Alhamdulillah (thank God), an act of terrorism with potential of causing significant harm in New York has been averted. A crude car-bomb was planted in a SUV parked in the bustling New York Times Square. This square is at the heart of New York, and is part of the city that especially never sleeps.
While significant harm has been averted on the ground, our elected leaders continue to harm American interests with premature conclusions. It does seem that they just haven’t learned from history. Amazing, and then not so surprising, that Mayor George W. Bloomberg is already blaming “international terrorists”, who “hate our freedoms” for the failed act of terrorism. Of course he cannot already know who is behind the plot, but as the security expert stated (in an interview with Al Jazeera -story below), this line appears to take a pretty much no-regrets position, with politicians using it for their “own political advantage to accuse the Islamic militants even if it turned out that they have nothing to do with it”.
The plot, Bloomberg admits, was “amateurish” as has been every “plot” thus far in America, thank God. Why Bloomberg thinks that well-trained “international terrorists” could be amateurish escapes me; rather, such plots may point more to local extremists, who could be either the J-types or could be the white-supremacist-types.
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More than a year ago, the Department of Homeland security warned about a rise in “rightwing extremist activity”, especially under tough economic times. With a non-white in the Presidential seat, one can only imagine white supremacist anger at this time. So why should that possibility be immediately excluded, Mr. Bloomberg? In fact, if there is anyone who hates our freedoms, it is the white supremacists who hate non-whites’ freedom!
Of course, the entire premise of “our freedoms” being a cause (let alone primary cause) for terrorism is entirely bogus. Most j-types don’t really care for our “freedoms”; a lot of them actually had and left these “freedoms” on their own accord. Rather, their hate is driven by America’s foreign policies. Of course, Bloomberg won’t say that, because that indirectly makes Israel complicit. As the military chiefs have finally come out said it, Israel’s policies are indeed one of the biggest factors for anti-Americanism.
So, if it is indeed “international terrorists”, Mr. W-wannabe, it is not for freedoms, but rather for our policies and the policies of Israel. Not that this fact excuses the terrorists for their treachery, but lets at least get the causes right, so we can do something about the consequences.
We hope and pray of course that no Muslims were involved. If they were, then let’s brace for another media pounding, with cheer-leading provided by the Islamophobic right-wingers, the ziocons & the neocons. In any case, Muslim organizations should assume the worst-case scenario, and start preparing for a response.
Car bomb found in New York square
A car bomb has been found in New York City’s Time Square, prompting US police to evacuate thousands of people from the area.
Police said the explosive device, discovered in a four-wheel-drive vehicle on Saturday evening, consisted of propane tanks, fireworks, petrol containers, wires and two clocks.
Michael Bloomberg, the city’s mayor, said the bomb, which failed to go off, was homemade and “looked amateurish”.
“We are very lucky. Thanks to alert New Yorkers and professional police officers, we avoided what could have been a very deadly event,” he said.
Bloomberg also said that “we have no idea who did this and why”.
Bomb-squad staff were deployed in busy square in the heart of Manhattan late on Saturday and police shut down several streets after a street vendor alerted police of “an unoccupied suspicious vehicle”.
Bloomberg said the police then observed that the car had smoke emerging from vents near the back seat and smelled of gun powder. There were reports of a small flash and popping sounds also coming from the car.
Nearby life normal
Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey, reporting from Manhattan, said that while the square was shut down, life was going on as usual in areas nearby.
“New Yorkers have lived through many scares,” she said.
“The [four-wheel vehicle] was a Nissan Pathfinder with licence plates from the state of Connecticut.
“The plates were actually traced and found to belong to another vehicle so obviously investigation is still going on.”
The purpose of the bomb was to create “a significant amount of fire,” Raymond Kelly, the city police commissioner, said.
He said that after an examination by bomb squad experts, the vehicle will be moved to a police location.
“The vehicle will be examined for DNA and fingerprint evidence.”
Terrorists blamed
In his press conference, Mayor Bloomberg said that “terrorists around the world”, who want to take “freedoms” away from the Americans, always focus on the symbol of those freedoms – New York City.
Riad Kahwaji, a security analyst from the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis in Dubai, said it was “premature” to accuse international terrorists.
“We shouldn’t jump into conclusions here,” he told Al Jazeera.
“We have a precedent here, back in the 1990s, of the attack on the FBI building in Oklahoma city. People immediately accused Islamic militants and it turned out [the culprit] was one of the right-wing fundamentalists from inside the US.
“Right now, the big bogeyman is al-Qaeda, the Islamic terrorists. … For the US, it’s always safe and good for their own political advantage to accuse the Islamic militants even if it turned out that they have nothing to do with it.”
A statement issued by the White House said the New York police department had done “excellent work” in responding to the incident.
Unconfirmed reports said someone had been seen running from the car.
The vehicle had been parked close to a theatre on the corner of 45th Street and Seventh Avenue showing a production of The Lion King.
Times Square is one of the city’s most high-profile attractions and police are deployed there in large numbers.
In December they closed the area while inspecting a van at first feared to contain a bomb, but which turned out to be carrying nothing dangerous.
[Source: Al Jazeera]
#Culture1 month ago
Zalyotchik
May 2, 2010 at 11:10 AM
I didn’t see Bloomberg say that. I think that quote is made up.
Amad
May 2, 2010 at 12:35 PM
You thought wrong. Here it is quoted in Bloomberg.com, tough to beat that as a source! :)
[Source: Bloomberg.com]
Al Jazeera would not put its world-class reporting and credibility at stake by making up such a quote.
Abu Noor Al-Irlandee
May 2, 2010 at 2:49 PM
The “Pakistani Taliban” allegedly have released a video claiming responsibility for an attack on the U.S. The video doesn’t mention the specifics of this incident and the “Pakistani Taliban” have falsely claimed responsibility for previous incidents of violence in the U.S.
Still, the media has already run with headlines of Pakistani Taliban claiming responsibility for this attempted attack.
Yousuf
May 2, 2010 at 6:07 PM
I have heard of A-type personalities. What is J-type?
amad
May 3, 2010 at 12:48 AM
jihadi types :)
Brother
May 2, 2010 at 10:12 PM
Maybe Bloomberg has knowledge the rest of us don’t and it was in fact international terrorists (I’d like to know how he got that knowledge in that case). However, if he doesn’t, and the culprit turns out not to be related somehow to Islam, then Muslim groups should absolutely demand an explanation in the same public manner where he made his comments.
Worst case here is that Bloomberg made a stereotypical comment, and the stereotype is re-enforced in the minds of people after the culprit(s) are positively identified.
amad
May 3, 2010 at 12:49 AM
Accountability for such statements usually comes from the media… but our media is more than happy to swallow such “errors” because its only the mooslims.
Uthman
May 3, 2010 at 12:53 AM
this just in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8657606.stm
what was it that bloomberg was blabbering about?
amad
May 3, 2010 at 2:01 AM
It sounded good… He wanted a guiliani-bush image. But I doubt the media will raise an issue on his “blabbering”… no accountability.
Shafkat
May 3, 2010 at 11:41 AM
Here is the actual report :
GORDON DUFF: TIMES SQUARE BOMB HOAX, ISRAELI INTEL GROUP SHOWS IT’S HAND
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/05/02/gordon-duff-time-square-bomb-hoax-israeli-intel-group-shows-its-hand/
Ma asalaam
Shafkat
waleed
May 3, 2010 at 3:21 PM
Maybe things aren’t he way they seem….
May Allah bring the zionists to justice. Ameen
Baasel
May 4, 2010 at 1:00 AM
Asalamu Alaykum.
Some smoke comes out of a black jeep….and it’s all over world news.
27 Afghans are killed in a NATO air strike on February 28, 2010….no one cares….no one remembers….
I applaud MM from rebuking the Mayor of NY and his ridiculous comments, but at the same time, you’re also giving this incident attention, and attention that it doesn’t actually deserve.
Do you know who actually deserves an article on MM? Those 27 Afghans, the 8 Afghan children killed on December 28, 2009, and the 3 Afghan women killed in February, who deaths were only brought to attention in April 2010, after NATO tried to cover it up….
Jazak’Allah Khair.
amad
May 4, 2010 at 1:16 AM
It will get a lot of attention, whether we posted this or not, esp. since now they have arrested a Pakistani-American for it. It affects Muslims in America, something that may be difficult to understand for people who don’t live our reality.
Baasel
May 4, 2010 at 9:51 PM
Amid a popular “American” tourist destination, a small amount of smoke emerges from the back of a black S.U.V…the world is made to hear about it.
Go back only two months, February 28, 2010, NATO kills 27 Afghans during a military offensive. The attack includes women and children.
*Snipped*
– You have had an opportunity to make this case in an earlier comment, which I let go. If everytime we have a post on afghani deaths, and someone kept throwing 9/11 on our face, I don’t think we’d appreciate it. The two situations are both wrong. When we talk about American foreign policy blunders, you are welcome to make your comments there. But this is off-topic to it. -Amad
amad
May 4, 2010 at 1:36 AM
I guess our fear has come true. Seems that some knucklehead Muslim, a naturalized American of Pakistani origin, Faisal Shahzad, is allegedly the key suspect. Apparently, he tried to scratch the VIN off the side of the road, but forgot that the engine has it too! Furthermore, he may have bought the car via Craigslist, using his REAL NAME in his email for the transaction… talk about “terrorism expertise” [See this article]!! Seems like he may be another fool, convinced by the J-types, that doing “something” is our duty!
Wallahualam, let’s see how this plays out… but it isn’t looking too good for Muslim Americans, once again.
If this is true, then another wake up call for Muslim scholars in the West, who continue to NOT tackle this issue and refute these extremists theologically on the turf they abuse, and yes I am calling out our own MM, almaghrib, kawthar shayookh. How long will you wait? *
*NOTE: some people have misunderstood this comment to mean that the shayookh have not condemned or spoken out against radicalism. That is absolutely not what I meant. In fact, you can find their comments, posts and audio right here on MM where they speak out against it. So, the proof is in the pudding. My point was different, and much more nuanced. It was that we need a treatise that addresses the out-of-context textual proofs thrown around by the extremists, not to show off for non-Muslims, but rather to prevent a minority of Muslims who are neither here nor there, from being influenced by the wrong crowd. This would require a series of posts covering such subjects as wala wal bara, the true jihad, refuting radical ideas, etc. Perhaps all this has been done, perhaps in Arabic, I don’t know. If that is the case, then we just need to do a better job in collecting and disseminating it inshallah.
Hassan
May 4, 2010 at 10:48 AM
I have seen condemnation all the time, what specifics they could talk about to tackle this issue?
another white brother
May 4, 2010 at 11:17 AM
Frankly, all I see is condemnation. Not fact checking.
Amad
May 4, 2010 at 2:59 PM
Hassan, there are 2 issues related to this situation.
Issue-1 is the cause and effect paradigm. Even the US military chiefs, as I linked to, are finally admitting that Israeli policies and by proxy America’s policies is putting our troops in harm’s ways. There is a significant blow-back happening, and it is related to America’s wars in Afghanistan/Iraq AND Israel’s occupation. People are genuinely angry. You will find America’s favorability ratings in the Muslim world in the teens probably. That’s bad, really bad. And there is good reason for it. Obama’s rhetoric is a welcome change, and I firmly believe that rhetoric has to come first, in order to make way for action. Everything is about selling ideas. We saw this with healthcare. Lots of talk, then finally action. HOWEVER, until that action comes, nothing has changed for people on the ground in the Muslim world and even for Muslims in the West. So, hatred will not be abated. With hatred comes politically-charged extremism in religious garbs. And finally, a small percent of this extremism will end up taking HARAM action. This results in more Islamophobia, more anti-Muslim action, and it is all a vicious cycle.
Which brings me to Issue-2. The “cause” is there and will continue to be there for the near future. I don’t see the ground reality changing for some time, until the administration can be in a position to over-rule the Lobby-funded Congress. So, assuming the “cause” stays, how do you channel the “effect”, the anger, into positive channels or at the least into non-destructive channels. And this implies someone doesn’t commit an injustice in return for an injustice. This is where our religious scholars come in. There has to be an anti-radicalism program, a “tutorial” of sort targeted at the youth. So that they are vaccinated against extreme destructive messages. Not that they should stop feeling a real sense of pain and hurt for the Ummah. Not at all, that’s the normal Muslim reaction. If you don’t feel it, then you have a serious problem.
But rather they channel that energy (anger) into something positive. If not positive, they at least don’t do something stupid and Islamically forbidden, as we saw in the attempts of Farouq, and allegedly Faisal.
I want to expand on this further in a post… hope I get some time for it. The problem is that many of our energetic youth who are past “rectification” cannot distinguish between 1 & 2, and they love to flame that conversation wherever it takes place. So, that scares people too… but alhamdulilah for my thick skin that still allows me to continue taking hits :)
Hope this helps to see what I was talking about.
suhail
May 4, 2010 at 4:36 PM
You really believe in Obama don’t you Amad. You are in for a big surprise there. Allah has already said to us that the Kuffar will never be our friends what ever we do unless we renounce our religion. So either Allah did not knew what is going on or we are just too much depending on kuffar for our own lack of actions.
This whole thing of blowing cars and stuff in US is totally idiotic and harmful to the muslims and nobody can argue in its favor. But we also cannot fool ourselves with depending on President of the US who is Kuffar to help us out in the situation we are in. The solution lies within us and with us. If we do not get back to Allah and hold onto his ropes nobody is going to save us and Allah will replace us with somebody who are willing to go an extra mile for his deen.
Remember we need Allah and his deen not vice versa. Allah is not in need of us we are in need of him. And the whole point of getting back to Allah is to please him with our actions and intents. Getting rulership etc. are a side product of not the main goal of a muslim anyways. Waiting on Obama to change his policies is like shooting in our own foot.
Amad
May 5, 2010 at 1:16 AM
Suhail, what if I took your entire comment, extracted your anti-Obama rhetoric and then went on a tear about how that is wrong, while ignoring the essence of your comment? How would that make you feel?
Your dichotomous world will start coming apart if you just think about how many times you yourself have hoped in a “kafir” professor for better grades, or a “kafir” boss for a promotion. What about the Prophet(S)’s hope in Najashi that he would give refuge to the Muslims (otherwise he would never send them). If he thought like you in a black and white world of Muslims and kuffar, then do you think he would have done that? In fact, the Qur’an also refutes you, “And you will find that the closest people in friendship to the believers are those who say, ;We are Christian.'” [5:82], and it is not contradictory to other verses of not taking them as awliya. That is why we cannot rely on our understanding of verses to come up with conclusions. The reality of the world is very different from what you make it appear, and you yourself don’t live in that reality… it’s easy to say things online than to practically implement them.
Our ultimate hope is always in Allah. We can have hope in humans, regardless of religion, but we can only have tawakul in Allah. And this is not the post to argue about this tangent further.
Now go back and read my comment again. My point was clear. I have some hope in Obama being better than his predecessor and eventually doing something positive on the ground. BUT, I said that we don’t know how long this will take, IF it even happens. So, we CANNOT wait for that, we must move to the Issue#2, and do what we can assuming nothing changes.
suhail
May 5, 2010 at 2:04 PM
I could not reply to your comment brother so i will do so here.
There are 2 fallacy in your argument here brother.
1) You can not compare Obama and Najashi. Comparing them is like comparing blueberrys and watermelon. First of all Prophet(SAW) was guided by Allah(SWT) to choose Najashi otherwise Prophet(SAW) have never known Najashi personally. Secondly Najashi was not at war with muslims. If you really want to compare Obama to than take the leaders from Quraysh as they were at war with the muslims.
2) I never made world black and white. That is your own deduction from my comments. I have already said on this very website that we can always cooperate with the Kuffar in good and trade with them etc. This is what the Islamic scholarship have said over the last 1400 years of our history. What i am opposed to and most of the scholars of Islam will testify to that is we cannot take the Kuffar as our Awliya. They cannot be our friends in the sense that we depend on them on our needs. We depend solely on Allah(SWT). Yes we can use there help, help them in stuff and all the other wonderful things but the sole power to grant anything belongs solely to Allah.
This thing does not change with time or reality since Allah will not cease to be Allah. He is the lord of all the worlds and our creator which is not going to cease.
Even if my teacher wanted to give me an A+ he would not do so until Allah(SWT) permits it. So the sole authority of any decision is from Allah(SWT). We work hard and then rely on Allah(SWT). That is simple Aqeedah 101.
I think you read my arguments with tinted lenses brother so read it with an open heart and hopefully you will see what i am saying.
Uthman
May 4, 2010 at 4:12 PM
I have said it so many times and I will say it again. We need a class on Jihad in Islam and what the Shari3ah says. This is the only way we can get rid of “terrorism”. We cannot just go to some conference and the speaker delivers a talk on terrorism for one hour and we come back with one side of the story. Why is it hard to have a class on this subject? It is afterall our religion and by the First Amendment we are allowed to practice our religion.
So what is indeed stopping us from confronting the issue head on? It will be good dawah as well. Imagine how many non-muslims would come to such a class.
We can even eradicate terrorism with this. I think its a great idea. wallah u a3lam!
Sir Magpie De Crow
May 4, 2010 at 5:34 AM
Just seeing the incoming reports on Faisal. Gee… another plot linked to Pakistan. Again. I’m sorry, but Pakistan in my opinion is increasingly becoming the “Groundhog’s Day” of international extremism.
Pingback: Jules Crittenden » Let The Self-Recriminations Begin!
akhan
May 4, 2010 at 10:21 AM
ahhh another headache
Dr. Ali Shehata
May 4, 2010 at 7:35 PM
Salaam alaikum Amad and others,
I am a little disappointed in your statement. Even though I am a relative unknown among other da’ees in the Western Muslim community, I personally have addressed this issue in at least ten dedicated University and Community oriented programs in at least 5 different states in the past 2-3 years. Moreover, I have addressed this issue in detail in every official al-Maghrib seminar I have given, with a nearly 90 minute discussion on this matter in the last course. I also addressed the issue in my book Demystifying Islam and in a lengthy YouTube condemnation of al-Qaeda and its adherents.
While I am not knowledgeable of many teachers in al-Maghrib and al-Kawthar, I do know that Sh. Waleed Basyouni, Yasir Qadhi and Yaser Birjas addressed this issue in a detailed session at the last IlmFest from what I have been told (was not there). Furthermore, Sh. Waleed has written a very detailed and evidence filled book on Combating the Extremist Mentality which I have been involved in translating for him for over the past one year. I know that he has also addressed this issue in numerous dedicated programs as well as teaching us as students when I lived in Houston 6 years ago when he taught the Commentary to Sahih al-Bukhari’s Chapter on Fitan (Kitaabul-Fitan). And I have no doubt that others in the Western Muslim community have done everything possible to uproot this problem in their own communities.
Islam has nearly 1.5 billion adherents and is estimated to have between 6-8 million adherents in the US. The number of people involved in Extremism is but an extremely small fraction of this huge number and just because someone does something stupid it does not mean that we are not doing our job of conveying the knowledge. Look at those who follow Anwar al-Awlaki’s teachings of extremist thought – they too have access to all of our rebuttals and they are not satisfied because their emotions are raging and it is these emotions that blind their intellects and make it difficult for anyone – East or West – to stop them.
I would humbly ask that we stop giving credence to the media’s impression that “Muslims are not condemning or educating”. This is a false and baseless claim and it hurts the efforts that we make on a continual basis.
Dr. Ali Shehata
Amad
May 5, 2010 at 12:39 AM
salam
Dr. Ali, first of all, I am sorry if I have spoken out of my league.
I don’t disagree that the shayookh have spoken. I have heard some of the tapes. I never said they have not condemned. That has definitely happened, and I would like to make sure any external parties reading this don’t misunderstand me. I know all Muslim organizations are also condemning as well. But I don’t necessarily agree that the education has been done on the scale it needs to be… and perhaps it is an issue of resources. Very limited number of du’at/scholars in the West who are facing a multitude of issues, from social issues to political issues.
I am glad to see that alhamdulilah, we are tackling the issue of extremism in depth as well. But unfortunately, it cannot be limited to groups of Almaghrib students. Most of us don’t have that opportunity. It needs wider dissemination, which means taking the discussion to “their turf”, which right now is the internet, whether we like it or not. What percent of these guys will actually go to an Almaghrib seminar?
For those who have followed discussions on MM, we have been almost begging for a long time for a lengthy treatise to be done on this issue. Every time we post a condemnation, whether from shayookh or bloggers, the same theme arises again… “same old condemnations, where is the textual references and refutations?” I have taken the brunt of these (sometimes vicious) retorts. My statement, may Allah forgive me for my mistakes if it is one, stems out of frustration of this process.
If the detailed refutation has been done, can we talk about how to bring it forward?
L Mirza
May 5, 2010 at 4:34 AM
This is bad. And this guy is the son of ex Air Chief MArshall of Pakistani Air force, belonging to a very rich family.
Figure out guys!
The only consolation for Muslims in this case is that the stupid guy’s bombs did not explode. Just imagine if that had happened! All of us will be in house arrest here!
Amad is right; it is time to keepa way and condemn; otherwise we are all traitors to our adopted country
Hassan
May 5, 2010 at 11:27 AM
I am sure no media is mentioning that muslim guy first spotted the car:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/5/5/863762/-A-Muslim-Saves-The-Day-In-New-York
Sayf
May 5, 2010 at 12:17 PM
That’s so big it should be in the article, good catch bro.
Shafkat
May 5, 2010 at 2:07 PM
As salaam alykum,
Do not come to any conclusions till you have read this latest report:
May 5, 2010
Gordon Duff
TIMES SQUARE ” FIZZLER” ISRAEL’S CROTCH BOMBER REDUX
GOP and Fox News Campaign Continues to Stamp The Israeli Brand On Time Square Bomber More Airport Magic….
Watching the news on the arrest of the Time Square bomber, or as we will call him, “the Time Square Fizzler,” and the flood of political attacks on the president and news reports condemning Pakistan and Islam make it all clear as a bell. The ‘highly trained’ terrorist, supposedly schooled in explosives and ‘secret agent stuff’ is another patsy. Think “Mumbai” and the recent trial. All our suspect could say, over and over, knowing he is doomed is that he was ‘set up.’
Watch and learn…..
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/05/05/gordon-duff-time-square-fizzler-israels-crotch-bomber-redeux/
Sir Magpie De Crow
May 5, 2010 at 11:57 PM
To Shafkat:
So despite numerous reports in which the “suspect” admits guilt, the physical evidence and paper trail leading back to his ownership of the vehicle, or a new report that he has waved legal representation which allows him to spill his collective beans… you are still saying there is insufficient evidence to even think he is responsible.
“It’s a set up!” “He was framed!” “It’s a conspiracy!” “The Zionists did it”. Etc.
Based on the reports I have read I can only conclude that his own stupidity was the thing that set him up. I have been far more impressed by the leading indicators of Faisal’s guilt in this episode than the so-called evidence I have read in other stories.
Here is one such example: Eight members of a Christian family burned alive in Pakistan for supposedly defiling a copy of the Koran in late 2009. And what was the overwhelming evidence in the case of such an egregious act?… rumors. No forensics, no believable eyewitness accounts and no admissions of guilt… just rumor.
That’s all it took to sentence eight “kaffirs” to a death most unkind. I think I can promise you that Faisal Shahzad will receive a far more merciful and fair sentence should he be convicted in American courts. Perhaps your high standards of evidence requires something on the order of two suicidal idiots driving a flaming SUV into a Glasgow airport on live television.
So in conclusion Shafkat, I know you may find my next comment may not be “halal” but I will say it anyways… Your assertions on this story are complete and utter hogwash.
Sayf
May 6, 2010 at 12:22 AM
I’m not going to enter the discussion on the NY case, I just wanted to point out one thing:
That was an unnecessary addition, I don’t think anyone here would see the above statement as Islamic justice.
Amad
May 6, 2010 at 12:52 AM
You couldn’t hide your Islamophobia, could you??
You know the story he quoted was from a military veteran, who was NOT a Muslim. What nice anti-Christian story will you throw to counter that?
It was sufficient for you to state your distaste for the story, which I agree is hogwash, rather than highlighting an incident that has nothing to do with Islam. You remember the Christian woman who drowned her children alive? What was the children’s guilt. Unrelated examples don’t help your case, they just highlight your own prejudices. And you cannot defeat bigotry with more bigotry.
atheistdebater
May 6, 2010 at 12:28 AM
The author was blaming Jews for the attempted bombing in Times Square? Does Muslim scapegoating of Jews know no shame? Why did MM give this hate-blinded author a pulpit? I was not at all surprised to find-out the perpetrator was Pakistani Muslim. If it had turned-out the perpetrator was a Jew from Tel Aviv, on the other hand, I would have been floored.
This terrorist promised allegience to our country when he became a citizen last year. He then tried to kill innocent Americans just a year later. Do terrorists have no shame?
I know this website does not welcome those challenging Islam as an ideology. Somebody please tell me where I can go to debate Muslims who are not afraid to debate kaffirs.
Sayf
May 6, 2010 at 12:36 AM
Are you talking about the article? I think you should read it again lol.
If you’re looking for a place to debate:
http://www.islamic-life.com/forums/atheism-agnosticism
It should give the mods here a break from handling comments not about the articles.
atheistdebater
May 6, 2010 at 12:52 AM
Thank you, Sayf. I have opened an account on Islamic-Life.com. I so look forward to the debating. If anyone wants to debate me, I will be on that website.
Hi, Amad. I hope you are well. Don’t worry, I won’t be staying long.
Amad
May 6, 2010 at 12:49 AM
Hello, which author are you referring to??
If you are referring to Shafkat’s comment, he linked to some military veteran who is making assertions of some zionist conspiracy. I agree that veteran’s story is a non-story, just another conspiracy angle, that doesn’t deserve much attention. Pure BS in my personal opinion.
I would like you to refrain from making outlandish accusations of antisemitism. Shafkat and the veteran are talking about zionist/Israeli involvement. As nonsensical as it sounds in this case, Zionism or anti-Islam sentiments is NOT equal to anti-Jew sentiments.
Just to make it clear, we recently deleted comments from some guy who made direct ant-Jewish comments, and it wasn’t the first time. We will not allow any sort of racist or antisemitic comments on this site.
As for your questions, “do terrorists have no shame”… indeed, they are shameless animals. Most Muslims have NO love lost for them. The problem you get is that conspiracies get in the way. Muslims have a hard time believing that other Muslims can intend such heinous acts. I hope you see the difference.
madam
May 6, 2010 at 7:58 AM
Muslim Matters lets do something, lets reach out to those who aren’t practicing Islam first before the terror groups do. What I find is that, all these people who have not been practicing Islam, they can get easily influenced with all the passions of fighting and dying in the name of Allah. But have they even thought for a second that we have more function and purpose living in the name of Allah s.w.t?? I don’t get why these people feel that they are the so called “chosen” ones who can take a short cut to heaven by just killing another being. ANother being, who is just another nut case, following another ideology blindly.
Why can’t these people just be like the rest of us, fighting to make banking halal for the muslim masses, working very hard to educate our young Muslim children so they can help to make the world a better place, instead of having to fight and kill one another? Why can’t these people just join the thousands of doctors and nurses like the doctors and nurses of Mercy Relief fighting to save lives in the face of unprecedented turmoil?
Being a everyday Muslim is not easy you know. You still have to deal with the everyday challenges and do it in the name of Allah. You still have to earn a halal living, raise kids, take care of the family, work for your community, and perform your religious duties, clear your debts, give to charity, observe your behavior, character, your knowledge, your deen. And that is a lifetime thing. We are as Muslim and as observant as every other Taliban or Al Qaeda fighter claims to be. We have a lifetime jihad to deal with. And we have the future to care for.
All these Muslim countries, if they are having problems, they must deal with it themselves, if you are willing to renounce your citizenship, and fight for the name of that country’s agenda, then so be it. You cannot put your country, your countrymen at risk just because you believe in certain things. And then, expect that the country that you have betrayed to protect your rights.
It may be unfair because we see those who live under tyranny as our brothers and sisters. We have our affliations and connections because we are brothers and sisters in faith. But there is soo many ways to help. So many other ways to help. For every one brother who thinks they are doing their brother or sister in Islam a favour by fighting with these terrorist groups. There are a thousand more, “fighting” through peaceful means. through diplomacy, education, medicine, infrastructure development, and just because “We” chose non violence. It doesn’t make us any less of a Muslim. In fact I dare say that it makes us even better muslims because at least we are in a better position, to speak from a humanitarian stance.
Shafkat
May 6, 2010 at 8:17 AM
As salaam alykum,
Here is a similar version from Salman in Canada who questions the validity of the so called ‘ video evidence’ …
Shafkat
-snipped-
-We are done with conspiracy theories. -Editor
Shafkat
May 6, 2010 at 9:41 AM
As salaam alykum,
Fine.. accepted.
But I am SCARED… and have every right to be .. I certainly want to know what we are up against …
especially when I read this:
“Our race is the Master Race. We are divine gods on this planet. We are as different from the inferior races as they are from insects. In fact, compared to our race, other races are beasts and animals, cattle at best. Other races are considered as human excrement. Our destiny is to rule over the inferior races. Our earthly kingdom will be ruled by our leader with a rod of iron. The masses will lick our feet and serve us as our slaves.†— Menachem Begin – Israeli Prime Minister 1977-1983
ma asalaam
Shafkat
Akman
May 6, 2010 at 9:47 AM
I think your post have some level of truth
Akman
May 6, 2010 at 9:41 AM
I apologies for my commets i posted yesterday if they were offensive to the readers of MM.
ref: Gorodon Duff
I wish to illustrate, that if you read the BIO of our Prophet (PBUH) you will see many struggles
he had to face from the actions of the ????? — similar case is present of ISA ali Salam (PBUH)
even before that… look into what Musa Ali Salam ((PBUH) had to deal with.
Even then they still fall into the category of the “believers” because most are good … a few with high power are the bad apples. We as Muslims are required to treat the “beleivers” as brothers…but stand firm against falsehood. Yet, even some Hypocrits claiming to be Muslims have joined the Bad appled for power, greed etc..
As far as im concerned….The fellow in this story is 100% gulity… but we need to ask who is at the top it all. Who is placing these folks into these positions … what is the real motive. Need to locate the Head of the Snake.
Again, my apologies to you and MM readers for my past post…and even for this one… if offends you.
Kind Regards
Muslimah
May 6, 2010 at 4:45 PM
Here’s another report on the fact that a Muslim Immigrant from Senegal was the first person to spot the smoking car. Unfortunately, no major news organization recognized this.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/5/6/muslim_vendor_gets_no_credit_in
akman
May 7, 2010 at 9:01 AM
Assalam Alaikum and Good Morning
Informing the public of postive efforts by the Muslim Umma — probably doesnt sell papers.
AND pls dont say that my comment is related to a conspiracy or something… ITS a FACT.
anyways… have a wonderful Friday…
w/salam
Nassim Ally Osman
February 25, 2012 at 5:38 AM
i just wrote in a post on fb that i am very skeptical of all the hype & spin about Islamic Banking, Finance etc
For me Islamic Banking sounds something like Islamic casinos.
A bank is an institution created purposely by the capitalist system to make the poor poorer and enrich the rich.
So how can it be Islamic.