Militant suspicions (letters to Ed: one in defense of Muslims to Seattle Times and one in rebuttal)

Seattle Times

[SeattleTiger]

Militant suspicions

Where's the connection?

I am outraged by "Seattle militants investigated for possible ties to al-Qaida" (Local News, July 12). Your headline would imply there are dozens if not hundreds of Muslims plotting and planning to wreak havoc in Seattle. The article seemed long on allegations but woefully short on proof; healthy skepticism was non-existent. We would like to share just a few of our concerns with you and your readers:

The mosque in the picture says, "Masjid Al-Taqwa" ("God-fearing Mosque"), not Dar-us Salaam.

"(T)he Ultimate Jihad Challenge": What does that mean? It could be a struggle for the rights of the oppressed or one of the thousands of different jihads that are possible. Where is the connection with terrorism?

"Jihad camp": The Times does not bother to define where that term sprang from. Did the writers take the trouble to talk to any of the so-called planners for the "jihad camp"? Could it be that those people might have been planning an Islamic school or something equally harmless there? Has no one ever seen or heard of people at target practice in desolate places?

The connection of the Finsbury Park (London) mosque with terrorism appears to be the most imaginative: "In recent years, the mosque has been attended by Zacarias Moussaoui... " Does The Times have any idea how many people must "attend" the Finsbury mosque? Must they all be guilty?

It is distressing that so many apparently baseless allegations are presented as proof to your readers. You do your readers and Muslims a great disservice by writing such a badly put-together article and you compound the disservice by printing it.

- Jeff Siddiqui, American Muslims of Puget Sound, Seattle

LETTER TWO: (the one with facts in it)

Some call it jihad

Mike Clark's statement that "mainstream Muslim mosques across the U.S... have consistently rejected the concept of jihad" is misleading ("Seattle militants investigated"). Noted terrorism expert Steven Emerson reports in "American Jihad" that most Muslims in America are peace-loving. However, the extremists have disproportionate influence in American mosques.

One prominent Muslim cleric claimed in 1999 that "because they are active they took over more than 80 percent of the mosques in the U.S." Emerson reports most American mosques are funded by Saudi Arabia, and most funders promote the Saudi ideology of Wahhabism, which encourages the spread of Islam through violence. "Local imams can be appointed by anyone who chooses to fund and/or found a mosque; hence, the influence of this minority ideology is well entrenched among American clerics."

Further, Time magazine reported in February that Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri, the imam Clark names, continually preaches jihad at the huge Finsbury Park mosque in London. A Finsbury Park Jewish synagogue was desecrated in April by vandals "who threw prayer shawls and yarmulkes to the ground and splashed green paint on them and the ark." And a Jew in that area was beaten up for wearing a yarmulke, the assault committed by residents of the Arab community.

- Nancy Eckert, Seattle

[SeattleTiger]

Never thought I'd see the Seattle Times accused of biased reporting AGAINST disparaged groups

SeattleTiger

[mgc1122]

It only takes a handful to wreak havoc, and hundreds to give tacit approval by keeping silent while their "peaceful" Islamic brothers plot murder.

[piasa]

fyi