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Queens Mosque Outraged After NY Post Tries & Fails To Link Them To San Bernardino Killers

Ben Yakas

Published Dec 6, 2015

Modified Dec 6, 2015

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Ben Yakas

Published Dec 6, 2015

Modified Dec 6, 2015

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While the Daily News have labeled the NRA head a "terrorist" on their front cover and the NY Times have put a "gun epidemic" editorial on Page One, the NY Post have been steadfast in their mission to label all Muslims murderers. Yesterday they continued their shtick, desperately trying to connect the San Bernardino killers with a Queens mosque...because of a sticker.

"The Islamic Circle of North America is repulsed at attempts by some in the media to link the suspects of the recent attacks in San Bernardino to the organization’s women’s division," the group said in a statement. "Certain media sources reported that a certificate of appreciation from ICNA Sister’s Wing addressed to the mother of one of the suspects was found in the home during a search on Friday."

Those certain media sources, the NY Post, wrote on Saturday that Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik "had an Allah-praising sticker slapped on a dresser drawer in their town house that traces back to a Muslim organization with headquarters in Queens." This sticker, from the Islamic Circle of North America's Sister Wing, contained a prayer for coming out of the bathroom reading, "Praise to be Allah Who relieved me from the suffering and gave me relief."

It turned out that Farook's mother, Rafia Farook, had attended classes at the ICNA’s Los Angeles branch, and graduated from a course titled "Journey through the Quran Session" in the summer of 2014. The rest of their evidence against the group: the Anti-Defamation League once wrote that at one single conference in 2010, "several speakers delivered anti-Semitic remarks." Five members of ICNA from Virginia were detained in Pakistan for allegedly trying to join terror groups, although no one was arrested and, again, it had no connection to the Queens branch. And the group had previously been investigated for terrorist connections, "but no one has ever been prosecuted." FYI, that sort of thing happens quite a lot for Muslims in NYC.

All this information was apparently enough for the Post to feel it deserved to associate the group, who are based in Jamaica, Queens, with the murders of 14 people. This despite the fact the group released a statement condemning the attackers immediately after the shooting:

The Islamic Circle of North America is appalled at today’s mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. Our condolences and thoughts are with the families of the victims of this senseless shooting and we pray for the speedy recovery for those that are wounded.

Once again we hope for peace and stability in our society and we thank our law enforcement agencies for the quick response in stopping any further violence.

As the investigations are still ongoing, we remind the American Muslim community to be extra vigilant and to immediately report any suspicious activity to the law enforcement agencies.

And as they wrote after the Post's article took up residency on their homepage all of Saturday, "ICNA has consistently and strongly condemned all violent acts in our nation and across the world including this one. ICNA has been at the forefront of challenging these acts at the religious and ideological front. Neither ICNA nor any of its divisions are the target of any investigation by any law enforcement agency. It is sickening that certain groups in our country would find opportunity during these difficult times to sow suspicion based on preconceived bigoted ideas."

The husband of Rafia's teacher said members of the LA branch knew Rafia and one of Farook’s sisters as part of their congregation. “We are upset about the killings, too,” Mahmoud Ahmad told the Post, in a quote buried at the end of their hit job of a story. "We cannot believe what has happened to these victims and their families. We Muslims are uncomfortable with them because they translate the Koran into an out-of-context, absurd ideology. They are fanatics and they would not hesitate to kill us, too."

Tagged

Islamic Circle of North America

ny post

queens

san bernardino

Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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