While the Trump administration finds itself embattled with the judiciary and media over the travel ban, there remain serious radicalization red-flags right here on US soil. One unmistakably surfaced recently with an advertisement published by the largest Urdu-language weekly newspaper in the United States— The Urdu Times. The advertisement (reportedly published on Feb 9, 2017) announced an upcoming event celebrating a eulogy at a Maryland mosque for the convicted terrorist: Mumtaz Qadri. In 2011, Qadri killed Salman Taseer, the Governor of the Punjab in Pakistan. He was, in fact, Taseer’s bodyguard and in a tragic irony he gunned down the Governor with the weapon he carried for Taseer’s protection. Qadri was convicted and executed in 2016.
Salman Taseer, the late Punjab Governor, fell prey to terrorists for his denunciation of Pakistan’s misused blasphemy laws and his support for minority victims
Qadri proudly confessed and admitted to his motive. Salman Taseer was an outspoken critic of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and their misuse by radicals to target minorities. One can lose their life to an extremist mob-lynch even at the hint of a blasphemy accusation. Taseer, also a human rights activist, had lobbied for the internationally covered case of Asia Bibi—a Pakistani Christian woman charged under the blasphemy law carrying the death penalty. The radicalized Qadri felt outraged and likely saw the Governor complicit in blasphemy, murdering him in broad daylight.
Mumtaz Qadri was, by all manner of definition, a terrorist.
Yet, The Urdu Times, based out of New York City, permitted The Raza-e-Mustafa Islamic Center of Pikesville in Maryland to take out a full-page advertisement celebrating Mumtaz Qadri’s supposed martyrdom. The advertisement eulogizes Qadri as a hero featuring songs of praise and prayers at the event that was reportedly held on February 12th, 2017.
This advertisement, printed by The Urdu Time in the USA on Feb 9, 2017, announces an event at the Raza-e-Mustafa Islamic Center in Maryland to celebrate the eulogy of convicted terrorist Mumtaz Qadri
This chilling episode highlights an important dimension in the war on terror. Radical ideology needs no visa; it does not travel on airplanes, nor does it undergo extreme vetting with immigration officials. It slips through social media posts and Youtube videos. It insidiously inculcates young, nascent hearts and minds and could germinate into a radical inclination evolving into an act of terror.
This was not a soft radicalization, but a hardcore endorsement of a known terrorist!
Unfortunately, the executive branch of our government with its cursory, off-the-cuff executive orders is distracted from developing concrete security strategies and programs. Nevertheless, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI need to take an active interest in this event and investigate its organizers for potential radicalized elements.
In no way should the actions of a few bad apples reflect upon the American-Muslim community. American-Muslims are patriotic, fecund citizens and vigilant of threats to our country. The Muslim community must play the first line of defense in such situations (as they have) not just by exposing such radical imports but by proactively educating our youth, such as punishing blasphemy is an aberration that has no place in Islamic teachings.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA has launched and developed a nationwide anti-radicalization and anti-Islamophobia campaign known as “True-Islam”. The campaign spans social media, inter-faith platforms and community events. Nearly 14,000 people have officially endorsed the campaign including members of the US House of Representatives and law-enforcement officials. The True-Islam campaign experienced a remarkable success-story turning an act of hate and violence into peace and reconciliation. Ted Hakey, a former marine enraged by the 2015 terror attacks in Paris, had driven up and fired shots into a mosque in Meridian, Connecticut. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The local Muslim community reached out to Ted Hakey who came to learn about the religion of Islam, admitted his ignorance and sought their forgiveness.
It is the responsibility of our security agencies to address the rogue elements and the leadership at the mosque in Maryland who organized a eulogy for a convicted terrorist. And it is the responsibility of the American-Muslim community to reach out and educate those who are at a high risk of radicalization-- not just in the true teaching of Islam, but in civil responsibility and the idealism of the democracy and republic where they choose to dispense their citizenry.