Christian hotel manager in court accused of asking hijab-wearing guest: 'Are you a te

[S_87]

Christian hotel manager in court accused of asking hijab-wearing guest: 'Are you a terrorist and a murderer?'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz0Z7FQOpRQ


A Muslim convert was reduced to tears after being asked by a Christian hotelier if she was a terrorist and a murderer because she was wearing traditional Islamic dress, a court heard today.
Ericka Tazi, 60, said wearing the hijab 'triggered something' in hotel proprietor Benjamin Vogelenzang and his wife Sharon.
She told Liverpool Magistrates' Court she was subjected to a 60-minute tirade of abuse by the couple because on March 20, the final day of her stay with them, she decided to wear a hijab head covering and gown.
Mrs Tazi, who converted to Islam 18 months ago, spent a month at The Bounty House Hotel on Church Avenue, Aintree, Liverpool, while attending a four-week pain management course at The Walton Centre at Aintree Hospital.
The couple deny a charge, made under the 1986 Public Order Act, of using threatening, abusive or insulting words which were religiously aggravated.
Prosecutor Anya Horwood told the court that Benjamin Vogelenzang, 53, called the prophet Mohammed a 'warlord' and likened him to Saddam Hussein and Hitler.
He and his 54-year-old wife told Mrs Tazi, who has two grown-up sons, that her Islamic dress represented 'oppression' and was a form of 'bondage', the court heard.
Ms Horwood said that a row flared when Mrs Tazi, who had worn European dress during her four-week stay, came down on the morning she was due to leave dressed in traditional Islamic dress.
She said Benjamin Vogelenzang asked her: 'Why are you wearing those clothes' and began laughing at her. She explained to him it was important to her.
'He started to discuss his faith, he is a Christian, and the role Jesus played in both their religions.

'He became angry and was shouting at her and at that point Sharon Vogelenzang joined in. She was saying that the clothes she was wearing represented oppression and bondage.'


Ms Horwood said Mrs Tazi walked into the dining room but was followed by Benjamin Vogelenzang who was like 'a whirling dervish'.

She said: 'He was agitated and upset and began repeatedly asking her was she a terrorist, was she a murderer like Mohammed?
'Ericka Tazi kept asking him to stop and he became more agitated, saying Mohammed was a warlord and likened Mohammed to Saddam Hussein and Hitler.

'She asked the couple to stop insulting her. She tried to explain again how important her faith was.

'At that point Sharon Vogelenzang pointed her finger in her face, shouting, saying she had provoked this because of wearing the gown.'
Mrs Tazi came to court dressed in a hijab and gown and using a walking stick. She swore an oath on the Koran and kissed the holy book before giving evidence to the prosecutor.
She told the court that dressing in the hijab seemed to 'trigger something' in Benjamin Vogelenzang and that she had found the episode extremely traumatic.
Mrs Tazi, who suffers from fibromyalgia and lives with chronic pain, said: 'He just couldn't accept the way I was dressed


'He was laughing at me and it seemed to trigger something, I don't know why, I kept saying 'I'm Ericka', it was my outfit that had triggered him.

'He asked me if I was a murderer, if I was a terrorist. I'm a 60-year-old disabled woman, I couldn't understand where it was coming from, it was shocking to me.'
Mrs Tazi said the couple told her that her dress was bondage. She told the court: 'I was on this journey of being a convert, it was my decision, I couldn't be in bondage if it was my decision.'
She said: 'He followed me into the dining room and he was jumping up and down. I've never seen anything like it, his arms were flailing.

'Sharon came running in, she was shouting "you started this with your dress" and she was pointing in my face and I was frightened at this stage. I was absolutely traumatised by it all.

'I kept putting my hand up saying "please stop it". I just wanted to get out. If I had had the legs to run I would have run out of that hotel.'
She said she told the couple she had been a Christian and that 'I've always had God in my life' and had once been a member of the Catholic Legion of Mary.
Mrs Tazi contacted the police that night. When questioned by detectives, the couple said they had been sharing their 'faith views'.
The court heard that Sharon Vogelenzang told officers she did not mean to be disrespectful when she referred to the hijab as bondage.
She said she was entitled to respond when her faith was challenged and that she was merely expressing her opinions.

Benjamin Vogelenzang said he had referred to historical figures, but not Mohammed, and had not meant to be offensive or insulting.

Mrs Tazi told Hugh Tomlinson QC, for the defence, that she was not trying to make a statement by wearing the hijab and denied having robust arguments about religion with other guests during her stay.

She told him her father and grandfather had fought in both world wars and said: 'I love my country, I thought I had the freedom to wear what I wanted to wear.'
Mrs Tazi said she had thought the Vogelenzangs were a 'genteel couple' until the incident.
She said she tried 'many religions' before converting to Islam when she married.

Mrs Tazi said: 'My journey has been a long, long journey, it was a very difficult decision to wear these clothes... I'm a normal Warrington girl who liked the Beatles.

'I had a different life before and I'm proud. My hijab is part of my faith, it's in the Koran.'
Supporters of the Vogelenzangs from The Christian Institute demonstrated outside the court this morning by singing songs.

[Uthman]

BBC Article: Christian hotelier 'abused' Muslim guest

We must condemn this, but at the same time we must remember of course, that the person in the article does not represent all Christians.

[Muezzin]

Not the most professional way to treat your guests and customers, Mr and Mrs Vogelenzang.

[Woodrow]

Stories like this makes me wonder if life has become a "B" Grade Science Fiction movie titled "Invasion of The Idiots From Beyond Reason"

[cat eyes]

people are not going to like probably what i have to say but i am in two minds whether it was the right thing to do to take them to court or not. i just keep thinking how much the prophet mohammad saw was constantly tormented by the non muslims even one woman throwing rubbish at him everytime the prophet saw walked by her house and the prophet saw never complained she ended up embracing islam due to his kindness because he visited her when she was sick but it must have been awful experience for her however i don't think i would have brought the couple to court i would have shown them mercy and forgiven them for what they have done to me i believe this will only make people rebel more against islam and its teachings thats just my opinion others may differ

[Uthman]

Article from the Times

I just realised - she's from Warrington! That's where I live as well. It's a shame that something like this had to happen, when there was really no need for it at all.

[Argamemnon]

That's the mindset of a large number of westerners.

[جوري]

Hope she sues them for all their worth and insha'Allah bankrupts them..
what a couple of deranged loons!

[جوري]

bondage and oppression isn't forcing your roommate into orgy sex before killing her, apparently it is when you keep your clothes on......... ohhhhhhhhh.. now I get it!

[The_Prince]

she should have responded back by saying no, im not a terrorist, but do you two like molesting little alter boys while telling them about the good news of Jesus Christ?

[dragonofzenshu]

she should have responded back by saying no, im not a terrorist, but do you two like molesting little alter boys while telling them about the good news of Jesus Christ?

This is where two worlds collide, right here.

Prince, brother, what you are saying is not representative of christians either! Sure, that happens among priests and baptizers, but is it any different from the radical imam who preaches hate and violence against all non muslims, or the radical rabbi who will call for the extermination of all palestinians, arabs and muslims?

There are bad, bruised apples in the bucket, my brother Prince. Of ALL groups and of ALL people.

These people acted like savages. I feel sorry for this woman. I don't know her, but she sounds like a peaceful Muslim woman and all we can do is feel her pain and try to see things from her side.

I hope and pray very much that people from all groups and types in the world can live in peace together always.

Oh and archdemon, we should go on an anti-western propaganda campaign, and try to present things from the other sides of view We seriously should im very confident others would want to follow

[Italianguy]

Please don't take that as all Christians view of Islam. He is and idiot and not a true Christian...okay that was harsh. wish i was there that is not how a Christian should act....Plus i think a Hijabb is beautiful, and don't take that the wrong way ladies. My Nonna always wore something similar.

i was told by a Muslim. "Muslims are NOT terrorists, some terrorists just claim to be Muslim" he also told me that terrorism is everything Islam is NOT.

[Italianguy]

she should have responded back by saying no, im not a terrorist, but do you two like molesting little alter boys while telling them about the good news of Jesus Christ?

Was that necessary?

[Italianguy]

people are not going to like probably what i have to say but i am in two minds whether it was the right thing to do to take them to court or not. i just keep thinking how much the prophet mohammad saw was constantly tormented by the non muslims even one woman throwing rubbish at him everytime the prophet saw walked by her house and the prophet saw never complained she ended up embracing islam due to his kindness because he visited her when she was sick but it must have been awful experience for her however i don't think i would have brought the couple to court i would have shown them mercy and forgiven them for what they have done to me i believe this will only make people rebel more against islam and its teachings thats just my opinion others may differ

I feel the same way, as a Christian, we are not supposed to sue at all. I would forgive them and pray that God changes their hearts.

[nocturnal]

I agree with the sentiments expressed so far in this thread that the views of the hoteliers should not be seen as representative of Christians in general. But one wonders what the outcome would have been had it been a Muslim hotelier having a go at a liberal person who just happens to be wearing a miniskirt. It would most likely have triggered another round of press tirades against Muslims and their recalcitrant attitude towards intergrating and assimiliating "Western values".

Just an observation.

[Humbler_359]

I am not sure why these couples harrassed this old lady. Does this christian couples understand Catholics tradition regarding Mary, Nuns, and hijabs things? Have they seen it before?

Jesus's Mother wore clothes similar to Hijab. Don't forget that.

[Ramadhan]

I agree with the sentiments expressed so far in this thread that the views of the hoteliers should not be seen as representative of Christians in general. But one wonders what the outcome would have been had it been a Muslim hotelier having a go at a liberal person who just happens to be wearing a miniskirt. It would most likely have triggered another round of press tirades against Muslims and their recalcitrant attitude towards intergrating and assimiliating "Western values".

Just an observation.

This another tired "what if a muslim does that... blah..blah..blah..."

Focus on the case, will you?
Who is the victim here?
No one in this thread said the couple represents every christians in the world.

[Ramadhan]

I am not sure why these couples harrassed this old lady. Does this christian couples understand Catholics tradition regarding Mary, Nuns, and hijabs things? Have they seen it before?

Jesus's Mother wore clothes similar to Hijab. Don't forget that.

Because christians today follow mostly the teachings and examples by Paul, other saints, and their priests, and not the examples and teachings by Jesus pbuh and Maryam?

What Would Jesus Do?
remains empty slogan.

[Ramadhan]

Hope she sues them for all their worth and insha'Allah bankrupts them..
what a couple of deranged loons!

I hope she does, just for this:

The court was told Mr Vogelenzang behaved like 'a whirling dervish', saying the Prophet Mohammed was 'a warlord' and comparing him to Hitler and Saddam Hussein.

[جوري]

I hope she does, just for this:

The court was told Mr Vogelenzang behaved like 'a whirling dervish', saying the Prophet Mohammed was 'a warlord' and comparing him to Hitler and Saddam Hussein.

good for her al7mdlillah..May Allah swt aid her through this....