Thread: Rallied by anti-Muslim talk, Tea Party plans refugee protest (VIDEO)

By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com on May 06, 2016 at 3:07 PM, updated May 06, 2016 at 3:10 PM

Citing fears about terrorism, a Lehigh Valley grass-roots conservative group has announced plans to protest a church that's been renting space to a resettlement program for Syrian and other refugees.

The church targeted, however, is unaffiliated with the asylum program beyond renting space to a group that plans to discontinue its refugee assistance at the end of July.

The Lehigh Valley Project 9/12 Tea Party Group met at a banquet hall in Lower Saucon Township on Thursday night to hear from Kathy Barnette, founder of the conservative news website TruthExchange.net and a radio host on Fox News affiliate WFYL-AM 1180 in suburban Philadelphia. She spoke out against not Syrians but against Muslim immigrants.

"When we accept Islam, we're not just accepting a religion, we're also accepting a political and a military system that is incongruent with the U.S. Constitution," Barnette told a crowd of about 160 at the Se-Wy-Co Banquet Hall off Route 378. "But it's true. Do you guys get that?"

After her speech, the tea party group chairman, Tom Campione, revealed a plan to try and stop the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the Lehigh Valley. He asserted that most members of his group are sympathetic to Syrian Christians being persecuted and driven from their homes by civil war, but claimed Christians comprise the minority of those seeking U.S. visas.

"They're either dead or in hiding, so that leaves large numbers of Muslims coming over to the Lehigh Valley," Campione told the group. "And we're being told: 'Not a problem. We're good. Everything's good. You're overreacting.'"

Campione said he proposes weekly protests outside an Allentown church believed to be tied to the resettlement effort. He proposed silent protests outside St. Peter's Evangelical Church with signs calling on congregants to consider their donations potentially funding terrorism, or even "a San Bernardino event here."

The idea was to force the church to choose between offerings, its "bread and butter," and the government resettlement contract, Campione said. The protests could create a national model for opposing Muslim immigrants, a cornerstone of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's campaign.

The Lehigh Valley Tea Party Group's protest movement has a website, keepthelehighvalleysafe.com, and 37 people in the audience signed up Thursday night to go door to door to solicitor volunteers for the effort, Campione said.

He acknowledged Friday the focus of his campaign appears misplaced, and that he would investigate further the role between St. Peter's and its tenant, the refugee resettlement contractor Lutheran Children and Family Service.

"We surely don't wish to burden people who are not responsible," Campione said in an email.

'We are not involved'

The Rev. Elizabeth C. Langensiepen, pastor at St. Peter's, was surprised Friday to learn of the protest plan.

"We are not involved with the refugees," she said. "We aren't even supporting it."

Lutheran Children and Family Service is leasing the church's former parsonage through August, Langensiepen said. But Rich Gitlen, executive director of the agency, said it is terminating its federal contract for refugee services as of July 29.

"The board made that decision based on fiduciary responsibility to the organization," he said Friday, adding that the contract was not covering the cost of delivering services.

He said the number of refugees who have come through Allentown since last year is in the range of 70 to 80. Looking to take over the effort in Allentown — as well as in Philadelphia, Roslyn, and in Lancaster — is Bethany Christian Services, a Michigan-based organization operating in 36 different states, said Mark Unger, eastern regional director whose territory covers Pennsylvania.

The agency on Friday submitted an abstract outlining its proposed program to the U.S. State Department for assisting refugees. He sees the potential for 600 to 700 refugees coming to the four Pennsylvania locations during the 2017 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, including "a fair amount of Congolese" and children from Honduras.

"It's not just Syrian refugees that we're working with," Unger said Friday from Lancaster. "Right now that's a population that's gotten a lot of attention, and there are certainly a lot of Syrians coming."

Bethany Christian Services is in talks to continue using the same space in Allentown that Lutheran Children and Family Service has used, but is considering other locations, Unger said. The parsonage space is used now only as offices, not housing, said Langensiepen, from St. Peter's.

Barnette, in her tea party address Thursday night, portrayed America as in danger from Muslim immigrants who may be terrorist group plants, including from what had been known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria but which is increasingly known as simply the Islamic State.

Opposing Muslim worldview

It's a worldview that she says Americans are justified in opposing.

"We do it all the time," she told the firehall audience. "Did we not reject Hitler's worldview of Nazi Germany? What about Stalin's worldview of communism? What about Mussolini's fascist worldview?

"We rejected those worldviews because we have a right to say something is true, something is false, something is good, something is bad, something is evil, something is not."

Barnette took time to lay bare that she does not oppose Syrian immigrants, only those who follow Islam.

"Let me make myself clear: I do not reject and I do not encourage you to reject Syrian people," said. "I have a problem with Muslim Syrians. I have a problem with Syrians that have the worldview of Islam."

She referenced deadly attacks in Europe tied to terrorists claiming to be carrying out Islamic beliefs and said she fears more of the same at home

"I have the right to be able to take my son to a movie and not expect to be blown up or shot," Barnette said. "There's no negotiation with these people. ... I have a right to go to an airport and not expect to be blown up."

The tea party audience, some of whom openly carried handguns on their belts, gave her a standing ovation before a brief break, which was followed by Campione airing his protest proposal.

His concern is more about security than religion, saying he believes the vetting process for refugees to be inadequate.

"We have a city in the Valley called Bethlehem," Campione said. "Gee, what kind of a symbol is that for a jihadist? We've got Christmas tree lightings, we've got all kinds of events. Wouldn't they love to attack Bethlehem, the symbolic birthplace of Christ?"

Unger, from Bethany Christian Services, said potential refugees are seeking asylum, of two years, because they have lost their homes. It is not their choice, and they undergo checks by federal law enforcement.

"I know there's a lot of fear out there because of what took place in Paris," he said. "But I would say that we have a pretty high vetting process that the federal government provides."

Rallied by anti-Muslim talk, Tea Party plans refugee protest (VIDEO ...

One BILLION to Churches, of our money, out of our wallets, going to these Churches. Another big money making scam on the US taxpayers in the guise of "refugees".

No more refugees, no asylum, no illegal migrants from anywhere. These costs and consequences are skyrocketing and needs to be brought to a complete halt.

Go help them on their soil. This is not the solution to allow 3 billion people to invade other countries, it is a failed policy just like everything they come up with in D.C.

Go Trump!

No longer called “Refugee Resettlement”

Kathy Burnett may 3 2016

Yes, you heard that correctly. In an effort to distort Facts and cover-up true intentions the U.S. government, in cahoots with the U.N., will now use the terms “pathways,””alternative pathways,” or “legal admissions.”

In fact, you can call it almost anything except for what it really is, refugee resettlement. http://m.state.gov/md255304.htm- read below

Some of the deceptive new “pathways” that will be used to circumvent the already spotty vetting process will be to solicit universities to extend scholarships, use visa program, broaden family reunification program to include aunts, uncles, grandparents and the likes, etc.

Our America is being undone, people. It’s time to engage your time, wallet, and minds to joining those who are on the front lines. A radical change is coming…

http://truthexchange-sow.com/no-longer-called-refugee-resettlement/



U.S. Department of State

The United States Announces Additional Pledges in Support of Syrian Refugees


Media Note Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

March 30, 2016

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Today, at a high-level meeting convened by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on “Global Responsibility Sharing through Pathways for Admission of Syrian Refugees” held in Geneva, Switzerland, Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom announced additional steps the United States is taking to help Syrian refugees.

First, the United States pledged an additional $10 million to UNHCR to strengthen its efforts to identify and refer vulnerable refugees, including Syrians, for resettlement. The United States also reaffirmed its commitment to resettle at least 10,000 Syrians in FY 2016 and increase the total number of resettled refugees from around the world to 100,000 by the end of FY 2017 - an increase of over 40 percent since FY 2015 - while maintaining a robust security screening protocol. Additionally, the United States has created a program to allow U.S. citizens and permanent residents to file refugee applications for their Syrian family members.


The United States also committed to sharing its technical expertise on resettlement and integration with countries developing new resettlement programs; creating long-term partnerships with resettlement and integration experts and practitioners in Europe; and linking dozens of European and U.S. institutions, government officials, civil society members, and thought leaders to discuss U.S. resettlement and integration experiences at the national and local levels.


The United States joins UNHCR in calling for new ways nations, civil society, the private sector, and individuals can together address the global refugee challenge. The United States encourages other countries to consider expanding resettlement and other forms of admissions for all refugee populations, ensuring that more of those in need have the opportunity to start their lives anew in safety and with dignity.



[This is a mobile copy of The United States Announces Additional Pledges in Support of Syrian Refugees]

http://m.state.gov/md255304.htm