Local media is reporting that long-time U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leader Jamal Badawi will be debating a Tulsa Oklahoma Christian pastor who was himself a former Muslim. According to the report:
Security will be tight Friday night at a debate between a Muslim scholar from Canada and a former Muslim, now a Tulsa Christian pastor. Participants will be the Rev. Raza Safa, pastor of Fishermen’s House Church in Tulsa, and Jamal Badawi, a member of the Islamic Society of North America Fiqh Council. The question will be: “Can Christians and Muslims Be Friends?” Sheryl Siddiqui, spokeswoman for the Islamic Society of Tulsa, sponsor of the event, said the debate stemmed from comments Safa made last summer at an anti-terrorism rally in Tulsa. Muslims against terrorism attended the rally, she said, and were offended when Safa said Muslims could not be friends with Christians.They went to the Islamic Society leaders, who agreed to sponsor the debate…..Safa said he agreed to the debate after a group of Muslims interrupted prayer at his church and demanded a debate, accusing him of spreading hatred and disharmony among Americans. “My purpose is not to spread hate,” he said. “My ministry is based on communicating the love of God to Muslims.” “I think it’s very important for people to come to this debate,” Safa said. “I think Tulsans need to know what Muslims believe in, as Islam is growing in influence in America.”
Dr. Badawi, who likely was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt before emmigrating to Canada. is a leader in many of the most important organizations of the global Muslim Brotherhood including the Islamic Society of North America, the Council on American Islamic Relations (Canada), the Fiqh Council of North America, the Muslim American Society, and the European Council for Fatwa and Research. As previous posts have noted, recently released documents indicate that he was (and probably still is), a member of the leadership structure of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood. He has conducted numerous interfaith debates with Christian figures over the years. Muslim Brotherhood figures often engaged in interfaith events.
(Source: Tulsa World January 19, 2008 Saturday Final Home Edition “Christian-Muslim relationship topic”)