Posted on 10/08/2005 4:03:10 AM PDT by LibertyRocks
Muslim communities fear association with bomber
The Norman Transcript
Invites public to mosque for Ramadan
By Carol Cole
Transcript Staff Writer
Distorted media stories have city and student Muslim communities on edge, after it was revealed that bomber Joel "Joe" Henry Hinrichs roomed with a Muslim student at the Parkview apartments near the University of Oklahoma campus.
However, the FBI has found no connection between the 21-year-old engineering major, who died from an explosion at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday about 100 yards outside OU's Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium packed with more than 84,000 fans, and the Muslim community, other than other than Hinrichs' rooming with OU finance major Fazal M. Cheema from Pakistan.
And Hinrichs apparently never visited the Masjid An-Nur Islamic mosque that has served the Muslim community at 1304 George Avenue since 1978.
"He had never been to our mosque and he's not associated with our mosque in any way, shape or form," said 44-year-old Mohamed Farid Elyazgi, who has lived in Norman with his family since 1985. "We had never seen him until we saw his picture in the media."
Elyazgi emphasized that Islam forbids suicide and Muslims condemn all acts of violence.
He said many area Muslims have become concerned about television stations filming stories about the bombing in front of the mosque and its sign, fearing it could fan fear and perhaps violence against Muslims or associate the incident with the Islamic Society of Norman.
The community is mindful of what happened after the 1995 Murrah Building bombing, when it was thought there could be Middle Eastern involvement, spurred on by some Oklahoma City stations.
"(There were) a lot of Muslims who got harassed and some hate crimes against them," Elyazgi said, remembering that Stillwater's mosque was shot at.
The Oklahoma City bomb- ers turned out to be homegrown in the form of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
OU President David Boren warned against jumping to conclusions in an e-mail that went out to students, faculty and staff Thursday.
"To rush to judge others or make assumptions about them on that basis is nothing short of prejudice," wrote Boren, emphasizing the campus' low crime rate. "It has no place in America and it certainly has no place at the University of Oklahoma."
Elyazgi is especially concerned because two of his six children attend the University of Oklahoma.
"I think the concern right now is because some of the Muslim women, they wear their scarfs and they become a target for everyone to identify them," he said.
When he first heard the news about the bomb, it sent chills and a silent prayer through him.
"To be honest, when I heard about the bombing and that it was a suicide bomb, I just prayed to God that no one was hurt and I hoped that no Muslims were connected to that because we don't need that here," Elyazgi said.
After 9/11, emotions were high and Elyazgi kept his children at home for several days.
"Because you never know how people are going to react," he said. "We're just asking people to be understanding as usual. There was a big difference in how Oklahomans reacted to 9/11 than the way they reacted to the 1995 bombing.
"We are part of society here and we know that one of the things great about America is the diversity in America and the acceptance of different people from different places. They come together and they live in peace. We'd like to see our country prosper."
Elyazgi said they want to invite people to the mosque to see Muslim culture for themselves, with today being the third day of their holy month Ramadan.
"Anybody is welcome to come and eat with us and we welcome them to the mosque," he said.
There are special night prayers and dinners as Muslims break their all-day fast from dawn to sunset.
"So anybody who would like to see what we are all about and how we live and how we try to uplift our souls in this holy month of ours and try to share the hunger and the thirst of others," Elyazgi said. "It's just a beautiful atmosphere. I wish you would come and join us and how we are very peaceful and caring about each other."
Carol Cole 366-3538 ccole@normantranscript.com
Some of these people would deny it even if we had everything from planning to execution on video. It still wouldn't be enough evidence.
Same goes for you as for rudeboy. If you really wanted to sabotage this issue and shut down our digging into this, you should have started a week ago. You're very late to the party and you won't be able to stop the momentum at this point by showing up now. As it is, you're just a blip on this radar.
Ignore them. They are being antagonistic just for its own sake, and trying to distract. Soon they'll get bored and move on.
What do we expect him to say. I expect only lies and more lies.
Ha! That reminds me of what some DU'er posted somewhere recently, that there are a few of those guys who have been posting on FR for years, signed up years ago, and they haven't been discovered yet. Now I'm wondering...
Jayna Davis has been on a number of radio talkshows. I don't like her manner but her information is very good.
Flying Monkey Express
Thread Disruption
Ad Hominem Attacks
Inane commentary
Working without a single fact 100% of the time - or your money back!
When it absolutely, positively has to be disrupted overnight... Call Flying Monkey!
No job too small.
Ask about our "Getting a thread pulled" special....
Maybe not. Although I've had my share of friends who wanted to blow up a Dean's office. It's not too much of stretch for somebody, if they are mentally disturbed, to choose to go out with even more of a bang.
And as for this Pakistani roomate speculation, that's all it is. I lived with a roomate in college that I wouldn't see for weeks at a time. For folks to be here on FR and rush to judgment concerning this case is astounding, to use a phrase I recently read.
Her book, "The Third Terrorist" is very good. The best one published on the OKC bombing, in my opinion.
Exactly. As if we all haven't found out at this point about what moslems call taqiyyah.
Seems only the media is unaware of taqiyyah.
Hi indcons, laz and ALL viewers! LOL
Thanks for your work on that list, indcons!
I did find the first interview video with his father in which he states that Hinrichs took one year off school due to being "depressed". The reporter's comment about the "unaccounted for time" I have deduced after going back over all the video available from Ch. 5, Ch. 4, and Ch. 9, was in the one and only video on the KOCO Ch. 5 website that is no longer working! Quite convenient to say the least.
Why did they pull that one particular video? I mean I don't expect anyone to believe me when I say they said it, but the fact still remains that there is ONE missing report... The link is still there with the title of the report, but it goes to a broken server page.
Did anyone here at FR happen to download and save the video report at Ch. 5 titled "Learning more about Hinrichs?" It was aired on either the 3rd or the 4th. If so, please review it and report back.
Absolutely hysterical. I stick up for that Pakistani roomate (who may or may not deserve it), and all of a sudden I'm a DU plant. Maybe I should stay off the chat threads, I'm here for news and debate.
Should be "apartment" -- my computer has a mind of its own at times.
Did I say you were a DU plant? I don't think so. If you find where I said so, please point it out. Not all disruptors are from DU. Some just plain old like to disrupt threads, for no special reason.
So now I'm a liar? For asking to see evidence that the Pakistani roomate is a co-conspirator? What are you on?
LOL....GREAT post.
Sorry, you merely suggested that I was a "Flying Monkey."
Muslim communities fear GETTING CAUGHT
I can only imagine what they say about us in private. They attack and bomb and slander us, and the FBI and MSM defend THEM.
History has proved over and over again that a people who refuse to defend themselves, deserves what they get.
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