'Christian Refugees 2 Christian Nations, Muslim Refugees 2 Muslim Nations, That's Only Fair': Protesters rally in Missoula County Courthouse

'Our city is failing because of the refugees. We have 22 different languages spoken in our schools.'

In an effort to ease the strain on other countries who have accempted several thousand refugees, the Obama administration plans to send refugees to smaller Montana cities. Over 120 Montana citizens faced snow and ice on Monday to protest outside the Missoula County Courthouse.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Billings Gazette reported a rally of 120 people outside the Missoula County Courthouse occured to voice their anti-refugee sentiments.

In a statement prior to the rally's meeting, Rachel Carrol Rivas, the co-director of the Montana Human Rights Network, said: "In a time where it is easy for fear to take hold, it is important to hold to our values to be a free and welcoming place for people of all faiths. 

"Two of the core democratic values are to be a welcoming community where everyone can participate and the freedom to practive religion in that welcoming community. These types of events and this hateful rhetoric flies in the face of those basic rights tenants."

Another speaker, Father Joseph Carber, a Jesuit pastor of St. Francis Xavier in Missoula, asked that citizens recognize and respect "the dignity of all persons everywhere," as Pope Francis has asked before.

Pope Francis has reminded us on several occasions to remember the migrants are our brothers and sisters in search of a better life - one in which they need not fear the threat of air strikes, ISIS and random acts of terror. Unfortunately, there are several who focus on fear and prejudice instead of seeing what God wants us to see: The homeless, the hungry and the poor.

Some, such as Ann Richard, the assistant secretary of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, are more open to the idea of helping others in need. She received a letter from the Missoula County commissioners office.

The letter stated commissioners Cola Rowley, Stacy Rye and Jean Curtiss believe Missoula "is an ideal city for resettling refugees...Our community enjoys good schools, incredible natural beauty, and a low unemployment rate, among other factors. Missoula County takes our humanitarian obligations seriously. We would be proud to help in this endeavor and support the opening of a refugee resettlement office in Missoula."

Jim Buterbaugh led the anti-refugee rally partially in response to the letter.

According to WND, protesters voiced concerns over an increase in refugee-related crimes, including rape, and the inability for Muslim men to treat women with respect.

"Amarillo is overrun with refugees," Karen Sherman, a citizen of Missoula, Montana stated.
"Our city is failing because of the refugees," Sherman continued. "We have 22 different languages spoken in our schools. We've got 42 languages being fielded by our 9-1-1 call centers, and crime is just through the roof. We need to exercise caution, especially for the sake of our children."

Sherman's rant did not end there. She stated: "The rape epidemic in this world is becoming pandemic. It's not confined to one location. Fifteen years ago in Norway, rape was unheard of. Now it's an epidemic. The perpetrators are 100 percent Muslim males. In Sweden, rape has gone up by 500 percent. Stockholm recently had the dubious honor of opening their very first rape center for men and boys.

"It was covered up by the local government for fear of being viewed as racist. This only came to light because a journalist decided we needed to know about that, not the government. You can have female equality, or you can have refugees. You cannot have both."

Sherman's concerns are based on reports coming in from countries that have accepted large numbers of Muslim refugees, many of whom are so used to a society in which women are viewed as objects that they do as they please and do not accept a woman's word.

Sherman stood on her soapbox to continue, stating America was founded on tolerance and respect, but that people from Third World countries are unable to comprehend what that means.

"If people don't choose to follow the law, you cannot hire enough police officers," Sherman warned. "Whether you believe (in the Judeo-Christian God) or not, your values and your principles were influenced by that. Now we're asking that these people come here, who have been taught for thousands of years of violence and hatred, and we're expecting them to come here and assimilate to our way of life. This is a dangerous and foolish expectation.

In contrast to Sherman's stance, Rivas and the Human Rights Network released the statement: "Anti-refugee actions like the Missoula protest are being fueled, in part, by the prejudiced rhetoric of the Republican presidential candidates, especially Donald Trump, who has attacked nearly all traditionally oppressed groups from women to Jewish people. 

"These national far-right political positions have trickled down to the state level as well, resulting in a recent letter from 55 Republican legislators in Montana to Governor Bullock calling on him to block all Syrian refugees from entering Montana."

Pope Francis tells us to be accepting of the refugees, and Jesus calls is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and care for those less fortunate than ourselves. Lines blur when faced with reports of an increase in migrant-related crimes, but it is important to remember that God has the power to conquer all that comes our way - all we need do is ask.

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