Oklahoma police captain demoted for declining to attend an Islamic religious event

Captain Paul Fields of the Tulsa Police Department has been severely punished for refusing to attend a mandatory “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day” at the Islamic Cultural Society of Tulsa. The event included “meetings with Muslim community leaders, a tour of the center’s mosque, talks on Islam, as well as a 45-minute prayer service.” [Italics added.] Meaning that this event was not about law enforcement, but about the promotion of Islam. For his refusal, he “was docked two weeks’ pay, transferred, reduced to the graveyard shift and made ineligible for promotions for at least a year.” Now he is suing the department.

Fields, a Christian and obviously a sincere man, said in a May 2012 deposition, as reported by Fox News:

This event is compelling me to go to a venue where a group of individuals is prepared to discuss their (Islamic) faith. And in my faith, I have a duty to proselytize my faith to people (who) don’t subscribe to my faith. I can’t do that in uniform. And so therein lies the conflict or moral dilemma I face….

I’m a Christian. Okay? I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. As a Christian, I have a duty to proselytize the Gospel of Jesus Christ….

Here, I have an instance where I’m being compelled to attend an event that’s very—it’s an open invitation to discuss their religion … and yet I can’t express my faith to them.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 20, 2012 10:58 AM | Send