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Lackawanna, NY Muslims fear “Islamophobia” after arrest of jihadist

Aug 2, 2015 3:55 pm By Robert Spencer

Julie Algubani“This is not the norm,” says the Executive Director of Western New York Muslims, Julie Algubani. Yet in 2002 there was the case of the Lackawanna Six — six local Muslims who attended an al-Qaeda training camp. And in any case, even if it isn’t the norm, what is the local Muslim community doing to prevent it? What programs have they instituted to teach against the understanding of Islam held by the Islamic State?

And they say that Arafat Nagi was not a member of the community. Has anyone made any effort to determine whether or not that is actually true? Back in 2002, Nagi had wanted to join the Lackawanna Six. Did the community reach out to him at any time between 2002 and 2015 and try to disabuse him of his misunderstanding of Islam? If not, why not?

And now they’re worried because “Islamophobia” is so strong. Maybe it wouldn’t be so strong if they were doing something honest and genuine to prevent the advent of more Arafat Nagis.

“Local Muslim leaders speak out after Lackawanna terror arrest,” by Jenn Schanz, WIVB, August 1, 2015:

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A local community is devastated and in shock.

They’re shocked! Shocked!

Following the arrest of Lackawanna resident Arafat Nagi, 44, local Muslim leaders are speaking out.

“People need to recognize that the Lackawanna community in no way, shape, or form wanted any of this to happen and this is not the norm,” said Executive Director of Western New York Muslims, Julie Algubani.

Nagi was arrested Wednesday after federal authorities say he pledged allegiance to terrorist group ISIL, used social media to recruit other supporters and allegedly purchased items he planned to use to fight for their cause.

Algubani told News 4 stereotyping is not a new obstacle for Muslims, and she hopes the arrest doesn’t create new tensions.

“Unfortunately because Islamophobia is so strong, we are, you know we recognize that it’s so strong. And unfortunately it’s something that as a Muslim in the community we have to deal on a daily basis whether something like this happens or not,” she said

President of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York, Dr. Khalid Qazi sees things a little differently.

“There obviously are some issues in terms of some Islamophobes that do exist in many communities and to some extent in our community also but the community in general has been very welcoming,” he said.

There are 25,000 Muslims in Western New York. Those is Lackawanna are mostly from Yemen.

Dr. Qazi says Nagi was no longer part of that community.

“He had withdrawn from the community about three years ago. He had some domestic issues, some family issues,” Dr. Qazi told News 4.

Since Nagi’s arrest, Dr. Qazi has been working with Muslim leaders in Lackwanna, meeting regularly to have open discussions on how best to address the situation.

He and Algubani agree Nagi’s alleged actions are out of character for the community, and hope continued discussion can ease anxiety for both Muslims and non-Muslims living there.

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Filed Under: claiming victim status, Featured, Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), mosques Tagged With: Arafat Nagi, Dr. Khalid Qazi, Julie Algubani, Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York, Western New York Muslims


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Comments

  1. RonaldB says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 4:20 pm

    ““Unfortunately because Islamophobia is so strong, we are, you know we recognize that it’s so strong. And unfortunately it’s something that as a Muslim in the community we have to deal on a daily basis whether something like this happens or not,” she said”

    Let’s play a mind game.

    Granted the Islamic community is petrified of “Islamophobia”. But, the way “Islamophobia” is defined, it simply describes a body of feelings towards Muslims. In other words, even if “Islamophobia” is strong and rampant, as defined, the worst that can happen is that people will smile less at Muslims. Oh, and they might verbally criticize it more. Nothing that is not reversible if any mistake is made.

    Therefore, it’s not a time-critical issue, even for Muslims.

    If I were a patriotic Muslim, I would first be concerned with the well-being of the entire community Bear with me. I would announce to Muslims and members of my congregation that they should immediately report any suspicious activities to the authorities. They might also report it to the imams, and include that information in their report to the police. They might request the police to track members of the congregation who suddenly “go off the radar” and find out what’s happening to them. After all, Muslims can’t be expected to do all the policing themselves, unless they don’t see themselves as part of the rest of the community, and thus are not willing to avail themselves of the law-enforcement and security resources.

    Someday, a Muslim might show concern for the community first, rather than their image.

    • Jack Diamond says

      Aug 2, 2015 at 4:46 pm

      Unfortunately, the community they identify themselves with and have first loyalty to is the Umma.
      And that is sunnah. The exceptions prove the rule.

      • oldwhiteguy says

        Aug 3, 2015 at 10:07 am

        unfortunately for us violence and the killing of infidels is the norm and not the exception. jihad is commanded and will happen anywhere and everywhere.

    • Jaladhi says

      Aug 2, 2015 at 6:36 pm

      >”If I were a patriotic Muslim, I would first be concerned with the well-being of the entire community Bear with me.”<

      The Muslim behavior in USA is consistent with Muslim behavior in any country they live in. They are not patriotic to any country – their only allegiance is to ummah, Islam, Quran and nothing else!! Patriotic Muslim – an oxymoron!!

      • mortimer says

        Aug 2, 2015 at 8:06 pm

        When Muslims use ‘Islamophobia’, they don’t think about human rights…they think about SHARIA LAW.

        Sharia law forbids dirty kafirs to learn about Islam, read about Islam or speak about Islam.

        Telling the truth about jihad is one of the most dangerous things a dirty kafir can do.

        • afrostreetwise says

          Aug 3, 2015 at 9:34 am

          “Sharia law forbids dirty kafirs to learn about Islam, read about Islam or speak about Islam”
          Exactly. I learned that by once innocently asking a sheikh if he would like to lend me his Koran to read since I had perceived muslims to be very pious. I was shocked when he told me that a non muslim is not allowed to touch the Koran let alone read it. We had very close business relationship yet he couldnt even explain to me why i could not even read it. That was in 2002.

    • Shane says

      Aug 3, 2015 at 10:18 am

      There is no Islamophobia; for non-Muslims to fear Muslims is a healthy attitude, not an irrational fear.

  2. Angemon says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 4:28 pm

    “People need to recognize that the Lackawanna community in no way, shape, or form wanted any of this to happen and this is not the norm,” said Executive Director of Western New York Muslims, Julie Algubani.

    I, for one, wholeheartedly believe this – I believe that they didn’t want this to become known and that the norm is to keep their stealth jihad stealthy.

    “Unfortunately because Islamophobia is so strong, we are, you know we recognize that it’s so strong. And unfortunately it’s something that as a Muslim in the community we have to deal on a daily basis whether something like this happens or not,” she said

    No, no, no, lady! Just “islamophobia”? You need to shoehorn in race and veiled threats – say, for example, that racist, islamophobic cops are harassing the community on a daily basis and that if nothing is done you’ll soon have another Ferguson on your hands!

  3. PRCS says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    “He and Algubani agree Nagi’s alleged actions are out of character for the community, and hope continued discussion can ease anxiety for both Muslims and non-Muslims living there.

    But, were his actions driven by the one and only Qur’an–the one you read, too–as it’s written?

    What those two are saying is that the “community” consists of blasphemers who are cherry picking from Qur’an what they will–and won’t–comply with.

    Qur’an says what it says, and the various Muslim “communities” need to be told that WE are offended by Islam’s teachings.

  4. jihad3tracker says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Here we go again and again and again —- with her mouth delivering another page from the script these zombies get from a network lodged in shared emails or encrypted paths.

    Not that this will make any difference, but howzabout slightly updating our countering remark to “It’s not Islamophobia if they ARE killing us.”

    And here once more — for newbies or those who have missed it — is David Wood’s 5 minute ironclad-logical-factual response to “If Islam is violent, why are so many Muslims peaceful ???” Go to his blog, www dot answeringmuslims dot com, and look for “The Jihad Triangle”.

    One of many excellent items on tape by this deeply committed Christian, former atheist, a genuine expert on Islam, and someone who ALSO risks his life to get out the truth. He is a low-key sort of guy, but a resource which none of us should take for granted, IMO.

    • PRCS says

      Aug 2, 2015 at 5:13 pm

      I was watching some of his vids on YouTube yesterday.

      The one about ABC’s 20/20 program was pretty good.

      • jihad3tracker says

        Aug 2, 2015 at 5:55 pm

        Thank you for that link, PRCS — I had watched the first half of it a couple of years ago. Much of David’s humor on this video, as usual.

        For example at around 3:30 when a female academic gives a load of bull crap about 72 “virgins” being a mistranslation.

        THE CORRECT WORD IS NOT VIRGINS, BUT “RAISINS” SHE SAYS . . . I am not making that up — check it out yourselves..

        • jihad3tracker says

          Aug 2, 2015 at 6:13 pm

          IF YOU ARE SHORT OF TIME AND WANT TO CATCH DAVID AT FULL SPEED —

          Go to 25 minutes and 30 seconds . . . about Infidels and world-renowned religious scholar Diane Sawyer’s penetrating insights into that issue.

        • Joseph says

          Aug 2, 2015 at 8:42 pm

          @ jihad3tracker
          “THE CORRECT WORD IS NOT VIRGINS, BUT “RAISINS” SHE SAYS”
          __________________
          Did she by any chance say what they would do with 72 raisins, that would magically have their hymen repaired?
          THAT really says something of the endowment of the male Moozlim.
          From goats to raisins…….must be disappointing.

        • Western Canadian says

          Aug 3, 2015 at 2:44 am

          That is actually a serious possibility of being the correct translation…. white raisins, by the way..

  5. abad says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    Islamophobia?

    Maybe Muslims need to stop thinking about themselves for a complete change and do some serious soul-searching about how they treat non-Muslims. Because they have failed to demonstrate they respect the lives of non-Muslims.

    • Jay Boo says

      Aug 2, 2015 at 7:56 pm

      It is not easy to keep up the hoax that Islam is a religion.
      Lackawanna Muslims are not afraid that we will be afraid of them.
      Islam followers love phobia in others.
      They fear that we will realize that their supremacist ideology is a massive joke that cannot survive a day without violence.
      Muslims at prayer is one example. What a sight.
      They flail about the mosque with their clownish (Islamic line-dance display) secretly wishing others to watch them as they ‘pray’.
      Do they actually believe they can prop up Muhammad’s turgid buffoonery?
      Yet once again Muzzies pose for each other on each Freaky Friday.

  6. somehistory says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 6:02 pm

    This is really getting old…as in, can’t they come up with something different?

    The muslim offender “is not a member of the *community* any longer”…hasn’t bee a part of the “community” for years…they are all surprised…shocked…that someone did this as it isn’t a part of their “islam” teaching and they are all “afraid of the backlash”…the “islam o phobia that everyone not muslim is so guilty of” and they are all just quaking in their own jihadi boots that regular people…in the *regular community* will find out that islam is dangerous to the average *community.*

    When someone is afraid of spiders…all of the spiders get together and complain about those people who don’t like them. “We don’t bite. We aren’t poisonous…just lie still and you won’t feel a thing.:
    When someone is afraid of snakes…all of the snakes get together and complain about those people who are afraid of them. “Oh, poor us. That snake didn’t come from our “community.” He’s mentally ill, that snake. Now just be quite and come closer.”
    When someone suffers from “white coat syndrome”…all of the doctors get together and complain that some people get sick in their presence.

    Complain, complain, complain and blame anyone who might not want to be friendly to the muslims in the “muslim community…when all the time, the muslims in their “community” don’t want non muslims for friends anyway.
    The real thing…just don’t tell the truth about what islam teaches…and don’t arrest any muslim who acts on what islam teaches…and don’t complain about muslims who hate everyone who doesn’t agree with what islam teaches.
    Back lash…phobia…fear….The solution is so simple: Leave islam. Leave satans beast. Learn what “real peace” is. And then when the next jihadi is caught, no one will be looking at you any differently.

    • Jaladhi says

      Aug 2, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      One word explains them all – Liars!!

  7. Jaladhi says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 6:27 pm

    If they are worried about “Islamophobia” here in USA, why are they still here. They will love it Saudi Arabia or their own country Yemen or any other Islamic hell hole!! No they want to stay here and bring Islamic hell hole with them.

    Why did they leave such a great life in Yemen to come here if the life is so good there??

  8. Jaladhi says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    >”Dr. Qazi says Nagi was no longer part of that community.

    “He had withdrawn from the community about three years ago. He had some domestic issues, some family issues,” Dr. Qazi told News 4.”<

    Isn't this part of the pattern that Muslims display – immediately after the arrest of Muslims from their area -they are never the part of the community or they have some issues, or mental problems or blah,blah, blah… we have heard them all, but our media never calls them on carpet!!

    LIars, liars,liars..! They are all in this together!!

    • particolor says

      Aug 3, 2015 at 5:42 am

      YES What a load of S**T ! They ALL understand Islam Perfectly Well !! They want Your Country !
      And the way they are going they will get it !! 🙁

  9. gravenimage says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    Lackawanna, NY Muslims fear “Islamophobia” after arrest of jihadist
    ………………………..

    Just think how much better it would be if they hadn’t arrested this Jihadist…

  10. mortimer says

    Aug 2, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    Julie Algubani speaks for all Muslims? Who said?

    The ‘REAL’ victims of the terrorists aren’t the dirty kafirs that they want to terrorize…NO she tries to persuade us, the ‘REAL’ victims are Muslims who supposedly believe in equality, pluralism and freedom of speech…but she does not say that. In fact she doesn’t tell us anything about what Muslims believe.

    That’s because she’s a trickster. She knows (as we do) that 65% of Muslims want strict, discriminatory Sharia law and a caliphate. 65% of Muslims agree with 95% of ISIS (or even 99%). 35% of Muslims seem to be virtually apostates. She knows that too.

    Julie Algubani is a professional disinformationist.

  11. Steph says

    Aug 3, 2015 at 12:27 am

    Dr. Qazi (read as, whoever is in charge of the mosk) says Nagi (the muslim that created mayhem) was no longer part of that community.

    “He had withdrawn from the community about three years ago,

    Has anyone noticed they all say this, everytime some idiot jihadist goes off the rails we get the above answer,, somehow (and we are all amazed how) it’s got nothing to do with the Imam or the mosk or the religion ..

    I think “islamophobia” is a very heathy reaction, and we should all be suspicious of everything that goes on,, the muslims should prove they are in the 21st centuary, and we don’t behave like savages any more ..

  12. don vito says

    Aug 3, 2015 at 3:01 am

    before “islam-o-phobia”, there was what? What does the “o” represent? Why not, islam-a, b, c, d-phobia, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r-phobia, s, t, u-phobia, v, w, x-phobia, y-phobia, z-phobia? Islamzphobia? nice ring to it, no?

    • particolor says

      Aug 3, 2015 at 5:47 am

      I like “Fear of Arseholes” better !

  13. Kristi Ann says

    Aug 3, 2015 at 5:13 am

    It isn’t Islamophobia when they’re trying to Kill you!!

  14. Marty says

    Aug 3, 2015 at 6:44 am

    This idiot woman is worrying about something that doesn’t exist.
    A phobia is an irrational fear.
    There is no such thing as Naziophobia or pedophileophobia or islamophobia.
    The values decent people all hate are comprised in the list above.
    It is islamophilia that is plaguing the West.
    And our descendants will pay for our cowardice.

  15. duh_swami says

    Aug 3, 2015 at 8:54 am

    Islamophobia has nothing to do with Islam…Islamophobia is the enemy of Islam…it’s basic meaning is, kuffar, infidel, polytheist, or, disbelief in Allah…Islamophobia is also a land, dar al-harb, the lands of kufr…There is only one reason the pious want to live in the land of kufr…invasion…fight in violent and non violent ways, and eventually take over, and make sharia the law of the land…There are remedies for this, but few to none will be accomplished as long as the traitorous elite are running western countries…They are all, including Rasool Obama, enablers of jihad…

  16. awake says

    Aug 3, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    It is truly remarkable that whenever these Muslims develop personal problems, supposed2ly withdraw from the community and always end up in the same place, jihad, out of religious duty.

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