Originally Posted by
lasurvivor
tom bearden reports on a muslim community's reaction to the arrest of six alleged terrorists in their western new york city.
Tom bearden: The call to prayer for the lackawanna, new york mosque echoes through this working class neighborhood five times each day. It's nothing new. Muslim families, most from yemen, have been living in this town on the shores of lake erie since the 1930s. They came here to work in the steel mills that were the foundation of the area's economy. The community continued to grow, even when most of those jobs evaporated in the mid 80s. Yemenites now number nearly 2,000 in a city of 19,000 people.
The town has never recovered from the closure of the steel mills, the median household income in the neighborhood is $23,000. And now time seems tougher for the yemenite community since six young men from lackawanna were arrested earlier this month, accused of attending an al-qaida training camp in afghanistan a few months before the september 11 attacks. People were shocked by the arrests. They view themselves as being as american as anybody else. Signs of their patriotism adorn many porch fronts. They also have a passion for soccer. It's an enthusiasm they brought from yemen, and they usually win when competing with area teens.
Spokesman: Come on.
Tom bearden: Abdul noman is the high school coach and president of the yemen soccer club. His nephew is one of the accused. He doesn't believe the men went to the training camp, despite reports that one has confessed to doing so.
Abdul noman: I was really very very sad and very surprised, and i disagree with the charges against all the six suspects because, including one of them was my nephew. I cannot agree with what they're saying.
Tom bearden: Tell me about your nephew.
Abdul noman: He's an all american boy, was born and raised in the city of lackawanna, he's the father of one child. He met his sweetheart when he was in grade 9 and he married her after he finished high school. And he played soccer all his life since he was seven.
Tom bearden: Noman and others have mortgaged their houses to provide bail money for the suspects. He is utterly convinced of their innocence.
Abdul noman: The six suspects, they will be innocent, that's my answer to your question.
Tom bearden: And if they're not?
Abdul noman: Believe me, they're innocent. They are innocent. They're not interested in any politics at all. Politics is not in their mind. They are hard working families, they want to raise their kids here in the united states, they want to have the american dream.