Seattle: Local Muslim leader reluctantly expresses sympathy re terrorist attack @ Jewish Federation

Sound Politics ^ | August 7, 2006 | Stefan Sharkansky

[Stoat]

Local Muslim leader reluctantly expresses sympathy over terrorist attack at Jewish Federation

Regarding the recent terrorist attack at the Seattle Jewish Federation by a Muslim man motivated by anger with Israel, a leader of a local Muslim organization sent this letter to the Jewish Transcript (published August 4, 2006). I'm underwhelmed.

It is with deep sorrow that we note the one dead and five injured people in the mindless act of cruelty by a hate-filled man. Our hearts go out in sympathy to the injured and to the families of victims.

 

We struggled for some time about whether a statement should be sent out or not, because we would like this to be recognized for the grievous crime that it is, rather than an event that calls for an explanation or apology by Muslims.

In the end, it was decided that we need to extend our sympathies and good will to those who were victimized by this crime because it would prevent misunderstandings between the faiths.

Muslims, Jews and Christians have been working long and hard in this area, to build relationships of respect and trust that have so far endured many tests.

We look forward to the future in which this test, too, shall be endured and people of the three Abrahamic faiths will have come closer in spite of this tragedy.

We would like to close with this hadith from the Prophet Mohammed:

"Those in whose hearts is no mercy for others will not attain the mercy of Allah." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Jeff Siddiqui

American Muslims of Puget Sound, Lynnwood

This is consistent with Siddiqui's ongoing refusal to recognize that Muslims, acting as Muslims, sometimes commit acts of aggression in the name of Islam. He seems to feel that Muslims are only ever victims, persecuted by the government and the targets of a paranoid US. But Siddiqui's letter does clear up any misunderstandings about where he's really coming from, as did his statement in Louis Farrakhan's Final Call website: "

The pro-Israeli spin doctors are in full battle-cry, sending e-mails, articles and making phone calls wherever necessary. The radio and television hosts make a great pretense of 'journalistic inquiry' as they skew their shows against the Arabs and in favor of the poor Israelis," writes Jeff Siddiqui, of American Muslims of Puget Sound, in Seattle, Wash

, not to mention his statement to the P-I the day after the Seattle terrorist attack:

Siddiqui said his organization and several other groups had announced a silent march today to demand a cease-fire in Lebanon and Palestine and to protest Israeli bombing.

 

That march, which starts at 11 a.m. at the Kirkland Marina and ends at Houghton Beach Park, should have no relation to the Seattle shootings, Siddiqui said.

Siddiqui seems to have difficulty acknowledging that the Muslim world suffers from violent anti-Semitic and anti-western pathologies , whether it manifests itself as airplanes flying into office buildings in New York, as a spontaneous shooting in Seattle or in the form of 3,000 rockets fired by Hizbullah on innocent Israeli civilians.

[DoughtyOne]

I thought I read somewhere that this guy was a convert. Perhaps that's not accurate.

[Paperdoll]

Which guy - the shooter or the hooter?

[DoughtyOne]

Shooter.

[Paperdoll]

Okay, you want zeal? Scratch an ex-smoker and they bleed zeal. Converts work in much the same way.

[XJarhead]

Indeed, that is one of the lamest, most weaksauce "apologies" I have ever read.

That's because it wasn't an apology. I mean, how do you "apologise" for something for which you weren't responsible? If some Christian nutbag blew up a mosque, would you expect other Christians to apologise for that?

What the guy was doing was expressing sympathy for the event, not apologizing. Oddly, you calling it a lame apology almost validates his reasoning. He said the only hesitation he had was that someone would consider any expression of sympathy an "apology", as if these other moslems are responsible for what this particular moslem did. He eventually decided that expressing sympathy should outweigh the risk of it getting labelled an "apology". But having it labelled an "apology" is exactly what happened.

I'm not defending moslems in general, or even this particular moslem. I'm just saying that blaming this particular guy for something some other moslem did is wrong, unless there is something showing that he incited the attack or something. Then, I'd agree that an apology should be the minimum that should be demanded.

I'm betting this isn't going to be a very popular response in this thread, though.

[Let's Roll]

Yeah but the other two "Abrahamic religions" don't target women as the Seattle shooter did.

Where is the NOW outrage - all the victims were women. Bloody gutless cowards.

[rmlew]

1. There are 3.5 Abrahamic religions. In order of age: Jews, Samaritans, Christians, Muslims.
2. I don't see Jews, Samaritans or Christians targetting innocents.

[goodnesswins]

He supposedly "converted" to Christianity not long ago.....but prior to that he was raised a MUSLIM....that's what I understand.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the clarification.

[4woodenboats]

I don't know how long he was a Christian, and the research behind the reporting on that has been non existant as far as I know.

I know of no statement from the shooter himself that he was ever Christian, yet the newspaper opinion sections were in overdrive declaring him babtized, bipolar, etc.

It doesn’t make sense that the same man would announce himself a Muslim American and then apparently kill in his faith’s name, unless something else like mental illness was at work. http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/story/5993927p-5267729c.html

The only thing I do know is that he forced his way into a locked facility by putting a gun to a 14 year old girl, then starting shooting while declaring he was a muslim, there to kill jews because he was angry about what the Isralies are doing to Lebanon.

Purely coincidentally, every rag in this state is very one sidely "angry about what the Isralies are doing to Lebanon", and the above opinion is just their way of saying - "don't blame us for fomenting hatred, it's our right but not our fault"

[sheik yerbouty]

I'm going to buy a copy of Mein Quran today, and place it where it's needed most; a public toilet..

[Alouette]

I don't believe he ever accepted Jesus as the Savior, he was practicing taqqiya (deception) and kitman (misdirection).

[World_Events]

Thanks, I stand corrected. I should have said, that is one of the weakest and lamest expressions of "sympathy" I have ever read.

Shuk-ran habi bib

[World_Events]

Here is something more about this Siddiqi guy, apparently he's the "cultural liaison to the FBI there, or something like that: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/attack/228406_islam14.html Tuesday, June 14, 2005 Seattle FBI gets advice on Muslims It's all an attempt to dispel myths By PAUL SHUKOVSKY SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER Dozens of agents and analysts gathered at FBI headquarters in Seattle yesterday to question a local Muslim man -- not to build a case but to build a bridge between the law enforcement agency and an often-misunderstood group of Americans. Jafar "Jeff" Siddiqi, of American Muslims of Puget Sound, was at the bureau to dispel common myths about Islam and its adherents. Asked by one agent about the cultural and religious taboos investigators should keep in mind when approaching a Muslim, Siddiqi cautioned the agents not to lump all Muslims together. "There is no single profile or Muslim personality," he said. "Islam is very diverse. The practice of Islam in Malaysia is completely different from the practice of Islam in Saudi Arabia." And with that warning, Siddiqi gave the agents a quick class in cultural sensitivity with a list of things to avoid when talking with Muslims. "Do not disrespect the holy book (Quran). Do not be too friendly to the women. Do not go into holy places (mosques) wearing shoes." And Siddiqi told the agents not to read too much into it if a Muslim does not make eye contact. "Most Muslims (in the United States ) are first generation, and they come from despotic regimes and tyranny," he said. "You guys are the feds." Often people from such a background approach authority figures with intense caution, he said. "You might not get the answers you want and that is why." Near the end of the session, one bureau member asked Siddiqi why the common Muslim man "doesn't stand up and say this is unacceptable" and bring terrorists to justice. Siddiqi responded, "We have held Muslims hostage to that question. The common man in Islam is no different than the common man here. The common man cannot bring terrorists to justice." And he compared it to the notion that all Italians should bring the Mafia to its knees or that common Russians should bring down the Russian mob. Just as Siddiqi sought to dispel myths about Islam, so too is the FBI seeking to dispel misconceptions about the bureau.

[T.L.Sink]

There were (and still are!) many who want to treat acts of war and/or terrorism as simple routine criminal acts. This has been apparent since 9/11. It's reflected again in that guy's statement. It's simply a way of separting the RELIGIOUS FANATICISM which inspired the terrorist from the religion itself and to give him the more "harmless" status of the run-of-the-mill felon.

When Hezbollah massacred 241 U.S. soldiers were they criminals or Islamofascist terrorists? Sadly, many think they should be given an ACLU attorney and spend the next six years in federal courts!

[Stoat]

Please dis-regard my reply # 9. Jumped the gun without reading the post. (Slaps head!.)

Don't worry!  No problem....this is something that we all experience now and then, particularly in a forum such as this where no editing of posted material is allowed.

[Stoat]

The Middle East airs programming akin to Germany's "The Eternal Jew" regularly but the media is silent. Prerferring instead to tell us any time a publisher dares to publish any of the "12 cartoons".

Yes, very true.  Thank Goodness for Memri TV, which allows us to witness some of the filth that they spew over their airwaves on a nonstop basis

MEMRI TV

If people would like to see some examples, they should watch http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/ which is coming out on DVD now (I've already sent Netflix a request to stock it).

An excellent recommendation, and I say so after having watched the entire movie.  It's essential viewing, particularly for those people who don't think that we are REALLY in a war.

Good for you in keeping after Netflix....hopefully they will begin offering it so that more people will see this essential movie.

[Stoat]

" We struggled for some time about whether a statement should be sent out or not, because we would like this to be recognized for the grievous crime that it is, rather than an event that calls for an explanation or apology by Muslims. "

Nice , don't apologize because it's wrong and against the laws of man and civilization. Apologize because it could look bad.

As a result of his equivocation, insincerity and tardiness, I have an equal or lower opinion of him than what I do of the shooter, which is pretty darned low.

Well don't worry about my mis-understanding you or your intent. I know your the enemy. The 10 % you claim to be "radicalized" and the 90 % who are complicit through their silence and allow those butchers to hide in the plain site of your masses.

No Mis-understandings here.

I think that it's considerably more than 10 percent, and I also think that turd-breath here is very much aware that it's far more than ten percent as well.

Keep your powder dry.

" We struggled for some time about whether a statement should be sent out or not, because we would like this to be recognized for the grievous crime that it is, rather than an event that calls for an explanation or apology by Muslims. "

Nice , don't apologize because it's wrong and against the laws of man and civilization. Apologize because it could look bad.

As a result of his equivocation, insincerity and tardiness, I have an equal or lower opinion of him than what I do of the shooter, which is pretty darned low.

Well don't worry about my mis-understanding you or your intent. I know your the enemy. The 10 % you claim to be "radicalized" and the 90 % who are complicit through their silence and allow those butchers to hide in the plain site of your masses.

No Mis-understandings here.

I think that it's considerably more than 10 percent, and I also think that turd-breath here is very much aware that it's far more than ten percent as well.

Keep your powder dry.

[Stoat]

He should consult Mel Gibson on how to craft a decent apology.

Here's my answer to your "apology" Mr. Siddiqui: NIDFOK OTCHA

The great difference here, which I know you are fully aware of, is that Mel is an honorable, good man who only said a couple of bad things when he was completely out of his head and blind drunk.  This guy, in contrast, is unable to do an honest, honorable and good thing even after mulling it over for several days.  His goal is not honesty and doing the right thing, it is spin.  That is the sum total of his job.

He should consult Mel Gibson on how to craft a decent apology.

Here's my answer to your "apology" Mr. Siddiqui: NIDFOK OTCHA

[Stoat]

It's this that makes me wonder if it wouldn't be best to start deporting some of these folks back to the camel farm.

You won't get any arguments from me   :-)