Not that I oppose the guy, but he knew he was provoking and the whole drama queen treatment is unbecoming and undermines his point.
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