The first time Usama Dakdok came to Grand Forks, he was met with protesters.
This time, a trumpeter came on stage Tuesday at the Empire Arts Center and launched into “The Star Spangled Banner” after greeters at the door handed out pocket-sized books of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the New Testament.
Then Grand Forks City Council member Terry Bjerke strode out onto the stage, pulling no punches in a 20-minute speech on modern politics and freedom of speech.
“Where is the most dangerous place for free speech in America? It’s not Iran, it’s not North Korea. We’re not going there,” he said. “The college campuses and the University of North Dakota are the most dangerous places for free speech.
“I’m going to give you the definition of hate speech: every time you say something a liberal disagrees with, you’ve just committed hate speech.”
Bjerke drew laughs and applause from the nearly-packed theater, criticizing left-leaning positions ranging from transgender rights to climate change.
The event featured Bjerke and Dakdok, controversial anti-Islam speaker who made his third visit to Grand Forks this year to speak about the dangers of the religion. The event was organized following the aftermath of Dakdok’s most recent visit in September, after which some members of the community discussed the possibility of preventing his return.
Bjerke responded to threats to Dakdok’s return by donating part of his earnings as a city council member to finance the event, a move he framed as a stand for free speech.
“Your rights come from God,” he told the audience, citing the Declaration of Independence. “No man or government can take your rights away.”
Dakdok learned about Islam while attending public schools as a child in Egypt. As the founder of Straight Way of Grace Ministry, Dakdok aims to evangelize Muslims, stressing that the religion itself is problematic—not its followers—and that its adherents need to “know the truth.”
On Tuesday, he spoke about the encroaching threat of Islam and the need to stand firm against it, discussing the looming threat of Muslim rule in the U.S. He called the religion “barbaric” and “savage.”
“In Islam, if I am a free man, and I kill one of your slaves, you cannot kill me, but you can pick up one of my slaves and kill them,” he said.
Dakdok’s appearance has generated a discussion about where the line ought to be drawn between free speech and hate speech. Before his presentation on Tuesday night, he said the label doesn’t apply to his message.
“We don’t teach hate,” he said. “The only time hate words come out of my lips is when I read what Allah said in the Quran,” or when the text speaks about Muslim teachings and culture.
Grand Forks resident Peter Krueger, who attended the event for the first time, said he was curious about Dakdok’s speeches and disagreed that Dakdok’s words were hate speech.
“He’s not criticizing it,” Krueger said of Dakdok. “He’s telling the truth about it.”
Despite Bjerke’s stand for free speech, Dakdok’s appearance has drawn criticism from fellow community leaders. City Council member Bret Weber, a UND social work professor, has previously taken a strong stance against Dakdok’s visits. That included leading a discussion on preventing Dakdok from returning to the Empire, a move that drew mixed reactions from the community.
“Mr. Dakdok is welcome to come speak in Grand Forks at any time,” Weber said. “I have no interest in restricting his free speech rights. But I don’t view him as a scholar—I see him as a businessman who has made his money by claiming that (President Barack) Obama is a Muslim and questioning the English interpretation of the Quran.”
Nabil Suleiman, president of the Islamic Center of Grand Forks, said it’s deeply offensive to hear the labels Dakdok applies to Islam. Suleiman added that much of what Dakdok said of the Quran is a misinterpretation, adding he fears the possibility of violence against Muslims in Grand Forks as a result of Dakdok’s message.
“As a community, we are peaceful and inclusive,” he said. “Everybody is invited to come to the Islamic Center and observe what we are doing—how we pray and how we celebrate. We are an open book; we are not hiding.”
As Bjerke finished his portion of the night, he held up the small books that were passed out at the door. There was only one way he would give up his rights, he said, holding them high.
“Are you ready?” he asked, and the audience spoke the words with him as he raised his voice and said: “From my cold, dead hands!”