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Muslim, Nigerian leaders rally against terrorism

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BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Chanting “No more terrorism,” about 150 Muslim and Nigerian protesters waved U.S. flags as they rallied in the cold outside the federal courthouse during a hearing for the suspect accused of trying to bomb a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day.

“Muslims here to tell you: Go to hell,” read a sign held by Majed Rizki, 48, of Dearborn. “It was a sin against humanity, against civilization,” Rizki said of the attempted attack.

“Islam is not a terrorist religion,” Bilal Amen, 27, vice chair of the Islamic Institute of Knowledge in Dearborn, said while holding an American flag. “Islam is a peaceful religion.”

Amen and others said they were concerned that the Muslim suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab, was giving the wrong image of Islam.

“I’m an American, born and raised,” Amen said. “Islam teaches us to abide by the laws of our land.”

Many in the crowd were angry and upset over the actions of the 23-year-old man, who reportedly was radicalized by an al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen.

Dave Alwatan, 36, an Iraqi-American Muslim, said that the bombing suspect and Al-Qaida have nothing to do with Islam. At one point, Alwatan shouted at a woman leaving the courthouse he thought was the mother of the suspect.

“Shame on you!” he shouted as TV cameras rolled. “Shame on you for how you raise your kids.” || Read more