DEARBORN — State Representative Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, called for an investigation by the attorney general’s office on July 6 into the arrest of four Christian missionaries at the Arab American International Festival on June 18.

The four missionaries were arrested for disorderly conduct when passing out flyers and speaking to festival goers about religion.

“Both the Constitution of Michigan and the United States guarantee the right of every person to enjoy free speech and practice their religion freely, just as these men were doing,” McMillin said. “Those rights can’t be just pushed aside for political correctness or to accommodate certain circumstances or locations.”

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) disagrees with McMillin’s defense of the missionaries, stating that the missionaries were not following the rules of the festival and that the Dearborn police were correct in arresting them.

“Various religious groups passed out literature in designated areas after paying for booth space unlike those persons who were arrested,” a representative of CAIR said. “Had those persons who were arrested in Dearborn been passing out their materials at a paid booth or in a public area outside of the festival area we would defend them in this matter.”

Other religious groups that attended the festival included members from Josh McDowell Ministry, who attended the festival to pass out religious literature, share stories about their faith with Arab-Americans,  and take part in a documentary about the bridging of faiths and understandings  between the Muslim world and Christianity.

According to festival goers, the missionaries who were arrested were not at a booth, but were walking within the festival talking to visitors.

Representative McMillin plans to attend the arraignment on July 12 in a show of support for the missionaries.

“These men should not be punished for exercising their inalienable rights,” McMillin said.