CBS 19 - The Eye of East Texas News - 6 Rallies Planned to Boycott Muslim Stamp

6 Rallies Planned to Boycott Muslim Stamp

By Wilton Johnson

A Liberty City woman says you shouldn't buy a postal service stamp commemorating two Muslim holidays. In fact, there are rallies planned against the stamp.

Organizer Teresa Richenberger says there are six locations for this rallies.

Sharon Polk doesn't know that this stamp commemorates the Muslim holidays of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-adha, nor does she feel threatened religiously.

"We are a Christian nation and we love, we care. And, if we love it we will just set it aside," Polk said.

But Liberty City's Teresa Richenberger won't. She says our nation's leaders are turning their backs on the nation's Christian values.

"I want our President and Congress to stand up and acknowledge those, they won't, but they'll acknowledge every other that's coming in," Richenberger said.

Islamic Society of East Texas society leader Anwar Khalifa points out several other stamps that honor non-Christian religions.

Richenberger says she won't accept a Muslim stamp as long as the current administration snubs Christians.

"50,000 Muslims are meeting in Washington on September 25th and they're ok with that," Richenberger said.

From the 1840's, stamps have honored men who did not want to be kings, kings of civil rights movements and music as well as just plain goofy things. They don't cost alot of dough, and Polk says they are definitely not political.

"They're all going to do what they're supposed to do, get your mail from one point to another, it's not a big deal to me."

Contrary to viral emails, that stamp is not new. It was released in 2001 during the Bush administration and this is the sixth time it is being reissued. The stamp says "Happy Holidays" in Arabic.

Several rallies have been planned to protest the stamp. They are scheduled in Liberty City, Kilgore, Longview, Henderson, Carthage and Hallsville Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.