Not so fast, hippies
Remember Hassan Askari? The Muslim guy who helped the Jews on the subway? He’s a great guy. No doubt. Everyone was kvelling. I got emails about that, in hopes that maybe this would change my curmudgeonly mind about mass immigration of…well, you know…
But once again, my progressive friends of conscience got just a little bit too worked up too quickly. What was the Muslim reaction to Askari? Well…apparently, believe it or not, it is a bit more…mixed.
The Jewish Week reports,
But the honor for Q train hero Hassan Askari that might carry the weightiest message is the one coming this week from the only newspaper serving the Muslim community of the Greater New York area. That’s because, according to the president of the Queens-based Tri-State Muslim, there is some ambivalence about it.
“There are some in our community who are not too sure that what Hassan did was really Islamic,� said Salaudeen Nausrudeen. We totally disagree. If I were being beaten up, I would certainly want others to defend me regardless of my background.� The paper is honoring Askari, Nausrudeen said, in the hope of setting a positive example for young Muslims who might otherwise be inclined to listen to more extremist messages[...]
Nausrudeen said that several people who attended a Dec. 21 event in Queens honoring Askari that was co-sponsored by his newspaper and leaders of the New York Bangladeshi community “made clear that they did not agree with Hassan’s brave act. We are hoping that if more people have a chance to hear his message, it will help to change their way of thinking.�
Askari recalls that during the Dec. 21 event a young man of Arab background raised his hand and said to Askari: “I applaud your courage in doing what you did. But I myself would never save a Jew.�
Those were the people AT THE DINNER. Imagine the views of those…who declined to go to the dinner.
6 comments
“Those were the people AT THE DINNER. Imagine the views of those who declined to go to the dinner.”
Ahem. The bit you left out:
“Askari recalls that during the Dec. 21 event a young man of Arab background raised his hand and said to Askari: “I applaud your courage in doing what you did. But I myself would never save a Jew.â€? Askari said he responded, “I will help anyone in need, no matter what his religion. At the end of the day, we are all human beings and that is what matters.â€?
Askari added: “It is sad to see that some people are so short-sighted. Still, the guy who asked the question was the only person I have met since the incident on the subway who has said anything negative to me.�
http://thejewishweek.com/viewA.....Takes.html
Mass immigration of…?
http://forum.ymonline.org/showthread.php?t=4180
http://forum.ymonline.org/showthread.php?t=4252
http://forum.ymonline.org/showthread.php?t=4258
http://forum.ymonline.org/showthread.php?t=3537
http://www.pmuna.org/
Hi Christine,
I fear I have hurt your feelings. I want to be clear that I am not implicating all or most Muslims, nor do I claim that there is one type of Muslim mentality or attitude.
You quoted YMonline a bunch of times — is this is a teenage site?
i love how u r more worried about offended muslums then orthodox jews. Thats our DK!!
YM is a site for young people 14-25.
As I understand it, considering the way Homeland Security is, many of the Muslim immigrants who are able to come to the U.S. are progressive. Some–like a Sufi family of professional musicians I met–have fled conservative countries like Iran specifically for that reason.
And many value America very highly for religious freedom they have been denied at home.
There are more than 500 members of the Progressive Muslim Union in NY.
Leave a Comment