Court: Christian Police Captain’s Punishment For Refusing to Attend Islamic Service Not Violation Of Rights [UPDATED]

May 24, 2014 at 11:32 am

Arab_FiringMosque
A christian (public servant) Captain Paul Fields has been punished for refusing to bow to Islam.  He has been stripped of his command and demoted. That has the rancid stench of [state sanctioned] sharia all over it.

(Christian News Network) — TULSA, Okla. An appeals court has ruled that the rights of an Oklahoma police captain that was punished in 2010 for refusing to attend an Islamic service were not violated.

As previously reported, three years ago, Captain Paul Fields was ordered to attend “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day,” which was hosted by the Islamic Society of Tulsa at a local mosque. The event, held on an Islamic holy day, was to include a tour of the mosque, an Islamic prayer service, lectures on the Islamic faith and meetings with local Muslim leaders.

Because Fields is a Christian, he felt uncomfortable with attending the event, which was not an official police function. He reportedly met with his superiors to express his concerns and outline why he believed that it was unlawful for the Tulsa Police Department to force him to attend.

“This event is not a police ‘call for service,’ which I would readily respond to as required by my oath of office,” Fields wrote in an email. “It is my opinion, and that of my legal counsel, that forcing me to enter a mosque when it is not directly related to a police call for service is a violation of my civil rights.”

“This is not about religion,” said Police Chief Charles Jordan. “[W]e’re not going because they’re Islamic; we’re going because they’re Tulsa citizens.”

Bullshit. Pure islamophile bullshit.

Attorney Robert Muise of the American Freedom Law Center, which has been representing Fields, has vowed to appeal the decision. He also noted that Fields had informed his superiors that he did not wish to send any subordinates to the event who shared his Christian faith, and stated that he could not attend himself.

“This ruling is troubling on so many levels,” he wrote in a press release following the ruling. “We have argued throughout this case that Captain Fields was summarily punished for simply raising and asserting a religious objection to the order mandating attendance at the Islamic event, and that such discriminatory treatment violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.”

“Indeed, even a cursory review of our briefing before the district court and in the appellate court makes clear the basis for Captain Fields’ constitutional claims: he was singled out for discriminatory treatment and thus punished because he raised a religious objection to the order,” he added. “That is religious discrimination, pure and simple.”

[UPDATE] Tulsa Police Dept’s statement:

The Tulsa Police Department issued a statement as a result of outrage from supporters of the captain.

“One of the Department’s missions is that of community outreach. To facilitate this effort, the Police Department determined this event was a community outreach opportunity and attendance was appropriate,” it stated. “Contrary to what may have already been reported in scheduling this event, the Police Department and the Islamic Society of Tulsa very deliberately arranged attendance so that officers need not participate in any religious discussion or observance that would create any discomfort or inconvenience for them.”

ORLY? Law enforcement Appreciation Day held on a Friday the day muslims hold their prayer services. Would a Catholic church do the same interrupting the sabbath? I think not!

The flyer invite sent to the PD. Note no mention of police work aside from the disingenuous Law Enforcement Appreciation Day label. Which would have been more appropriately titled as; Law Enforcement Da’wah Day.

 

flyerDa’wah (Islamic proselytizing) according to Islam Tomorrow:

The word “Da’wah” in Arabic simply means to invite to something. When it is used in conjunction with Islam it is understood to mean “Inviting to the Way of submission and surrender to Allah.”

Da’wah in Islam is actually an order from Allah in His Holy Qur’an in a number of places. Let us consider one:

    • “Kuntum khairan ummatin ukhrajat linaasi tawmaruna bil maruf wa tan anna anhil munkar.”
      You are the best of people raised up, for you call to all that is right and righteous and you forbid the evil, and you believe in Allah.
      [Qur’an 3:110]

The America Freedom Law Center who are defending Captain Fields explain the chain of events:

On January 25, 2011, Deputy Chief of Police Webster, who is a defendant in this lawsuit, announced in a staff meeting that the Islamic Society was hosting a “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day” that was scheduled for Friday, March 4, 2011. Friday is the “holy day” or “Sabbath” for Islam.

On Wednesday, February 16, 2011, an email approved by City police officials was sent to all police department personnel, stating, “Please see attached flier and rsvp if attending to ensure there is plenty of great food and tour guides.” Attached to the email was a flyer from the Islamic Society.

The event at the Islamic Society was not a collaborative event between the City Police Department and the Islamic Society, but simply an open invitation to “All Tulsa Law Enforcement” that was planned solely by the Islamic Society.

There was no agenda on the invitation flyer—nor was one created by City police offficials—for the invited officers to discuss crime or crime related issues of any kind. Consequently, the Islamic event was not a function of what is known as “Community Policing,” nor did this event involve a “call for service.” In sum, it was a private event hosted by an Islamic religious organization.

The Islamic event involved “Mosque tours,” meeting “Local Muslims & Leadership,” watching the “weekly congregational prayer service,” and receiving presentations on Islamic “beliefs . . . . All questions welcome!” Thus, as advertised, the event involved Islamic proselytizing. See a copy of the flyer here. Consequently, no officer under Captain Fields’ command volunteered to attend.

On February 17, 2011, Captain Fields received an email from his immediate supervisor at the Riverside Division, Major Julie Harris. This email had the subject line, “Tour of Mosque – March 4,” and stated, in relevant part, “We are directed by [Deputy Chief of Police] Webster to have representatives from each shift—2nd, 3rd, and 4th to attend [the Islamic event].” This email also contained the directive from Webster, which was pasted into the text of the email. Webster, with the approval of Chief of Police Jordan, who is also a defendant in this lawsuit, was now ordering officers to attend the Islamic event. It was no longer voluntary.

After receiving the email from Major Harris, Captain Fields met with her to discuss the order from Webster.  He advised Major Harris of his belief that the order was unlawful.  Captain Fields correctly believes that City police officials do not have a right to order police officers to attend an Islamic event against the officers’ personal religious beliefs and convictions.

Captain Fields also responded to the order by email.  In his email response, Captain Fields stated that he believed that the order directing officers to attend the Islamic event was “an unlawful order, as it is in direct conflict with my personal religious convictions, as well as to be conscience shocking.”  Captain Fields concluded his email by stating, “Please consider this email my official notification to the Tulsa Police Department and the City of Tulsa that I intend not to follow this directive, nor require any of my subordinates to do so if they share similar religious convictions.”

On February 18, 2011, Webster sent a three-page interoffice correspondence to Captain Fields by email that affirmed the order and requested Captain Fields to reconsider his position.  Captain Fields again refused based on his religious beliefs, convictions, and conscience.

As a result of Captain Fields’s refusal to compromise his religious beliefs and convictions and violate his conscience, Webster ordered Captain Fields to appear in Jordan’s conference room on Monday, February 21, 2011.

During this meeting with Jordan and Webster, Captain Fields again explained that he believed the order was unlawful and that he could not, in good conscience, obey the order nor force the officers under his charge to obey it.

At the conclusion of this meeting, Captain Fields was served with a pre-prepared order transferring him to the Mingo Valley Division, as well as a notification that the police department was initiating an internal investigation of him for allegedly violating Rule 6 of the Tulsa Police Department Rules and Regulations (“Duty to be Truthful and Obedient”).  The transfer order stated, “This action is taken in reference to an Internal Affairs administrative investigation regarding the refusal to follow a direct order.”

Prior to being transferred for his refusal to violate his personal religious beliefs and those of the officers under his charge, Captain Fields was the shift commander for 26 officers and 5 supervisors.  As a result of this transfer, which is now a permanent part of his personnel record, Captain Fields was stripped of his command and his stellar reputation as a police officer was irreparably tarnished.

On March 10, 2011, Captain Fields received an official notification via email stating, “You are hereby notified that Chief Chuck Jordan has requested IA [Internal Affairs] to conduct an administrative investigation in regards to your refusal to attend and refusal to assign officers from your shift, who shared your religious beliefs, to attend the ‘Law Enforcement Appreciation Day’ on March 4, 2011, at the Tulsa Peace Academy [a.k.a. Islamic Society].

Continued >>>

A few more details on Captain Fields’ punishment:

Just before the invitation to the classes, Captain Fields was one of a group of officers involved in protecting the mosque from threats by a “criminal suspect,” yet he was moved to another department, had his pay suspended for two weeks and denied promotion for one year. He is appealing.

[End update]

Maggie of Maggie’s Notebook on the ‘Islamic Society of North America’ of which The Islamic Society of Tulsa is an affiliate:

Captain Paul Fields of the Tulsa Police was suspended and then transferred for refusing to order his officers to attend an event at the Masjid al-Salam, the Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST). Masjid al-Salam means Mosque of Peace Be Upon You (or something very close). In the IST constitution, on their website, they say they have a “continuous affiliation with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).” The ISNA is an un-indicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism trials (they collected charitable funds and funneled the money to Hamas and others), as is the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), who owns IST. It is believed the NAIT is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Video below.

Here are the questions we need answers to:

Does/did Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan know about Islamic Society of Tulsa’s connections to the ISNA, NAIT, and the Muslim Brotherhood when they suspended and reassigned Captain Paul Fields, and then charged him with having an “anti-Islamic agenda?”…..Do un-indicted co-conspirators of the Holy Land Foundation terrorism funding trials mean nothing to Tulsa law enforcement? Do FBI reports mean nothing? It doesn’t matter whether mosque goers are seen as peaceful members of the community. The Masjid al-Salam Islamic Society of Tulsa has terrorist ties. Z Truth has the story of the anti-Islamic agenda charge against Fields and some good commentary.
……
Captain Paul Fields has not been reinstated since this April meeting the Chief attended. Perhaps Jordan doesn’t understand that Israelis fight terrorism ONLY AGAINST ISLAMISTS. The ISNA and the NAIT are Islamist organizations.  The NAIT owns the Tulsa mosque. The Islamic Society of Tulsa is affiliated with the ISNA. The FBI says the ISNA and the NAIT are connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. This police department is every Islamists dream.

FORCED to attend a day of islamic indoctrination at the Islamic Society of Tulsa’s (IST) mosque. IST is affiliated with the Islamic Society of North America (the head of the Islamic Society snake) who are officially listed as un-indicted co-conspirators of the Holy Land Foundation terror funding trials. Yet Capt. Fields was  stripped of his command when he refused based on his Christian religious beliefs. YET his rights were not violated.

Did ya get all that?

Islamic terror funding (hamas) a-ok

Christian religious freedom  as guaranteed by the United States Constitution -denied

Separation of Church and State: Yes

Separation of mosque and State: No

Emphasis mine.

READ it ALL.

Blazing Cat Fur links…thanks!

Terresa Monroe-Hamilton links at Trevor Loudon’s New Zeal, on her personal blog Noisy Room.net and on Gulag Bound……thanks!

Daniel Greenfield links at FrontPage Mag…thanks!

Post updated: Sunday May 25, 2014