The last time Usama Dakdok was in Grand Forks, he was met by dozens of protesters.
The controversial speaker was told he was spreading messages of “hate” when he gave his first presentation at the Empire Arts Center in March. The event even prompted a group to refute his arguments with a “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor” program.
Dakdok returned Thursday night to the center to with a program he called “Rebuttal.” He explained that he wanted to “rebuttal the rebuttal” of “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor,” which was held at Sharon Lutheran Church in April.
“I could not wait to get a DVD of the rebuttal,” said Dakdok, whose last presentation on the “dangers of Islam” attracted more than 150 protesters. The event also drew nearly 200 attendees.
But the Thursday presentation did not garner protesters, and the auditorium was half full.
An event organized by social justice advocates at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to counter Dakdok’s event and to promote diversity and compassion was held at the same time.
Dakdok went step-by-step through a shaky video that depicted the entire “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor” event and compared it to the English interpretation he wrote of the Quran.
“It’s just another propaganda of teaching lies about Islam to get people in the church to become Muslim,” Dakdok said.
He showed a clip, paused the video, displayed a screen with quotes from the video and then compared it with his “accurate translation” of the Quran into English in his book, “The Generous Quran.” In citing passages, Dakdok said he “will never quote anything from my mind and my heart,” but that “it comes from Mohammad.”
“If there is a Muslim here tonight and you’re upset, go complain to Muhammad or Allah,” Dakdok said.
He covered issues he recognized as controversial, such as women of Islam and whether Islam promotes violence.
People in the audience who came out to see Dakdok had different reasons for coming to listen.
Mardene Slaathaug and Cheryl Hoime agreed that they came to learn. Slaathaug said she came to hear the rebuttal after she attended “Meet Your Muslim Neighbors.”
While most of the people in the crowd were middle-aged, Dillon Bommersbach, 20, said he came to broaden his insight on Islam and Evangelicalism, claiming he “knew little about either.”
Slaathaug said she was disappointed the two events weren’t held at different times so people could attend both.
“It makes it divisive,” Slaathaug said.
Dakdok was born in Egypt and was raised Christian while learning about Islam in school. With his wife and son, he promotes the Straight Way of Grace Ministry, travelling the country to reveal “the truth about Islam.”
“I am not anti-Muslim and anti-Islam,” said Dakdok, addressing comments that he spreads messages of “hate” and “lies.”
“The problem is in Islam itself, the cult Islam.”