By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Last week's arrests of two Muslim-Americans in Albany for their alleged support of terrorism delivered a blow to those who are trying to improve Islam's image in this country.
When Dr. Khalid Qazi awoke to news Thursday morning that the FBI had raided a mosque in Albany, he was dismayed.
"My reaction was not again," Qazi, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York, said. "No matter how that case unfolds, it brings a bad name to our community. We certainly don't need that."
Still, some Muslim-American groups are critical of what happened in Albany. The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations says, quoting here -- "All too often these types of cases are used by those with political or religious agendas to smear Muslims and demonize Islam."
Khalid Qazi has gone to extraordinary efforts since 9/11 to educate the community about Muslim traditions. And he says his group his also educating its own members that there's no room for terrorism in the Islamic religion.
"We want to educate our religious organizations, institutions and mosques to create a real Islamic environment and setting," Qazi said. "That setting does not allow for terrorism to be considered as a legitimate struggle in Islam. It is not."
Qazi says his group has a good relationship with local law enforcement, so much so, that US Attorney Michael Battle and FBI Special Agent in Charge Peter Ahearn will participate in a town hall meeting the Muslim Public Affairs Council is sponsoring this Wednesday night at 6:30pm at UB's Norton Hall on the North Campus.