Terrorist Plot to Attack NYC Synagogues Foiled! Muslims need to STRONGLY Condemn Anti-Semitism!
Published by Haseeb May 21st, 2009 in Current NewsSource: NYTimes
First off I would like to say TAKBEER! … (AllahuAkbar!).
[I am praising the greatness of God for the fact that this terrorist attack was averted!]
Yes it is a huge blessing that this terrorist plot was foiled, and these criminals who were planning to shoot down military planes and explode bombs near New York synagogues were caught and arrested.
The first issue that comes to most Muslims’ minds when these terrorist-plots break news is whether or not the terrorists were Muslim. Unfortunately, yes the four were Muslims, and American Muslims (US Citizens). I believe three of them were converts to Islam.
This plot seems like something straight out of the Showtime show “Sleeper Cell” - which many proclaimed was too unrealistic, and promoted the vilification of American Muslims and unnecessarily promoted fear and panic in the public towards their Muslim neighbors. This time the plot was real.
This story feeds into all of the Islamophobia hoopla - Home Grown Muslim Convert Terrorists, Anti-Americanism, and yes… Anti-Semitism. Our only response as Muslims is to assure our neighbors that these terrorists are only a minority - and the overwhelming majority of Muslims are peace loving. Moreover, we say that Islam is an Abrahamic faith and follows in the line of Judaism and Christianity (two religions we respect for their divine books and prophets). Moreover we talk about how Muslims lived in peace with Jews for centuries in the Middle East, etc.
However, we cannot leave it at that. Just as strongly as CAIR and other organizations condemn terrorism, and condemn those who promote islamophobia - we as a Muslim community need to do a better job educating our fellow Muslims and especially those who are new to our religion. Just as there is no place for terrorism or unjustified violence against innocent people - there is no place for anti-semitism in our religion.
One of the suspects, James Cromitie, aka Abdul Rahman, bragged that blowing up the synagogues would be a “piece of cake,” the feds said.
“I hate those motherf - - -ers, those f - - -ing Jewish bastards . . . I would like to get a synagogue,” Cromitie told an informant, according to a criminal complaint.
It is appalling that those who appear to be guided towards the truth of Islam get caught up in anger and turn their emotions towards hatred of the west, specifically America and Jews. Yes of course America and even Israel have committed atrocities and I strongly condemn them for the Iraq/Afghani wars, the attacks on Lebanon/Gaza, etc. But nonetheless that provides NO justification for attacking innocent people. Only God is the Most Just and only He can provide True Justice. For these people to take matters into their own hands and carry out vigilante terrorism is against everything Islam stands for - which is ultimate submission to God and trusting God as the best of planners and in control of everything. And anyone who does attempts any terrorist act is not acting in the name of God - they are following their own evil hateful desires.
As an an American, as a New Yorker, and am very grateful to our law enforcement officials from the NYPD, State Police, and FBI who infiltrated this plot and thwarted this attack. Nonetheless I am ashamed that these terrorists attempted these actions in the name of my religion. They DO NOT represent Islam.
May Allah 
(swt) guide and protect us all.
or maybe muslims should be a bit less hasty when they read something in the New York Times (and we know how accurate their reporting is from the recent coverage of Gaza and many similar incidents in the Iraq War and Afghanistan), and instead wait until the evidence is presented in a court of law before jumping to conclusions.
Z,
would you be as hasty if the same paper reports a jew trying to bomb a masjid?
AA- Haseeb,
While I posted on the frailty of this case and the overall farcical nature of the arrests (especially when compared to other ‘foiled’ terrorist plots), I wanted to address your issue on anti-semitism amongst Muslims.
I think its high time that we stop equating anti-semitism to sentiments in the Muslim community against Israel and Jews. The former is an extremely loaded term beginning with its theological basis (that Jews killed Jesus) to the Crusades/Inquisition to the Holocaust. Anti-semitism is a STRICTLY Christian phenomenon which has never found room for growth in the Muslim community. We don’t have Klansmen or skinheads. We didn’t carry out the Inquisition or the Holocaust.
But ever since the Israeli/Palestinian conflict of the past 60 years, Muslims have expressed resentment against the Jews. So now we are supposed to believe that our 1400 yr old community is as guilty of anti-semitism as our Christian counterparts?
I’m not buying it.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6350389.ece