Two in Court Over Terrorist Beheading Plot in N.C.
This story about how Hysen Sherifi, a convicted terrorist, tried to get his relatives to hire someone to behead witnesses that had testified against him in court is surreal. Nevine Aly Elshiekh was the go between between Sherifi in jail and Sherifi’s brother, Shkumbin Sherifi, who was to hire the assassin. How hiring an assassin works, I don’t know. Can you list that in the yellow pages? Interesting enough, Elsheikh teaches special education at a Montessori school. So, a woman involved in a beheading plot teaches special needs children. Wow. I think the most striking thing is the reaction from a portion of the Muslim community in North Carolina. You might remember that before and during the trial of Sherifi and the seven others accused in the plot on Quantico that many of their friends in the Muslim community claimed they were innocent . It was all a plot by Islamophobes. And then they were convicted. You’d think these people would learn the lesson that Muslims charged with terror offenses are not victims of prejudice , they are perpetrators of crimes . So, what’s the reaction to these arrests? A Raleigh, North Carolina-based group called Our Ummah, One Body has stated online that they do not believe the allegations levied against Elshiekh — whom they refer to as “Sister Nevine” — and Shkumbin Sherifi. Via Facebook and Twitter, they have encouraged the public to attend Elshiekh’s hearing on Friday. Denial aint just a river in Charlotte! Prejudice does exist. There is such a thing as anti-Muslim bigotry. But if prejudice is revealed when someone thinks a Muslim must be guilty … because he is a Muslim , then what does it say about those who think a Muslim must be innocent …. because he is a Muslim ? If some are guilty of Islamophobes — or whatever word we want to use to describe anti-Muslim bigotry — then what do we call Muslims who believe non-Muslims are out to get them? It’s just paranoia, but a special kind of paranoia that makes it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs.
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Two in Court Over Terrorist Beheading Plot in N.C.