Arab Social Media Users: Killing of NY Imam Was ‘Christian Terror’

arab social media
YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty
Ali Waked

JAFFA, Israel – Despite a lack of information on the killings, Arab social media has been laden with accusations of “Christian terror” regarding the case of an imam and his friend who were gunned down Saturday in Queens, NY shortly after leaving a mosque where they were reciting afternoon prayers.

The victims were identified by the NYPD as Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55 and Thara Uddin, 65. Both men were shot at close range, just a block away from the mosque. The imam was pronounced dead at the scene, while Uddin died four hours later at Jamaica Hospital.

The shooter, according to Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner from the 106th precinct, remains at large. According to Sautner, the shooter is believed to be a “male with medium complexion dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts.”

The authorities added that the motive has not been determined, but community members, predominantly Muslims, are calling the murders a hate crime, with some going so far as to blame Donald Trump.

“That’s not what America is about,” Khairul Islam, 33, a local resident, told the Daily News. “We blame Donald Trump for this. Trump and his drama have created Islamophobia.”

Arab social media users decried the act as “Christian terror,” which was one of the hashtags trending on Twitter in Arabic.

“Religious incitement threatens the unity of the American nation, and that’s all because of Trump’s terrorist statements,” Said Aljabarti tweeted. “He’s the first to be blamed.”

Mohammed wondered: “What is it, if not Christian terror?”

Under the hashtag Christian_terror, Nasser bin hala wrote, “We did not see the media dealing with the story. Is the reason that the murderer is a non Muslim and the murdered is Muslim”

Abo Sharshab wrote: “May Allah bless the soul of the imam_killed-_in_new York. Are we excepted to see a book of the liberal pigs condemning the American education system and Christian_radicalism or Christian_terror?”

Sabry Solimsn asked: “People, who is the terrorist?”

“He’s American? Then he’s not a terrorist,” Gamer commented sarcastically. “Is he an Arab or a Muslim? Then he is a terrorist, hell yes. Come on, just report that it’s an act of terror against innocent people! You crap news networks.”

“If the killer were a Muslim we would hear reports of victims of a terror attack,” Salem wrote.
https://twitter.com/sa_mu2iri/status/764580787765276672

“Why don’t they just say that terrorism is their thing?” Yussef Abdullah asked.
https://twitter.com/yousef3bdullah7/status/764581300024053760

“Anything can be expected in America,” Saad Farij tweeted. “There’s plenty of weapons, plenty of anarchy and Islamophobia. May Allah punish them.”

Abdulla Oteibi wrote: “Don’t they kill enough people in Muslim countries, now they have to finish the job with those who are over there? Allah, do justice. They have cheapened Muslim blood. Allah, we have nobody but you.”

“Citizen” tweeted: “Will this terrorist be jailed in Guantanamo? Will he be tortured at Abu Ghraib?”
https://twitter.com/aal974141/status/764610311768924161

“This is just one out of millions of Muslims killed by America,” Alsaheer wrote. “What’s the difference?”

Ali Alshahree commented sarcastically: “Poor sod, he’s mentally unstable. He couldn’t find anybody else so he murdered him. Just a loony.”

Following the incident, the hashtag #terrorists_killed_Imam_in_NY was launched.

“The American police attack a Saudi woman, and terrorists murder an imam in New York, and yet there’s one idiot who blames our religious education,” Saad Altuwaim wrote.

Another wrote: “You won’t find their secularists blaming their curriculum or their churches. The voice of the hypocrites is heard only in the context of Islam.”

“There’s no fuss following this ugly crime, but had it been a priest, the entire world would have been up in arms,” Ben Sabih wrote. “Has the blood of Arabs and Muslims become so cheap?”

“No liberal will use this hashtag,” Mona wrote. “For them, there’s not a single word of criticism to be said about America.”

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