Times Square Attempted Bombing and the Muslim Community

by Sheila Musaji

A Pakistani American, Faisal Shahzad has been arrested for the attempted terrorist bombing in Times Square on Saturday, May 1st.  What his motivation was has not yet been reported.  There is speculation that this might have a connection with the South Park incident because the car with the explosives was left near the Viacom offices.  If he is found guilty, then the maximum penalty under the law should be applied.  This action is absolutely condemnable, and it is only because the perpetrator made so many errors that there were not many injuries and/or deaths.  It is a blessing that no one was injured and no lives were lost, but that is no thanks to the perpetrator(s).  The motivation or “why” is important to attempt to understand, if we are to have any hope of changing the hearts and minds of those who are involved with terrorism.

This morning, I added an update to our ongoing information about the South Park incident and the fringe group Revolution Muslim.  Whether or not they are connected in any way with this incident is still unknown, but as I noted in the update

What I find to be an odd connection with South Park and Revolution Muslim is a posting on the RM site Dawah in Times Square May 1st which is a video that RM made of themselves preaching to people in Times Square on the same day as the event happened.  They also posted a video Younus Abdullah Muhammad Interview on Midtown Bombing.  (The RM site was offlfine but is now back online.)

The New York Daily News reports

Younus Abdullah Muhammed, who runs the Web site RevolutionMuslim.com, said he was in Times Square at the time the car bomb was discovered, but he insisted he was not involved in the botched bombing.

“What do you think, I commanded somebody to blow up a building in the middle of Times Square?” a testy Muhammed told the Daily News.

...  “It had nothing to do with the ‘South Park’ controversy. It was not an attack targeting Viacom,” Muhammed said.

He said he was on 42nd St. and Broadway in Times Square about 6:30 p.m. Saturday - just about the time a bomb-packed SUV was found on 45th St. and Broadway.

“I was down there with a loudspeaker and a speaking permit from the NYPD telling people that [President] Obama is a fascist. That’s where I was, right down the street,” said Muhammed, adding that authorities had not contacted him.

All of this may be coincidence, but it appears as if Revolution Muslim is at the very least using this event to keep themselves in the news.  How would Younus Abdullah Muhammad know the motives of the bomber, or be able to say whether or not it had anything to do with the South Park controversy?  I would hope that the authorities would investigate any possible connections.

We just received a press release from MPAC which has a little more information including the fact that one of the street vendors involved in making the report to the police was a Muslim.

MPAC COMMENDS LAW ENFORCEMENT’S SWIFT ACTION TO APPREHEND SUSPECTED TIMES SQUARE PLOTTER

(Washington, DC - 5/4/10)—Late last night, federal law enforcement authorities announced they captured the alleged perpetrator, Faisal Shahzad, seeking to attack New York City’s Times Square with a car bomb Saturday night. The Muslim Public Affairs Council commends law enforcement and vigilant citizens for helping to prevent the plot and apprehend the suspect. 

SEE: Arrest Made in Times Square Bomb Case (New York Times) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/nyregion/05bomb.html?hp
ALSO SEE: Car Bomb Found in the Heart of New York (Times of London) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7114599.ece

“The Muslim American community condemns this appalling attempted attack on our country,” said MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati. “While we await the results of the investigation and formal charges against the suspect, we urge everyone to remain vigilant and report any potential criminal activity.”

The Week magazine and the Times of London reported that a Senegalese Muslim immigrant, Aliou Niasse, first noticed the suspicious smoke coming from the vehicle, which was later found to be packed with explosives. With the help of another vendor named Lance Orton, Aliou’s observation was relayed to local police who moved quickly to defuse the situation. The undetonated car left a treasure trove of evidence that quickly led the authorities to the suspected plotter being apprehended.

Founded in 1988, MPAC is an American institution which informs shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.

We will update this as more information is available.  CAIR will be holding a press conference this afternoon in Washington, D.C.

CAIR has issued the following press release

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), along with several other national and regional Muslim groups,* said the alleged actions of the Pakistani-American suspect are not representative of the nation’s Muslim community and urged fellow citizens not to allow the incident to be exploited to advance growing anti-Islam sentiment.

In a statement released this afternoon at a news conference in Washington, D.C., CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in part:

“On behalf of the American Muslim community, we condemn the attack in Times Square and thank all those who reported their suspicions, disarmed the bomb or are participating in the current investigation. We welcome the arrest of a suspect and hope that anyone involved in the attack will be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“American Muslims repudiate all acts of terrorism and will continue to work with local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to keep our nation safe and secure. We ask anyone who has information about this attack to contact local police and the FBI. Any person who is afraid to contact the authorities directly should contact CAIR. We will then assist these individuals in contacting relevant authorities.

“In no way, shape or form does this attack represent American Muslims or what they stand for as a faith community. We must also, as a civil rights group, remind everyone that we are a nation of laws and that in our system of justice, every suspect is innocent until proven guilty.

“We urge that our fellow citizens and our nation’s leaders reject the inevitable exploitation of this incident by those individuals and groups devoted to demonizing Islam, marginalizing American Muslims and feeding the unfortunately growing Islamophobic sentiment in our society.”

SEE: Local Pakistani Residents Concerned About Fallout After Arrest http://www.ktvu.com/video/23440903/index.html

Awad said he has asked CAIR’s New York and Connecticut offices to work with local Muslim communities to offer all possible assistance to investigators.

He also urged American Muslim individuals and institutions to protect against any possible backlash by reviewing advice on security procedures contained in CAIR’s “Muslim Community Safety Kit.”

SEE: Muslim Community Safety Kit http://www.cair.com/ActionCenter/CommunityToolKit.aspx

* Other speakers at today’s news conference included:

* Imam Mahdi Bray, Executive Director, Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom

* Asma Hanif, Chairperson, Council of Muslim Organizations (CCMO) in the Greater Washington, D.C., Area

* Alejandro Beutel, Government Liaison, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Senator John McCain is reported to have said that it would have been a serious mistake to have read the suspect in the attempted Times Square car bombing his Miranda rights.  I hope that the authorities did read the accused his rights, so that all evidence obtained will be usable in a court of law.

Hussein Rasheid has published an article that finally gives us a good term to use for such individuals Wannabi+Jihadi+Hoodlum= Wajihoodlum.

Loonwatch has published an excellent article discussing some possibilities of “why” that are not being discussed in the mainstream press

There is a very real anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan, and the question must be asked: why?  Why would any of them want to attack us?  I believe I have presented the most likely reason.

Because I have the audacity to ask and answer this question, I will no doubt be accused of being unpatriotic.  Yet, I consider it extremely patriotic to speak the truth on this matter.  It is only by properly understanding the origins of terrorism that we can seek to end it, and thereby save American lives.  None of this condones what the Times Square bomber did.  I hope the man arrested for this terrorist act is given a fair trial and–if found guilty–punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Neither am I saying that the Muslim community has no role to play in tackling extremism within their ranks.  Although I reject Islamophobic claims that Muslims are “silent” when it comes to terrorism, I do believe that more must be done…much more.  Yet, the efforts of the Muslim community will invariably fail if the Islamic world’s main grievance–our interventionist foreign policy–is not reevaluated.

When attacked, we ought to be able to ask the question “why” without being accused of being unpatriotic or of condoning the act.  We must move beyond George Bush’s simplistic mentality.

  I recommend that you read the entire article.

ISNA has released a statement

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) joins the Muslim American community and the rest of our fellow citizens in expressing its appreciation of the outstanding work done by the various law enforcement agencies in investigating and apprehending the alleged perpetrator(s) of the botched attack on New York and its residents.

At the same time, ISNA condemns in the strongest terms the planned attack on innocent city-dwellers of every race and creed. The attack, described by the alleged sponsors as a sort of “pay-back” or “revenge”, is “inexcusable and without any justification in Islam or authentic Muslim tradition”, said Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of ISNA. “Even the murder of a single innocent person is abhorrent and in direct contradiction to the clear and unequivocal teachings of our faith (Quran Chapter 5,Verse 32), let alone the mass murder of unsuspecting innocent bystanders in a crowded square”, she added.

ISNA is thankful to the vigilance of alert and loyal residents of New York city including Senegalese Muslim Aliou Niasse, who first noticed and pointed out the suspicious smoke coming from the vehicle, Lance Orton, who called the police, and Officers Wayne Rhatigan and Pam Duffy for acting swiftly and courageously to contain the damage and prevent the loss of life and limb of fellow Americans.

ISNA asks Muslim Americans to stay true to their faith in rejecting any ideas or actions that tolerate or attempt to justify the use of terrorism for any purpose or by any group. ISNA also calls on them to stand with their fellow Americans in securing the homeland against any terrorist acts.

SEE ALSO:

A War Won’t End Terrorism , Tamim Ansary http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1019-02.htm

Afghan strategy creating enemies, not eliminating them. Doyle McManus http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/05/05/Opinions/11358.html 
 
Answering Helen Thomas on “Why”, Ray McGovern http://consortiumnews.com/2010/010810b.html

Arabs: It’s the Policy, Stupid,  Jim Lobe http://www.antiwar.com/lobe/?articleid=3162
 
Pat Buchanan and Ray McGovern Answer Helen Thomas’ “Why” Question, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/patr_buchanan_makes_an_excellent_point/

Causes of Terrorism-Why are the Causes of Terrorism So Hard to Identify?, Amy Zalman http://terrorism.about.com/od/causes/a/terrorismcauses.htm

Green Scare: The Making of the New Muslim Enemy, Deepa Kumar http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/04/green-scare-the-making-of-the-new-muslim-enemy/

Is Your Muslim Doctor the Enemy?: How terrorist groups target middle-class Muslims,  Eboo Patel http://www.slate.com/id/2170980
 
Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/news-analysis/a-13-2008-01-08-voa43.html
 
It’s the foreign policy, John Esposito http://hir.harvard.edu/articles/print.php?article=1453

Military solution to terrorism doomed, Deepak Chopra http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/military-solution-to-terr_b_164889.html

Obama Steers Toward Endless War With Islam, Michael Scheuer http://original.antiwar.com/scheuer/2009/05/19/obama-steers-toward-endless-war-with-islam/

Our Stupid Foreign Policy, Jack Hunter http://www.amconmag.com/tactv/2010/01/08/our-stupid-foreign-policy/

Our War on Terrorism, Howard Zinn http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1016-22.htm

Terrorized by ‘War on Terror’: How a Three-Word Mantra Has Undermined America, Zbigniew Brzezinski http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301613.html

U.S. Foreign Policy Invites “Terrorism”, Graham Fuller http://www.twf.org/News/Y1998/19980827-InviteTerror.html

Why they are at war with us, Pat Buchanan http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_661831.html

Why they hate us (II): How many Muslims has the U.S. killed in the past 30 years?,  By Stephen M. Walt http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/11/30/why_they_hate_us_ii_how_many_muslims_has_the_us_killed_in_the_past_30_years 

Why do they hate us, Peter Ford (includes poll responses, categorized by country) http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0927/p1s1-wogi.html

Why do they hate us - roots of rage, Mohsin Hamid http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/20/AR2007072001806.html

Why do they hate the West so much, Robert Fisk http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-why-do-they-hate-the-west-so-much-we-will-ask-1230046.html

Why they want to do us harm, Imam Zaid Shakir http://www.newislamicdirections.com/nid/notes/why_they_want_to_do_us_harm/

Why do they want to do us harm http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/5711/why_do_they_want_to_do_us_harm_part_one/

Why Do They Hate Us?: Strange answers lie in al-Qaida’s writings, Reza Aslan http://www.slate.com/id/2171752

Why the bombers are so angry at us, Robert Pape http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/why-the-bombers-are-so-angry-at-us/2005/07/22/1121539145036.html

Why Terrorism?, Thomas E. Woods, Jr. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/woods5.html

Will U.S. Foreign Policy Increase Terrorism?, Paul Cochrane http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/1891.cfm