Books

Rushdie probe expands overseas

(Semafor) The investigation into last year’s near-fatal attack on the Indian-British writer Salman Rushdie has expanded to examine potential international involvement in the crime, the district attorney overseeing the case in rural New York told Semafor. Jason Schmidt said his office in […]

Interfaith

In searing rebuke of FBI, judge orders release of three ‘Newburgh Four’ terrorism defendants ‘The real lead conspirator was the United States,’ judge writes, calling 25-year sentences ‘unjust’; Schoharie limo crash figure was undercover asset

(Times Union) A federal judge has ordered the “compassionate release” from federal prison of three people whom she described as “hapless” and “easily manipulated” petty criminals who were convicted 14 years ago in a controversial terrorist plot in which the FBI relied […]

Legal

Ex-New York resident sentenced to life in prison for helping ISIS Mirsad Kandic, a Kosovo native who had lived in New York before traveling to ISIS territory, was found guilty last year of conspiracy and of providing material support to the group.

(NY Times) In 2013, Mirsad Kandic began working with the Islamic State, helping to advance its campaign of global jihad. Over the next four years, he fought in at least one battle and operated from safe houses in Syria, Turkey and Bosnia, […]

Academics & Education

US university condemned for removing pro-Palestine speech from YouTube Students and activists say commencement speech was removed for its pro-Palestinian content after some critiqued speech as being 'antisemitic'

(Middle East Eye) On 12 May, the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law live-streamed its commencement ceremony where Fatima Mohammed was speaking. The student was draped in the famous Palestinian keffiyeh. But just hours after the graduation ceremony, the […]

Books

Salman Rushdie makes surprise appearance at PEN America gala The novelist, who was stabbed and gravely wounded at a literary event last year, received an award from the freedom of expression organization.

(NY Times) Salman Rushdie walked onstage at PEN America’s annual gala on Thursday night, his first public appearance since he was stabbed and gravely wounded in an attack last August at a literary event in Western New York. His appearance at the […]

Crime

Defendant pleads guilty to brazen antisemitic attack that drew outcry from NYC Jewish community Waseem Awawdeh will be sentenced to 12 months in jail for attempted assault in the second degree as a hate crime and six months for criminal possession in the fourth degree

(Jewish Insider) Waseem Awawdeh, one of five defendants charged with targeting a Jewish man in a brazen antisemitic attack that drew an outcry from New York City’s Jewish community, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon, […]

Legal

Key Hezbollah financier, a ‘global terrorist,’ faces charges in New York Mohammad Bazzi extradited from Romania, arraigned in federal court for alleged financial fraud and conspiracy; investigators say he funneled millions to Lebanese terror group

(Times of Israel) An alleged financier for the Hezbollah terrorist organization was arraigned in a federal court in New York City on Wednesday. Mohammad Bazzi has been accused of funneling millions of dollars to the Lebanese terror group. The US Justice Department […]

Academics & Education

Muslim students lead protest for adequate prayer space at New York’s Baruch College Thursday's protest, coming on the final day of Ramadan, was one of the larger weekly protests students have organized over the past two months.

(Religion News) Loud chants carried through the main plaza at Baruch College in the early afternoon on Thursday (April 20) as a group of around 40 students protested near the Office of Student Life. The students, a majority of them Muslim, were […]

Legal

NYC bike path attacker spared death penalty in rare trial The same jurors who convicted Sayfullo Saipov of eight murder counts eligible for the death penalty needed to agree on the penalty unanimously for him to face capital punishment.

(Courthouse News) The Uzbek immigrant who carried out a truck attack on a lower Manhattan bike path in 2017, killing eight, will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. federal prison after a federal jury was divided on whether he […]

Legal

Family of truck terrorist testify in his defense at NYC death penalty trial The penalty phase of a trial underway since January hurtled toward its end with emotional testimony from the mother and the youngest sister of the Uzbek man convicted of a deadly 2017 truck attack in Manhattan.

(Courthouse News) Two family members of Sayfullo Saipov spoke in his defense Wednesday, giving jurors a tearful composite of the man they knew before he became radicalized by the Islamic State group and went on to kill eight people as they spent […]