Transformation Michigan, the state affiliate of Rick Joyner’s The Oak Initiative that organized The Call: Detroit, sent a message to its members yesterday attacking Right Wing Watch, insisting that this blog “put out statements that were picked out of conference calls we posted that were twisted and turned and took what we were doing out of context.” Of course, Transformation Michigan doesn’t note which statements they found so controversial, and it appears the group is merely upset that they faced intense media scrutiny over claims made by The Call’s leadership that Muslims are demonic and should not be protected by the First Amendment.
Even more pathetic was Transformation Michigan’s assertion that The Call founder Lou Engle “did not” succumb to the pressure “to back down on his message.” In fact, Transformation Michigan pulled down their video, “Impacting Islam Through Prayer,” and Engle removed the reference to “the rising tide of the Islamic movement” from his website. One pastor who was involved in rallying support for The Call even said that organizers were “not visiting” mosques, although organizers, in conference calls posted by Rachel Tabachnick, had bragged about visiting mosques to dispel their supposed demonic influences.
In The Call‘s “Dearborn Awakening” section, fake “ex-terrorist” Kamal Saleem, whose fictitious backstory was exposed well before the rally, urged attendees to pray for Muslims to convert to Christianity. “Love and freedom were convenient catchphrases justifying the identification of nearly one-quarter of humanity with the demonic,” writes Haroon Moghul, a Muslim journalist who attended the prayer rally for Religion Dispatches. “Conflicts in the past could be safely broached, but when it came to today’s war on terror, the disingenuousness and ill-spiritedness of choosing a former Muslim with the worst possible perspective on Islam revealed Engle’s agenda and its overlap with fearmongering Islamophobes.” Rachel Tabachnick also points out that Saleem “has been producing anti-Islamic videos for the Oak Initiative.”
Another major feature of The Call: Detroit was its emphasis on recruiting African Americans to join Religious Right campaigns to outlaw abortion, combat gay rights and elect right-wing politicians.
Transformation Michigan emphasized in its message that not only will they continue to “tackle the threat of Islam” by starting a house of prayer in Dearborn but will also continue efforts to bring black voters into the conservative fold by building an “818 team” to “bring Biblical Worldview awareness to urban areas in Michigan” and distributing the discredited film Maafa 21, which claims that abortion is a plot to exterminate African Americans, to black churches. In addition, Transformation Michigan said they will work with anti-gay activist Frank Turek:
We all must realize that we just collided with Racism, Abortion, Islam, disunity in the church, false accusations, bowing to political pressures, seeker friendly attitudes, power and position in cities, lack of understanding regarding repentance and prayer, liberal theology – as well as doubt. What happened behind the scenes as TheCall at Ford Field on 11.11.11 was being organized over the months prior was very revealing.
I experienced the church accusing its own body as well as pressures for Lou Engle to back down on his message (he did not). I saw false accusations in the press that were swallowed by gullible people. One Black leader indicated to me that the seculaur media is Gospel to many in the city of Detroit. Right Wing Watch put out statements that were picked out of conference calls we posted that were twisted and turned and took what we were doing out of context. CAIR a terrorist organization (according to the Holy Land Foundation trial) made statements that were so false and almost amusing. When these things happen it makes us dig in and run harder. I give thanks for all things because [sic] we know they will work together for the good of God’s eternal purpose.
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10,000 Intercessors in Michigan…and we will work on a statewide and national basis to facilitate them.Breast Plate Prayer…Bishop Larry Jackson will be partnering with Transformation Michigan to help build the prayer movement in Michigan and see the goal of having every unsaved person being prayed for in Michigan.
Oak Intiative…and Transformation Michigan will partner in a greater way as we tackle the threat of Islam, the economy, and issues of the day.
Return to Conference Call Series…as we will have many guests and national leaders on to define, encourage, and exhort members of the body of Christ.Maafa 21 (View Trailer on You Tube)… will be distributed in every city in Michigan as Transformation Michigan will work with national Black Pro-Life leaders. We will turn abortion in the cities and put an end to Planned Parenthood. Can we impact the next election? Yes!
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818 Team…will return and work with Transformation Michigan to bring Biblical Worldview awareness to urban areas in Michigan.
Dearborn House of Prayer…will continue to grow as Transformation Michigan will encourage participation to pray that the love of Christ will impact the Muslim communities in Michigan.
Establishing Truth on our Universities…will continue as we work with Dr. Frank Turek – Crossexamined.org – in establishing the truth of Gods Word and the existence of God.
