Settlement Reached In Suit By Christian Proselytizers Arrested At Arab International Festival; More Confrontations Likely This Year

The American Freedom Law Center announced this week that a settlement has been reached in Acts 17 Apologetics v. City of Dearborn. In the case, three Christian evangelists sued over their arrest and subsequent breach of the peace trial for proselytizing Muslims at Dearborn, Michigan's Arab International Festival. (See prior posting.) Under the settlement agreement, the city will post a public apology on its website, remove from its website a press release and letter from the mayor that contained derogatory comments about Christians, and will pay an undisclosed amount to plaintiffs.

Meanwhile Dearborn's mayor announced last month that this year the site of the festival was being moved to a local park, a site that the police can better control. (Detroit Free Press, April 29). It is likely that police will face challenges at the June 14-17 festival this year. According to yesterday's Oakland County Daily Tribune, inflammatory anti-Muslim Florida pastor Terry Jones plans to attend the festival again this year:

Jones announced that he and Pastor Wayne Sapp will be joined by Ruben Israel of the Bible Believers, whose appearance at last year’s festival led to items being thrown at them and the video being posted on YouTube; Pastor David Grisham of Repent Amarillo; and Rabbi Nachum Shifren of the California Security Council.