Islamic Extremism at Northeastern University

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA  - Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) released a video on September 5, 2012, showing Northeastern University's Muslim Chaplain, Imam Abdullah Faaruuq to be a supporter of convicted Islamist terrorists, and a religious leader who is inciting Boston Muslims against the U.S government. 


"Our video shows that there is a culture of extremism at the Islamic Society of Northeastern University (ISNU) - the Muslim student group on campus under the leadership of its spiritual advisor, Imam Faaruuq," said human rights activist Dr. Charles Jacobs, APT President. 

Just days after a description of the findings documented in the video were published in the Boston Jewish Advocate, and the video's imminent public release was announced, Imam Faaruuk's page on the Northeastern website was removed. 

Charles Jacobs, President of APT said, "His relationship with Northeastern University has been terminated." We commend Northeastern's President Joseph Aoun for this, but more needs to be done. We need to understand how this was allowed to persist for years, and we need to be sure there are processes in place to monitor and correct any teachings of hate at the University. 

APT's video, "Islamic Extremism @ Northeastern University," describes Imam Faaruuq's history of extremism. In the early 1990s, Faaruuq developed an association with Aafia Siddiqui, Pakistani born, young MIT student and one of the most active members of an Al Qaeda cell of activists who were followers of the Egyptian Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the convicted mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Aafia attended Faaruuq's Boston mosque and worked with Faaruuq to distribute Jihadist literature to Massachussetts prisons, where he had also served as a Muslim chaplain. 

In 2004, FBI Director Robert Mueller described Aafia Siddiqui as one of the seven most wanted Al Qaeda terrorists. In 2008 Siddiqui was arrested in Afghanistan and charged with attempted murder of FBI agents. In her possession were plans for a chemical attack on New York City and a large amount of cyanide. In 2010, she was convicted and sentenced to 86 years in jail. 

In lectures around Boston, Faaruuq has called on Boston Muslims to defend Siddiqui because "after they're finished with Aafia, they're gonna come to your door." He told worshippers to not be afraid to "grab onto the gun and the sword, go out into this world and do your job." 

Since Siddiqui's arrest, Northeastern Chaplain Abdullah Faaruuq has been speaking out on her behalf and inciting Boston Muslims against the U.S. Government. In 2009, he began supporting another local extremist, Tarek Mehanna, who was arrested and convicted in April 2012 on terror charges. Faaruuq participated with Northeastern students in demonstrations in support of Mehanna. 

Mehanna's co-conspirator was Ahmad Abusamra, a Northeastern University graduate who fled to Syria. Abusamra's father was a leader and associate of Imam Faaruuq at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC). 

"It's very hard to understand why Northeastern administration has for so long tolerated the troubling and extremist influence of Chaplain Faaruuk on Northeastern's Muslim student organization," Jacobs said. "Until we began exposing Faaruuq in 2010, the ISNU website openly promoted to Northeastern Muslim students radical books and extremist leaders who call for jihad, the genocide of Jews, and death for homosexuals. 

"We are concerned," Jacobs said, that extremist influence on Muslim students at Northeastern might be a factor in inciting terrorism. Recently another Northeastern graduate, Rezwan Ferdaus, pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on the Pentagon and Capitol buildings in Washington." 

Northeastern's President Aoun, was recently appointed to an academic advisory board that reports to the Department of Homeland Security on how universities can contribute to antiterrorism efforts. Aoun told the Boston Globe that "we need more research and training related to security." Perhaps Aoun felt that his own Northeastern campus was an appropriate place to start," Jacobs said. 

"The apparent dismissal of Chaplain Faaruuq by President Aoun is commendable, Jacobs said, "It demonstrates the kind of leadership that is required on many college campuses which harbor hate promoting extremists." 

"Leaving Faaruuq in place would have meant a continual betrayal of of Muslim parents who may not be aware that their children are being radicalized on its campus," he added. 

Jacobs called on Northeastern University to take additional steps in dealing with Islamist extremism on campus, and reduce the threat of further radicalization of Northeastern's Muslim students.  "President Aoun needs to investigate The Islamic Society of Northeastern's, activities, funding sources and any radical influences, as well as - and perhaps especially -- any radical faculty members who promote hate on campus," he said.