I am the individual who interrupted the benediction given by Mr. Ziad Akir, at the City of Athens' roundabout dedication, this past Saturday.
Contrary to what your story reported, I did not say, nor do I believe, that the Islamic center should not be a religious organization ... That's just silly. I have no problem with the Islamic Center, or with Islam or with Mr. Akir, the head of the center.
I take exception to the government of the City of Athens organizing a dedication ceremony for a public works project, and including in that ceremony, two illegal, unconstitutional and unnecessary religious observations. Mr. Akir did nothing wrong. It was the city employee who decided to include those religious ceremonies in the dedication with whom I take exception. Had the invocation been offered by any other religious leader, priest, rabbi, etc., I would have made exactly the same objection. Indeed, had I not been improperly ejected from the ceremony for silently protesting the city's First Amendment violation, I would have again objected, later, when the program had scheduled an equally improper benediction to be offered by a Christian chaplain.
I think it was inexcusable for the city to put Mr. Akir in a position in which he was subject to political objection. I hope the city will not make the same, or similar, mistake in the future. I'll be there to check.
Eliot Kalman resides in Athens.
4 Opinion
