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
I live in a city with a mslim population of over 30,000 (one of the largest groups in Canada) and most of them live near me because the main mosque is only a couple of blocks away. I see lots of women in "covered" dress but very few men or youths with beards so I am not sure that the beard is all that significant. On the other hand several young guys in my church have from time to time have grown beards like the bomber's and I tutored a 12th grader in a Catholic high school who also grew a similar beard and there was nothing religious or political about it.
PC Journalism... an insult to every thinking American.
Does at that. Well, the truth is, like they say about teaching pigs to sing--can't be done, and it only annoys the pig.
No, no, I was just reposting my comments about Islam that I wrote to someone else the other day. Sorry.
Ok, here's this guy from Colorado who just happens to decided to pay out of state tuition to attend a university in Oklahoma. This university just happens to be the very same one where Nick Berg and several of the 9/11 terrorists attended. His family states he's always been a bit off kilter, doesn't fit in with the norm. He then begins to sport the same style beard as Berg grew while in Iraq. He just happens to decide to room with a Muslim who is so overly concerned with individual privacy he never mentions to anyone that he's having to step over explosives around the apartment. He just happens to use a type of explosive that is used in the London bombings, tries to get into the stadium several times, blows himself up after leaving another explosive in the parking lot which the LE found later.
Unintentionally hilarious.
Looks like the trolls are out in full force today. Check out some of the postings on this thread!! These trolls don't bother to read the previous threads and just come in and throw their ridiculous statements around.
Note all self/all: stop feeding the trolls. We know what they are after - just some good old attention.
It's only common sense...there's no good reason to have muslim Pakistani students here while islam is waging jihad. Time to stop importing people who adhere to an intolerant, totalitarian ideology that wants to kill or enslave us.
In the time you have spent on this thread antagonizing, you could have used the keyword I gave you and done some reading. But you didn't, which proves my point, and the only reason I'm responding to you is so that everyone else on this thread can see how you have revealed yourself to be the antagonizer I said you are. Better luck next time.
That's fine....my bad. I wasn't sure if your posting ended with the italics or not.
I remember you from the earliest threads on this topic. No offense taken or meant :)
Don't rehash any of the facts for him. It does no good, because no matter what you tell him, he'll respond that you're just telling him these things. If he wants FACTS, he needs to use the keyword I gave him and read the actual articles that have been posted, instead of pumping us for information and then refusing to believe what we say. He needs to read the FACTS for himself, not hear them from us. But of course, since what he wants is not facts but to disrupt, he won't go and read the articles. He's so transparent he makes me laugh.
Thanks AliVeritas. I see the information he has found out about Hinrich's car registration. I will add that to my summary in the next revision. (o:
Rehash? ROFLMAO
Yes, they are on "ignore" now for me as well.
He lied...and you swallowed it whole. Anybody who knows ANYTHING about islam knows that that jihadi beard is a replica of Mohammed's choice of beards. Been here only for a month, have't you? DU getting too boring?
Open note to the forum: I'm looking for any evidence (circumstantial or otherwise) that suggests the Pakistani roomate is a conspirator in this bombing. Someone has already linked to an article that describes the explosives in the apartment. Thanks in advance.
Frankly, I'd rather here from someone other than a preening, self-appointed "expert."
here=hear
Actually the Muslims at the mosque all swore on a stack of Korans that Hinrichs had never even thought about the mosque, knew of its existence, and in fact, had never heard of Islam.
So we know it's true - Muslims said it!
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