Hate is just an emotion...

ever heard of the ripple effect?

Published on June 23, 2004 By Muggaz In Misc

What an emotion it is though.

I watched a documentary on the Lackawanna 6 last night. The Lackawanna 6 is six American citizens who were one of the first terrorist sleeper cells to be discovered after September 11.

Lackawanna is a Yemeni community in Buffalo, NY – 100 or so years ago several hundred Yemeni immigrants came to the USA to work the steel. The steel is no more, the jobs are gone, and Lackawanna is just like any other community in America’s rust belt – if not dead, close to dieing.

The 6 Arab-Americans had all been born in America, living fairly normal lives, the questions needed to be asked, what would inspire these American citizens to commit a terrorist act against their own country? What could possibly inspire the hatred within that would be required to commit such an atrocity?

The youths began to falter from their strict culture, joining the other youths on the street, and doing whatever it is youths in the poverty stricken towns of Buffalo do, I won’t be so brash as to assume, but you get the idea.

Arguments were stirring between the youths and the elders of the Lackawanna community; typical problems of troubled youths feeling the generation gap… then a preacher came… a Yemeni by the name of Kamal Derwish The elders were very happy with this cleric, he was appealing to the youths, and he kept them of the street.

Derwish kept the youths of the streets with home prayer meetings. At first they were conducted in a peaceful and friendly fashion, within the confines of the homes of the community, very slowly and gradually, the prayer meetings became anti-American vitriol, with Derwish showing videos of Muslims suffering across the globe… Impressionable youths were easily swayed to the dark side.

Derwish encouraged the hatred, informed the youths of the Al-Quada training camps in Afghanistan, and soon enough, the original six were on their way… They were Mukhtar Al-Bakri, Sahim Alwan, Faysal Galab, Shafal Mosed, Yaseinn Taher, and Yahya Goba.

It was about this time (Spring 2001) that the FBI in Buffalo received an anonymous letter from an Arab American within the Lackawanna community informing them of the 6 American citizens going to the training camps in Afghanistan – detailing what the plans were. This anonymous letter was disregarded as a hoax. American citizens were invaluable to Osama bin Laden and his network, they would be protected by the American constitution and could not be arrested upon suspicion, Osama actually introduced himself to one of the six…

The resulting investigations show that Derwish had in fact recruited many more than the original 6 during his short stint in Lackawanna – it was clear his job was recruiting for the Terrorist network. The investigations were also successful in ostracising the Muslim community from mainstream America… Muslims were being stopped in the street and thoroughly checked in view of the general public.

This leads me to the question, Arab Americans enjoyed the same liberties as regular American’s before 9/11, however, they now feel isolated and ostracised – like they are dogs to be spat on in the street. This isn’t coming from my mouth; it’s coming from the Muslim communities of America, articles like this help me understand why they feel this way.

Derwish was assassinated in Yemen by the CIA, the Lackawanna 6 have been tried and convicted for conspiracy to terrorise, in spite of the Lackawanna communities disposition that those individuals would not be capable of such atrocities, however, the charged emotion from September 11 remains, and one would have to ask, would that anonymous Arab American put pen to paper in today’s environment to warn the FBI?

I hope so.

BAM!!!

Comments

Sally jacobs

on Jun 24, 2004

What a great article, this is the kind of thing I usually avoid commenting on, due to mostly my lack of understanding, and lack of information on the subect, in other words my stupidity, but that was so well written. I hope that person would still send that anonoymous letter I really do, someone did try to help, and point out what was going on, but was ignored, hmmm. These boys were easy targets, young and impressionable, all he had to do was plant a few seeds in their heads, water them now and again and watch them grow, how sad that he used against them the one thing they should treasure forever, their youth.

Muggaz

on Jun 24, 2004

Thanks Sally...

I tried to make it pretty concise... I feel sorry for Muslims all over the world, They have all been adversely affected by the radical actions of a few.

BAM!!!

Sally jacobs

on Jun 25, 2004

I can't believe this article didn't get more attention, it had such a good message for people! Hmm...it's amazing what actually does get attention.

Muggaz

on Jun 25, 2004

I can't believe this article didn't get more attention, it had such a good message for people! Hmm...it's amazing what actually does get attention.

Interesting you say that Sally... to get anyone to learn anything these days, it has to involve Penis, Vagina, Sex etc in the title... This message isn't even leaning towards a political ideology, it's just a straight forward message not to hate...

Oh well... The fact that you read it and enjoyed it, and understood the message is enough for me...

Thanks again... you are a bit of a gem you know

BAM!!!

Sally jacobs

on Jun 25, 2004

Interesting you say that Sally

No I just noticed how much attention your humour articles got compared to this one, taking nothing away from them of course, just food for thought!

you are a bit of a gem you know

i know!

Mandeep Sahota

on Jun 28, 2004

wow, that was very interesting and it had gave me some insight. I don't understand why articles like this don't get attention. The stupid medea, always shows things that spin hatred, and fear among Americans. I mean seriously, i knwo many of you will disagree. I watch the news everyday (for the weather) and everyday they tell of explosions and killings in Iraq. (which I'm not saying is bad or anything) but they never show good things, or things that we should learn from. this is just an example, girls can go to school in Iraq for the very first time ever....but I didn't see one news team broadcasting that...it's like wtf??!?! if you keep showing all the negative things, obviously it's going to brainwash people into hating and disprespecting the islam community as a whole. Articles like this should be put out more, it promotes thinking and curiosity. Obviously that isn't a value in America....everyone always closes in information that is important.....just like how the government is trying to make sure no one sees the new documentary by michael.....9/11. awesome article btw!

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