Chapter President Hafiz Samiullah Chaudhary called Saipov a “misguided” person whose actions go against the teachings of Allah.
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| Imam Hafiz Samiullah Chaudhary. (Photo: Viorel Florescu/NorthJersey.com) |
Source/Credit: NorthJersey.com
By Tony Gicas | November 2, 2017
HAWTHORNE — Inside a nondescript building situated across the Passaic River from Paterson’s 2nd Ward, members of one of the nation's oldest Muslim organizations opened its Wagaraw Road mosque to the public to denounce terror suspect Sayfullo Saipov.
About 20 congregants of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, an Islamic organization that boasts 70 chapters across the United States, assembled Thursday night around cups of coffee and slices of cake to discuss and debunk misconceptions about their faith.
The gathering was held in the wake of Tuesday’s terrorist attack in lower Manhattan, in which eight people were killed and a dozen injured.
Saipov, 29, allegedly drove a rented Home Depot truck down a West Side Highway bike path, striking pedestrians and cyclists before ramming a school bus. Shouting "God is great" in Arabic, he then emerged from the truck with a paint ball gun and a pellet gun, authorities said. He was taken into custody after police shot him in the abdomen.
Authorities say Saipov, reportedly a driver for Uber, lived in a Paterson apartment on the 100 block of Genessee Avenue.
Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale said the Islamic Center of Passaic County, also in Paterson, has received multiple phone threats in the days following the Halloween attack.
Members of the Hawthorne-based chapter say the organization has not had any threats and, instead of backlash, received gestures of support from local dignitaries.
Chapter President Hafiz Samiullah Chaudhary called Saipov a “misguided” person whose actions go against the teachings of Allah.
“We denounce this horrific event,” Chaudhary said. “Whether it happens in Las Vegas or Paris or Belgium, it is irreligious. Those who shed the blood of the innocent have nothing to do with Islam or any religion.”
Ahmed Khawaja, the chapter's public relations director, said members traveled to the site of the New York City attack on Wednesday night to attend a vigil.
During Thursday's session, which culminated with a silent prayer for the victims, boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts pastries were placed on folding tables next to signs with the group's slogan, “love for all, hatred for none."
Still, this week’s attack provoked a deep sense of disappointment from the North Jersey chapter of the Ahmadiyya community.
“It feels like our faith has been hijacked and our narrative has been taken over,” said Mahnoor Waseem, a spokesperson for the organization. "[Saipov] said the words Allahu Akbar, which literally means 'God is great' and is something I say many times a day. We are trying to take back our religion.”
The group outgrew its Crooks Avenue mosque in Clifton and acquired the Wagaraw Road location, where they have been holding a weekly Coffee, Cake and True Islam program since the move, chapter officials said.
Founded in 1889 in India, the religious group hosts a website, TrueIslam.com, which discredits 11 Islamic misconceptions commonly associated with Muslim extremist propaganda.
The site received bipartisan support from members of Congress for its message, officials said.
Email: Gicas@northjersey.com
Read original post here: USA: Passaic County Ahmadiyya Muslims denounce N.Y.C. terror suspect
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