Raussi Uthman, a Muslim who “who was convicted of hate crimes for burglarizing and burning down a Jewish temple three years ago, was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison.” So says AP.
Uthman “also must pay $856,278 in restitution.”
The story says that “no one was injured in the fire at Temple Beth El in Syracuse, which caused more than $700,000 in damage.”
Uthman worked from the CAIR playbook at the sentencing: “‘This sentence has nothing to do with your heritage,’ Judge Joseph Fahey told Uthman, who claimed he was being discriminated against. ‘It is based solely on your conduct. It is the same sentence I would impose on a Nazi, Ku Klux Klansman or any bigot that would have burned down a house of worship. My only regret is that it can’t be longer.’
Uthman’s accomplice, Ahed Shehadeh, “who is serving a five-year sentence for burglary and aiding and abetting an arson, testified that Uthman dedicated the arson to God, crying out in Arabic, ‘I did this for you, God!’
“Uthman’s attorney argued the accomplice set fire to the temple to cover up their burglary, then implicated Uthman and concocted a religious motivation in order to cut a deal with prosecutors.” Yes, of course. A simple burglary, that just happened to be carried about by two Muslims against a synagogue. What a coincidence!