Posted on 06/25/2006 12:22:38 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
MIAMI - Minutes after U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta announced indictments on Friday against an alleged terror cell, a Muslim leader took to the steps of the city's federal courthouse and said the suspects "were not known" at either of two mosques near the warehouse in the Liberty City neighborhood where authorities arrested them.
Ahmed Bedier, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he and other Muslims feared some would try to connect Islam and the men's alleged plot to blow up a slew of federal buildings and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
"This seems like some kind of cult group that shares nothing with our community," Bedier told reporters of the suspects.
He asked the news media not to refer to the suspects as Muslims.
"Muslims don't worship at warehouses," Bedier said. "They don't sleep in warehouses."
Concerned the case might lead some to paint defaming graffiti, damage mosques or homes, CAIR's legal director in Florida, Areeb Naseer, asked police to be vigilant.
"We are concerned about a backlash against the Muslim community as a result of these arrests," Naseer said.
Incidents of vandalism against Muslim shops, mosques and community centers increased after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., which also prompted authorities to search Arab-Americans at airport security checkpoints, community leaders said.
Law enforcement officials sought to preempt any negative, generalized reactions.
"Today's indictment is against individuals. It's not against a particular group or a particular faith," Acosta said.
The grand jury's indictment said the group's alleged ringleader, Narseal Batiste, told a confidential informant he meant to build an "Islamic Army" to wage a holy war.
But in Liberty City, where camera crews set up shop outside the suspects' warehouse headquarters, residents questioned that connection.
Families of two suspects said the men were involved in Bible studies.
The mother of one, Stanley Grant Phanor, said he went to church every Sunday.
"He loves to read the Bible," said Phanor's mother, Elizene Phanor.
Minister Rasul Muhammad, of the Muhammad Mosque No. 29, criticized journalists for initially reporting the suspects were "black Muslim radicals."
He said such portrayals unfairly linked a faith and an ethnicity to crime.
"We didn't ask what church Timothy McVeigh came from," he said, of the Oklahoma City bomber.
In other words, the islamics are expecting normal people to react like they would.
Very good CAIR. By the same token, all Christians who break the law are not Christians. There, both groups now have an imaculate record.
Sheesh! Just another Muslim lackey organization...
Okay, so maybe they are not Muslims. They still tried to get help from a Muslim organization to kill Americans. I would love to hear your take on that CAIR....
CAIR continues whistling past the graveyard.
I'm reminded of the late 70s, when we were told that the Khmer Rouge were "radical Rousseuavians" and not Communists.
People better be prepared for these little wannabes who think that all they have to do is say they are on Islamic Jihad and Al-Quida will just shower their little gang with money and weapons.
Is this supposed to be some sort of surprise ?
I'd be really disappointed if our law enforcement was not doing stings like this - pretending to be an Al-Quida contact to sucker these types of people in.
" Yeah Bro, Ahm gonna buil me a 'slamic army.. jus gimme some shottie an fifti gran "
Look what they just did up in Canada by supplying the ammonium nitrate - bet you they quoted those guys a really good price ( 90 days same as cash ) and free delivery.
Maybe and maybe not, but consider, Mr. Bedier, that the minute they thought they were dealing with an Islamist, they thought they had it made. Why is that? What is it about Islam that draws the rejects of the world to it?
"They don't sleep in warehouses."
But they do in caves?
By the way, Mr. Bedier, you must have a thankless job trying to convince America of your lies. Good luck on your bin Talal-sponsored commercials.
"Some kind of a cult group"? A MUSLIM saying this? What a hoot. What the hell does he think ISLAM is?
"...that the minute they thought they were dealing with an Islamist, they thought they had it made."
Do you immediatly assume that every Irishman you talk to can supply you IRA bombs ?
Somehow I don't think these guys simply walked into the local mosque and started asking around for weapons and fifty grand.
The undercover people obviously made it seem as if they were in contact with terrorists and could supply what they wanted, and did a good job with their act.
in contact with Muslim/Islamic terrorists.
"in contact with Muslim/Islamic terrorists."
- in contact with al-Qa’ida -
Somehow I don't suspect they thought they were trying to suck money and weapons out of the "Basque Fatherland and Liberty" or the "Real IRA" .
They seem pretty stupid, but not that stupid.
So what are you arguing about?
They should be asking themselves, "what are the root causes of this backlash? What are we doing to bring this backlash upon us?"
No kidding. All these people do is minimize and rationalize mass murder and atrocities on an institutional level. If a muslim does something crazy, it's because they were driven to it by an infidel breathing or something. They're just utterly baffled that non-islamics would have a problem with this.
I havent heard CAIR denounce the action of Islamics who mutilated two servicemen last week. They WERE Muslims.
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