RED HOUSE VA – It was mainly one Muslim individual who attacked a Christian Action Network crewman Wednesday, May 21, at the Red House, Virginia, Muslims of America compound.

Videographer John Eagle began a police report process seeking charges against an un-named man identified on CAN video footage as grabbing at his camera, then later clubbing the side of the crew’s car as they began to drive away from the compound.

Crew leader Jason Campbell clarified the crew had in their possession a print-out from the Muslims of America website stating the general public is welcome to visit compounds.

Campbell said he expected better, even though some of his previous visits to Muslim of America compounds have been a little rough.

“I have been to these camps before; this is the first time I’ve really been assaulted,” he said. But, “Yes, I have been chased…I’ve experience different things at these compounds.”

Campbell said while he wouldn’t expect open arms, he was not expecting aggressive hostility either.

“We are still a bit frazzled,” he said in an on-camera interview minutes after the incident.

“We came there peacefully, saying what Sheikh [Mubarak Ali] Gilani had said, that if you come here, you are more than welcome to see what they are all about,” he added.

“We did that, and we were assaulted - not only [that], but our vehicle was assaulted upon leaving by the gentleman taking his cane and smashing it onto the window of the car.”

What about showing them proof of the invitation to visit?

The man with the cane, “would have nothing to do with that,” Campbell said. He then became interspective about what the violence of the incident meant, and mentioned the Soldiers of Allah video the crew wanted to show camp residents and gather comments on.

“I believe these people have seen the Soldiers of Allah video, and they are training to be who Sheikh Gilani wants them to be…what it showas them [on the video]…how to be aggressive,” he said.

“I was wrong, I had the impression that these people weren’t aggressive, were not violent; today has shown differently.”

Assaulted videographer John Eagle said things heated up as the man with the cane approached the crew’s location, motioning with his hand to leave, not listening to anything about an invitation or a video to watch.

“I continued to proceed with filming the lead gentleman coming out. Once he finished talking to Jason here, he approached me,” he said.

“He went directly at my camera, grabbed it, grabbed my arm, started shaking the camera violently loose from my arm, whereas he scratched up my arm slightly,” he added. “After that, he backed off some and allowed us to get back inside our vehicle.”

In the scuffle over the camera, Eagle explained, the man’s arm and his arm took hold of different parts of the camera in a struggle for control. Sometime during that twisting scuffle, the power connection came loose.

“I noticed the power was out, so I plugged in again…I continued filming as we were rolling out, and [the man with the cane] comes running up to the car with his cane,” Eagle said.

It was another attack against Eagle - to strike the passenger-side front window where Eagle was sitting.

“I felt quite threatened in that situation; he did try to get the upper hand on me, but he was not able to grab the camera or push me off balance,” he added.

“He did try very hard, and he was definitely aiming to harm me when he took that cane and tried to smash through my window.”

Campbell said the crew will make further attempts to present the Soldiers of Allah video, including if they wish, an unedited copy produced entirely by Sheikh Gilani, founder of Muslims of America.

The Christian Action Network seeks general-member comments on the video and questions CAN wants to ask about what Gilani said of a strategy for training “Soldiers of Allah” in America.

“I think we need to keep the message out and keep doing it,” Campbell said. “I’m sure they have seen the video, but we should find out their explanation of it.”

CAN president Martin Mawyer, not present with the crew, said the violence was unprovoked, and one assailant’s instantaneous demand for the crew to leave made no sense when compared to Gilani’s statement of invitation.

The invitation noted as offered in Gilani’s own words on the MOA website, reads, “Muslims of America villages and campuses are open for all to come and see for themselves.”

At a debriefing after the incident, Mawyer asked Eagle if he had had enough. “Let me ask you this, are you willing to do this again?”

“Absolutely, any day, everyday,” Eagle said, “I’m ready to go now, right now – you just let me know where.”