Said one of the jihadists: “If Jews were killed in this attack … that would be all right.”
Another update on this story. “NYC police: Terror suspects wanted to commit jihad,” from AP, May 21 (thanks to James):
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City police commissioner says four men wanted to commit jihad when they plotted to bomb a Jewish temple and shoot down military planes in upstate New York.
At a news conference outside the Bronx temple Thursday, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly quoted one of the men as saying, “If Jews were killed in this attack … that would be all right.”
Of course it would be, as far as he was concerned. After all, his holy book tells him: “Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews…” — Qur’an 5:82
Yet nevertheless here is the obligatory Exoneration of Islam:
However, Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned against stereotypes. He stressed that the Riverdale Temple is open to people of all faiths, including a Muslim girl who sometimes prays there.
This one is eye-rollingly ridiculous. The jihadists targeted a synagogue and spoke of wanting to kill Jews, and indeed, killing Jews in Islamic eschatology is a good and encouraged thing — remember the hadith about how Muslims killing Jews hastens the coming of the end times — but look! A Muslim girl sometimes prayed in this synagogue! (Who? When? Why?) Therefore this planned attack has nothing to do with Islam, you see! Because what Muslim would plot to kill another Muslim?
But did the jihadists know the Muslim girl prayed there? Would they have cared, or just seen her as collateral damage and considered themselves to be hastening her ascent to Paradise? Does this girl’s alleged occasional presence in the synagogue really nullify the Islamic Jew-hatred that was clearly part of the motivation for this attack?
Does Bloomberg even think about what he is saying before he says it?