A controversial preacher and critic of Islam will be in St. Cloud and other Central Minnesota cities this week.
Usama Dakdok, founder of the Florida-based Straight Way of Grace Ministry, will speak at 6 p.m. Friday at Granite City Baptist Church in St. Cloud. He will visit Little Falls, Burtrum and Avon earlier in the week.
Dakdok, a Christian who grew up in Egypt, travels the country giving speeches about his belief that Islam is a dangerous cult. He will give a presentation called “Revealing the Truth about Islam.”
Dakdok told the Times that his message is that to know Islam, one needs to read the Quran, which he said does not teach love or peace. He called Islam a “savage cult” that teaches its followers to kill non-believers.
Dakdok’s appearances in other Minnesota and North Dakota cities, including Grand Forks and Bagley, have sparked controversy and protests.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which advocates for the rights of Minnesota Muslims, called Dakdok an Islamophobe.
In a letter to a Grand Forks theater where Dakdok spoke last year, CAIR-Minnesota wrote that such speeches jeopardize the safety and security of Muslims and other community members.
“Although Dakdok has the First Amendment right to free speech, this right is not absolute and has been limited when it is considered to be harassment, intimidating, or encouraging violence against a particular group of people,” CAIR wrote.
In 2014, police were called to Dakdok’s appearance in Bagley, where a Muslim woman wearing a religious headscarf said she was harassed by the speaker and audience.
Hussein said there has been an increase in hate crimes targeting Muslims in Minnesota and across the United States. He noted that a few days after Dakdok’s appearance in Grand Forks last year, a Muslim-owned restaurant was badly damaged in an arson attack.
Dakdok said his message is against Islam, not Muslims themselves, whom he said he loves and hopes to reach and “set free” with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
#UniteCloud, a St. Cloud group that promotes cultural understanding, is organizing a peaceful demonstration at Granite City Baptist Church before Dakdok’s speech.