I’m sure he was driven to it by the backlash of irrational anti-Muslim sentiment Americans have been wallowing in these last few years. It couldn’t be that Islam itself is in need of an Enlightenment the same way medieval Christianity was. After all it’s the Religion of Peace, right?

From the Danville Express:

Police arrested 22-year-old Abdul Walid Hamid of Hayward on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 4, after he reportedly tore a crucifix from a person’s neck and scared others at Stoneridge Shopping Center.

Hamid, an employee at a mall kiosk near Starbucks, has been charged with battery, terrorist threats and grand theft.

According to reports, Hamid was yelling “Allah is power” and “Islam is great” while holding a pen in a fist over his head. Witnesses said he shouted anti-Christian comments, said police.

Lt. Mike Elerick of the Pleasanton Police Department said the man was not provoked and didn’t threaten violence, but he committed robbery when he grabbed and broke a crucifix off someone’s neck.

Coworkers told police that Hamid’s actions were out of the ordinary and that he had worked at the kiosk for years.

Police also said they weren’t aware of a prior criminal history for the man.

“We had multiple people calling 911,” Elerick said. “One female was crouching down and hiding from him. He definitely scared quite a few people.”

Elerick said much of the man’s speech was similar to the loud scene of the Christian activists who frequent downtown Pleasanton. The big difference, however, was that Hamid was on private property and had physical contact with someone.

Yes, yes except for the violence and trespassing Hamid’s actions could be seen as exactly like the placard carrying god botherers who politely pass out pamphlets while their leaders give a Constitutionally protected sermon in a public space.

If you’re an idiot.

Not being on board with the Jesus myself, I can understand the annoyance one feels when someone preaches gospel at you while you’re looking to score an Orange Julius, but frankly most Christians I run into are polite and easily waved off. Hamid would have ripped my several gaudy necklaces off while screaming in my face about the power of his supposed god (but in actuality was the pre-Islamic father god of the pagan Arabs’ most venerated goddesses al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat) and looking for a fight, which he would have gotten because unlike Californians I don’t let dudes in those Muslim man-dresses rough me up. On a personal note: Danvillians, man up.

But I can see how that’s in some way similar to having someone ask you if you’d like a little of Jesus’ infinite love or whatever.

Of course Hamid got even more disrespectful in court when the thug, who proved he could speak English well enough to be understood by the people he was victimizing, used an interpreter to speak to the judge. You know, because the judge on his case is beneath him.

But this is just an isolated incident right? It isn’t indicative of the kind of hatred being taught in Mosques these days is it?