Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Oh Really, Hussein Wario?

Hussein Wario is a person whom I cannot quite make heads or tails out of. It escapes me how somebody could be so intent on defending Ergun Caner (who has done nothing but lie about his past, slander Calvinists and misrepresent Islamic beliefs) whilst simultaneously posting criticisms of Acts 17 Apologetics (who have been boldly proclaiming the Gospel even in the midst of hostile crowds of Muslims). I have been following the events that have been taking place in Dearborn ever since the arrests, and I must say that all of the evidence points overwhelmingly to the innocence of the Dearborn four. Mr. Wario does not seem to get this, though. In one of his recent blog posts, The Glorified Deceit, he continues his criticisms of Acts 17 Apologetics and Alpha and Omega Ministries for defending Acts 17. He begins with this little point:

On July 2, I wrote for the first time on the arrests of Acts 17 Apologetics missionaries in Dearborn, Michigan. Christians, including Dr. James White, urged their fellow Christians—even witnesses to the arrests—for restraint in passing their judgment because these missionaries had “everything” they did on video. While Dr. White asked Christians to wait for the video evidence, he did not stop from denigrating the City of Dearborn and its police department. I wondered how he would react this strongly when he was not in Dearborn, let alone be a witness. An Arab Christian even notified Dr. White of his concerns of Acts 17 missionaries and he was called to wait for the video evidence.

I think somebody should inform Mr. Wario that Dr. James White was right up there in Michigan when the events took place. The places where the debates and ABN programs took place were a stone's throw away from Dearborn. He even had a discussion with some of the missionaries the afternoon before the arrests took place. In his own words:

I had spent about an hour with Nabeel, David, and Nageen [sic](I am uncertain if Paul was with us at lunch) the afternoon they were arrested at the ABN studios. I was talking with the head of ABN when they came in (we had gotten some burritos for them at a local restaurant). As soon as Nabeel came in he told me he had just finished a class on systematic theology, said he thought he had a good grip on the issues relating to Reformed theology, and launched a series of good questions for me. This led to a discussion on the key elements of my beliefs as a Calvinist. It was not an argument, it was a good period of questions on Nabeel's part, answers on mine. And Nabeel was listening carefully to my replies. This is how I know Nabeel...as an honest hearted young man, brilliant (a medical doctor!), teachable, intense. I have tried to be a good example of a more mature believer for him, as little contact as we have had. And I hope I have done the same for David (this was the first time I met Nageen [sic]).

In any case, when I had people telling me about bad behavior of Nabeel and David, I was immediately suspicious. But why would Christian groups bear false witness about them? Well, why has Hussein Wario become a wild-eyed defender of Ergun Caner? I do not know, but it happens. But I have said to a number of folks, "How about we just wait for the video footage?" And now we have it. (link)

And you can argue, "Well yeah, but he wasn't there when the actual arrests took place." That does not invalidate his statements at all. I have friends who saw the arrests firsthand, and they corroborate Dr. White's statements.

Dearborn Police Department returned the cameras “intact” or “without erasing all the footage” [Acts 17 Apologetics statements] a fortnight ago. As promised, footages [sic] of the arrests were posted. Most Christians, mostly Dr. White’s fans, quickly asked their fellow Christians to repent publicly for questioning the arrests. I have wondered how witnesses could recant what they witnessed prior to the arrests that footages [sic] don’t debunk.


I'm wondering which "witnesses" Wario is referring to here. I already posted the video of my friend who is a witness to the events and can testify that everything Dr. White and the Acts 17 team have said are true. He's not the only one either. Perhaps if we knew better who these people are who allegedly witnessed Acts 17 doing their disorderly conduct, we can take a better look at their claims and see how reliable they are.

Since posted footages weren’t answering questions, I wrote a post on July 19 of how 15-20 minutes of footage before the first arrest could provide clues. I was specific. Nageen’s [sic] arrest. A concerned Christian was upset with me. He sent me a message and we went back and forth for a while. He ended up asking Acts 17 on Facebook for the video footage prior to Nageen’s [sic] arrest. The message was clear. The footage should be what transpired before the first arrest. How hard can it be? Guess what video was posted? Dubbed, “The Missing Footage,” it has nothing to do with the first arrest. Nageen had already been arrested at that point. The public needs to know what happened that necessitated the criminal complaint. They want people to believe that they were victims of injustice. How evasive and misleading can they get? Can they just admit that not all of their activities—legal or “illegal”—were on camera?

First of all, I wonder how hard it is to remember a person's name. Her name is spelt Negeen. With an e. Come on people, get it right.

That aside, most of the people who were accusing the Acts 17 team of disorderly conduct allege that it took place in the 15 minutes that transpired between Negeen's arrest and the arrest of the other three. The purpose of the missing footage being released was to put that myth to rest once and for all. And as for why there would be a criminal complaint against Negeen, the answer is obvious: The police don't want another person taking video footage of the arrests when they happen, so they decided to get her out of the way (harassing her in a very rude and uncivilized manner in the process). To quote her own words, "I wasn't aware that videotaping in America had become illegal." (link)

Even with these questions still lingering, Dr. White still gives this group a platform to spread their myth about being arrested in Dearborn for being a Christian, etcetera. They were on “Iron Sharpens Iron” last Wednesday, courtesy of Dr. White, discussing the arrests. He “very highly recommended” the appearance.

Just for your information, Acts 17 Apologetics isn't the only group that has suffered from the unlawful practices of the powers that be in Dearborn. Dozens of Christians have been treated similarly. For example, we have this interview of a Christian who talks about how they and other Christians (such as George Saieg's ministry) are prevented from distributing literature while Muslims who do the exact same thing get a free pass.

Dr. White—a man known for his straight answers—keeps on changing his story as well. From his initial post about “the rule of law (not Sharia) in Dearborn” to the most recent one belittling Josh McDowell witnessing to Muslims. Apparently, he learned the hard way that Christians still preach or distribute Bibles and tracts in Dearborn.

I don't quite understand either why Josh McDowell's ministry went unhindered while many other Christian ministries (not just Acts 17 Apologeticss) were. I would guess that McDowell had taken special care to be as inoffensive as possible in distributing books there. And if some Muslims come to Christ as a result of his ministry there, then that's great! However, that does not change the fact that titling his video "Sharia Love" is simply in poor taste, and is an insult to our brothers and sisters in Christ who have to endure the devastating effects of Sharia law in majority Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc.

I wonder if he has ever been to Dearborn to write such a scathing initial post on the arrests. Does anyone know? Sad, how his objectivity is lacking and integrity somewhat wanting. It seems they matter only when investigating Dr. Ergun Caner. On that note, Liberty University rendered its verdict four weeks ago and that has not stopped Dr. White from continuing his discussion.

I don't want to get into the Ergun Caner issue for the main reason that it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. However, as I pointed out earlier, Dr. White was in fact in Michigan during the time of the arrests. I have watched his appearances on the Jesus or Muhammad programs that were being shown at around that same general time period. It is simply naive to think that he does not know what he is talking about when he posts his criticisms

A mere red herring because Dr. White refuses to acknowledge that he has been wrong in criticizing the Dearborn police, Josh McDowell ministries, other Christians and organizations. Evidence of his deceit is even on his Alpha & Omega Ministries website. His fans never question it. Instead, they glorify it.

I have been quite observant of what has been going on lately, having gone through ever available bit of information that has become available ever since the events first occurred. I would say that Dr. White is right on the money in everything he has said regarding the Dearborn police and Josh McDowell ministries. Now, I don't know what other Christian organizations Mr. Wario is alluding to here. Are there Christians who saw the events and will testify that Acts 17 and Dr. White are wrong? I don't know. But I have heard the testimonies of people who were there and they point overwhelmingly to only one conclusion: Acts 17 Apologetics is innocent of all charges that have been laid against them.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
(Psalm 96:11-13, ESV)

NOTE: In the initial version of this post, I mistakenly said that Dr. White was in Dearborn. What I should have said was that he was within a stone's throw away from Dearborn. Thanks to Hussein Wario for correcting me on that one minor point wherein I misspoke, but that does not negate anything else that I've said.

13 comments:

  1. Now you are lying on behalf of Dr. White. ABN studios are located in Walled Lake, MI, and the debate took place in Romulus, MI. Dr. White has never said he was in Dearborn. So, quit speaking for him.

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  2. I don’t lie, Hussein. I realize that doc wasn’t in the actual perimeter of the festival, but he was close enough that he was able to converse with the missionaries just before the arrests took place. That aside, I have friends who were right there when it happened, and their testimonies corroborate doc’s statements.

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  3. Luis,

    Dr. White was in Walled Lake, MI, when he had lunch with Acts 17 missionaries, which is at least 30 miles from Dearborn, MI. How can that be “close enough” to have a conversation? Are you going to ask him if he was in Dearborn? Are your friends’ going to testify at the trial?

    Did your friends see dozens of other Christians handing out Bibles and witnessing at Muslim tables at the festival? One supporter of Mr. David Wood, the one screaming in one of the videos after they were arrested, was seen going up to Muslim tables and trying to convert them as well as sharing the gospel with children there. How come he wasn’t arrested?

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  4. The location where they met is a minor side issue. The point is that Dr. White's assessment of the Dearborn situation is quite accurate, and can be verified by multiple sources.

    And my friend is quite willing to testify in court if he is called to do so. However, he hasn't, which is why the best he can do is post his youtube video detailing what he witnessed during the arrests.

    Perhaps it would help if you would mention to us who these Christians were who were handing out bibles at the festival without incident.

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  5. You now claim that location is a minor issue when you stated very clearly (on your blog) that Dr. White was in Dearborn when the arrest took place? How can his assessment be true when it contradicts other witnesses' account and at least one video footage, which shows Mr. Wood's friend who was proselytizing Muslims was not arrested.

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  6. So I made a minor mistake. I should have said he was a *stone's throw* away from Dearborn. I've corrected that already.

    Also, it seems like nitpicking to argue that since one person didn't get arrested, Acts 17 must be wrong. So tell me Mr. Wario, what exactly DID Acts 17 do that got them arrested? We already know that they didn't harass anybody or attempt to incite any riots (contra what the mayor would have people believe), so what did they do?

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  7. My interest is piqued by Wario's silence about (a) who these other Christians are and (b) what they claim to have witnessed. He gestures vaguely about these alleged folks and won't answer questions about their identity or testimony, almost as if he himself does not know.

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  8. Fisher, it's not just that one person that didn't get arrested, it's the dozens of people who did not. You have to understand that a lot of people there are more interested in actual evangelism and ministry than what you and people who don't even know exactly where Dearborn is located think.

    Ryft, one of those Christians was in one of David Wood's videos. You know, the one screaming about Jesus when they got arrested. It's amazing how he was able to do that under Sharia law.

    I'd encourage you to get in contact with some local churches there, in addition to local Christian leaders, and see their involvement in the festival. Many of them were handing out materials and even rented tables and were distributing bibles and evangelism material, the same exact thing some muslim organizations did. At least two churches had tables and were actively evangelizing and distributing bibles, and Josh McDowell's people were themselves even going up to some of the muslim tables and engaging them, in the same way David Wood's screaming friend did.

    Of course, that involves actually being interested in the truth as opposed to what you want to believe.

    We already know the claims that Acts 17 made about no one being permitted to hand out bibles or evangelize there are not true, as dozens were doing it. So what you're asking us to believe is not James White, since he wasn't even there, but believe Acts 17, who is already known to be misleading about the prohibition against bibles, evangelism, and Christian literature.

    The problem with all of this is that it seems Fisher and Ryft have no idea about Dearborn, but are comfortable with making assumptions based on what they heard that someone else heard, etc. I guess it comes down to whether or not you're more interested in the truth, or more interested in being right. It seems you can't swallow your pride long enough to understand the reasons Muslims do not want to be on camera when people try to convert them, for the same reason they will not publicly show interest, often, without cameras, because they face severe repercussions in their families and their communities for doing so. You'd understand that if you were more interested in their souls and less interested in scoring media points for your audience.

    I also wonder how much evangelism either of you do. I'm willing to bet your commitment to this cause, no matter what the facts are, is largely based on you feeling convicted that you aren't out evangelizing. It's no coincidence that the local evangelists that do door to door evangelism, public park evangelism, street evangelism, etc, are not too concerned with Acts 17's claims. Why? Because they actually spend their time doing Biblical evangelism. It is true that some local churches only do "friendship" evangelism, and it is true that other churches do biblical evangelism. You know, like any other city in the nation.

    I don't expect either of you to change your mind. I also don't expect you to actually try to find out the truth if it actually means proving you are wrong. It's always easier to blog and complain from hundreds or thousands of miles away than actually be useful.

    A lot more information is coming out, in the trial, and in other media. You'll see.

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  9. I don't know who you are, but your lengthy rant does not change the fact that there is no evidence of the Acts 17 team actually doing anything unlawful. I hear you about there being -some- church groups that were able to evangelize, and we should rejoice for that. But why are some of our other brothers and sisters (Acts 17, George Saieg, etc.)

    It would be easy to change our minds if you actually tell us what the difference is between those Christian groups who were doing "biblical evangelism" and what Acts 17 and co. have been doing. Are you telling us that what Acts 17 has been doing is unbiblical? Maybe you should try reading the book of Acts a bit more. ;)

    One last thing: I find that shot about questioning our evangelistic efforts to be rather cheap. I would have you know that I have done a lot of work handing out tracts and pocket new testaments before. Me and Bartimaeus (the fellow in the video who saw the Dearborn arrests in person) have both been quite active in witnessing to Muslims here in Toronto. So don't try that cheap shot at me. It won't work.

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  10. Nameless,

    Hussein Wario made reference to fellow Christians who witnessed the Acts 17 Apologetics team engaging in behavior worthy of arrest which the video evidence does not debunk (and therefore they have nothing to recant of). I noted with interest that Wario does not answer questions about either their identity or testimony, that he is content to gesture vaguely that they exist. Both Fisher and I want to know who they are and what they claim to have witnessed.

    Your answer? The guy "screaming about Jesus" during the arrest of Acts 17. All right, (a) who is he, and (b) what did he claim to witness? In other words, how does your response answer me? (And since you brought him up, in reference to Sharia, what did the police officer turn around and tell that young man?)

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  11. Nameless,

    Incidentally, I engage in street witnessing routinely, with a stack of brand new Bible in my car that I purchased myself and hand out to anyone who doesn't have a Bible or wants one, during these witnessing encounters. I also engage in apologetics, both in real life and online. I have a passion for Christ that cannot keep silent. But thank you for the prejudicial insult to my commitment to Christ and his mandate.

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  12. "I also wonder how much evangelism either of you do. I'm willing to bet your commitment to this cause, no matter what the facts are, is largely based on you feeling convicted that you aren't out evangelizing."

    I will testify to the fact that you would lose that bet. Thanks for playing and try relevant arguments and examples next time.

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  13. Mr Hajji Hussein Wario has no credibility, he is a liar. Good Christians don’t lie. It is not an issue to be Christian, there many good Christian in Kenya who interact well with Muslims,. But Mr Hussein lose credibility for being a liar so as to get economical means and this is my proof.

    I am a Kenyan. It is a common trend in my country people to find reasons (real or false) to secure foreign citizenship in the western world. Mr Hussein's case is one of the false one.
    Orma is one of Kenya's pastural roaming coastal tribes seeking grazing fields for their herds of livestock which they sell for meat & milk. Due to hardship of their environ their lifestyle is difficult compounded with illiteracy & population increase. The Kenya government's free primary education & feeding programs benefit such roaming pasturalist tribes.
    Circular education is mostly ignored by these roaming tribes the feeding programs become an incentive to make parents allow kids go to school. In such areas kids of 10 or more years could be starting class 1. Coast Province being a predominant Muslim area, Islamic organizations & wealthier Muslims support various projects. Islamic religious Madrasas & Mosques dominate coastal regions, these centers become areas for several non-governmental organizations & individuals to tend to the hardship communities, postural communities trust the centers & let their kids board in the centers mostly to achieve Islamic knowledge, recently the centers also teach circular education. The centers also offer water & foods from organizations & alms (sadaka) from individuals Coastal Muslims.
    Mr Hussein's case a 14 years old in 1989 an Orma kid born in the 70's could not have been educated either circular or religious to have a knowledge to convert. It is an open lie for a 14 year old kid to have qualified to teach other kids in such a remote hardship area. At 14, the much Mr Hussein could have been is a renderer to the toddlers whenever teachers were not in class. To prove his lie, Mr Hussein never mentioned names of the places he schooled or taught.
    Kenyans have secured foreign citizenship after presenting themselves as being persecuted due to their sexual orientations (Gay & Lesbians) abhorred in Africa but accepted in the West.
    Hussein found conversion to Christianity a good trick to lie to foreign non Muslim countries to accept him as being persecuted in his predominant Muslim region.
    A true faithful would die for his faith in whatever circumstance, which is why we have suicide bombers who believe they die for their faith. A case of Catholics in North Ireland & Muslims in Afghanistan.
    Mr Hussein is an economical refugee & not a Religious refugee.

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