JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- "God Loves You, Allah Hates," reads a sign posted outside a Mandarin church. The marquee has grabbed the attention of some and offended others.
One woman said the sign in front of First Conservative Baptist Church is a display of hatred right in her neighborhood.
Channel 4 tried to talk with the pastor to get his side of the story, but reporter Karin Hirschey said he basically hung up on her. The Muslim community said it too is being shut out.
The sign has raised controversy in the Muslim community, especially for one mother who asked not to be identified.
"What have I done? What have I done to deserve that kind of hatred in my neighborhood?" she asked.
The woman said she was driving down Old St. Augustine Road with her children when the sign immediately grabbed her attention.
"The thing that bothers me so much is that this is in my neighborhood, where I live with my children. To know that people that feel this way are in my neighborhood is scary," the woman said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the sign is offensive and wrong.
"The truth of the matter is the word God and Allah -- it's the same thing. It's the same God -- Muslims, Christians, Jews -- we all believe in the same Lord to refer to God," said CAIR spokesman Emad Ahmad "To say that God loves, but Allah hates is absolutely preposterous."
When asked about the sign, the church's pastor said the Qur'an states "God hates the sinner." In the Bible he said, "God hates only the sin."
The woman concerned about the sign said the words make no sense to her. She said she believes in freedom of speech, but she also wants acceptance for her religion.
"God is Allah, is Dieu, and is any word that that you want for God. There is no difference, and the only differences there are are man-made," she said.
The Muslim community said when a sign like the one in front of the First Conservative Baptist Church is posted it is offensive, but they said they hope others will be encouraged to go out and read the Qur'an and make their own determination of what is the truth.
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