Posted on 08/20/2005 9:35:46 AM PDT by Pikamax
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Muslim leaders in Southern California said Friday that unnamed sources were wrong to leak information to the media about an alleged terrorist plot involving three members of a local mosque.
Edina Lekovic of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) said too few details have been provided by the sources, which encourages speculation and backlash against all Muslims.
The information has been released in "random dots that they allow people to connect on their own," she said.
Unnamed counterterrorism officials have linked three men in their early thirties to a possible plot to attack National Guard recruitment centers, synagogues and other locations in Southern California, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The men attend Jamat-E-Masijidul Islam mosque in Inglewood, a Los Angeles suburb, according to mosque leaders.
Leaders from MPAC, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Los Angeles, and the Shura Council of Southern California -- an umbrella group for 80 local mosques -- asked the media to deal with the story carefully for fear that generalizations may lead toall Muslims being discriminated against.
"Generalizations breed hate and may lead to hate crimes and violence against the innocent," said Muzammil Siddiqi, chairman ofthe Shura Council.
Lekovic said MPAC should have received some warning from the FBI if sources were going to provide information about the investigation to the media.
Representatives of MPAC -- which has offices in Los Angeles andWashington, DC -- meet often with local, state and federal officials to promote open dialogue between the Muslim community and law enforcement, she said.
Law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that they are investigating a possible link between the three men and a state prison in California.
A senior FBI counterterrorism official in Washington told the newspaper that they have several ongoing investigations into the use of federal and state prisons to recruit potential Islamic terrorists.
An investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force began last month, after local police arrested two of the three men in connection with a string of robberies and allegedly recovered evidence suggesting a possible terrorist plot. Enditem
In my case that is irrelevant. My attitude towards muslims is at least 40 years old.
Nothing that has happened since causes me to change my mind. If anything, my attitude has solidified.
I don't need to read the Quran (again!).
I just need to read the news.
MPAC is so quick to claim discrimination. They will get empathy from me only after they are as quick to condemn and renounce the vicious acts terrorists Muslims have committed.
In time of war against terror, we have a Muslim front group trying to force my state of North Carolina to use the Koran in court in lieu of the Bible for Muslims. The canard they use is that NC is establishing a religion. [People who cite the Constitution seem to always overlook the part about the "free exercise of religion".] Well, people in NC have the right to "affirm" if they choose. That covers all additional possibilities. Using the Koran opens a can of worms as to which and how many "holy" books can be used.
I see not only a war of terror being waged, but a war against our culture. This is not being waged by the many patriotic Muslims, but by a core of Muslims that want to change our country. Good Muslims must join the rest of us in combating these efforts.
That's true, so why don't you and your brethren "out" the conspirators. I'm sure you know who they are, in this particular case, and likely many others as well. You know when strangers come in to your community, and when members come back from extended absences "over there". Do your patriot duty and report such things. Then there will be no need for "generalizations".
But I won't hold my breath while I'm waiting.
Oh backlash smacklash--funny how when Muslim terrorism comes up the subject always gets changed to the Phantom Backlash.
I have been speculating for some time now just what level of mayhem it will take for our government to wage a proper war on islam. We know for damn sure that 3000 killed in one attack did not do it. All that was done is a little "policing" action IMO. War...total and complete is what will be required...taking out Tehran, Dimascus, Ryhad, Mecca, Medina, Jakarta, Islamabad, and anywhere else that islam is the total "law".
You are so right. Maybe after a series of car bombings or blowing up some buildings, but even then there would still be the apologists for the "religion of peace". It's very frustrating and I don't know what the answer is.
Are there really "good" Muslims? I think the world would be a much better place without any of them. What do they contribute to our culture and way of life? Nothing I know of other than trying to force us to accept a murderous cult with the same protections that Christians used to have.
Lets see now, it was wrong to leak the information but they don't deny that the information is factual or correct.
An investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force began last month, after local police arrested two of the three men in connection with a string of robberies and allegedly recovered evidence suggesting a possible terrorist plot
So how come 2 of your guys were arrested for their fund raising activities?
Y'all lack credibility.
I'm waiting for the kudos from them to the effect that they are glad we caught some evil doers...I guess that is far lower on the priority list for them...
First occasion an american muslim is beheaded, I promise to show sympathy and support and denounce the war on terror on top of that. And eat a live cat.
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