Protesters Toting Shotguns and "Big Daddy Infidel" Buttons Gather at Texas Mosque To "Show Force"
Gun- and flag-toting protesters gathered at a mosque in Irving, Texas, on Saturday to protests Islam and helping Syrian refugees, reports The Dallas Morning News.
One hand-drawn sign read, “Stop the Islamization of America,” and some protesters wore bandanas to cover their faces. One protester was wearing a button with the phrase “Big Daddy Infidel” emblazoned on it. The guns, said protester David Wright, who was holding a 12-gauge shotgun, were necessary to get the message across.
“They’re mostly for self-defense or protection,” Wright said. “But I’m not going to lie. We do want to show force. … It would be ridiculous to protest Islam without defending ourselves.”
Armed Demonstration in front of the Islamic Center of Irving focused on stopping "Islamization of America" pic.twitter.com/iRQI4eqPjO
— Zahid Arab (@ZahidArabFox4) November 21, 2015
Protesters said that they feared that a Sharia court had been established at the Islamic Center of Irving — though there is no evidence to support that.
Armed protesters gather outside Islamic Center of Irving: https://t.co/LieCbXPGK3 pic.twitter.com/np68F2rqqb
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) November 22, 2015
The most interesting part of the Morning News account, however, is the reaction of the Muslim worshippers at the mosque, who mostly ignored the protest:
The Muslims in the tiny audience declined to share their opinion — instead offering praise for freedom of speech and variations on “no comment.”
