The mosque and the congressman
Monday, Aug 13, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ugh…
Police have arrested a 51-year-old man and seized a high-velocity air rifle in connection with pellet rifle shots that recently damaged a mosque in a northern Chicago suburb, authorities said Sunday.Police said David Conrad of Morton Grove was taken into custody and investigators seized an air rifle outfitted with a scope as part of their probe of the shooting Friday night at the Muslim Education Center in that same suburb.
No one was wounded Friday, but a Muslim civil liberties group subsequently said the shots damaged an outer brick wall of the center shortly after worshippers observing the holy month of Ramadan broke their daily fast. […]
“This is obviously an alarming situation,” said Ahmed Rehab, director of the Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “The weapon allegedly used in this incident is powerful enough to kill, and the projectiles reportedly came within inches of the head of the security guard on duty.”
* The suspect is a longtime critic of the mosque…
A Morton Grove resident accused of shooting at a mosque during Friday night’s heavily attended Ramadan evening prayer service has complained for years about parking, lights and noise since the construction of the Muslim house of worship near his home, members of the mosque and neighbors said.
In 2003 and 2004, David Conrad, now 51, attended village hearings to oppose the mosque and expansion of the Muslim Education Center, said Berdella Wehrmacher, 90, who said she accompanied him to the meetings.
Several residents acknowledged that the controversy led to some hard feelings that linger today. But they also expressed shock at the allegations that Conrad — described as helpful and mild-mannered — shot at the mosque with a “high-velocity air rifle,” narrowly missing a security guard, according to police.
“I just can’t imagine that,” Wehrmacher said.
* This is what Congressman Joe Walsh said just two days before the shooting…
“One thing I’m sure of is that there are people here in this country — there is a radical strain of Islam in this country; it’s not just over there — trying to kill Americans every week,” Walsh said. “It is a real threat. And it is a threat that is much more at home now than it was right after 9/11.”
“It’s here, it’s in Elk Grove, it’s in Addison, it’s in Elgin, it’s here,” he said, referring to Chicago suburbs.
* We’ll have to wait and see whether the two incidents are somehow connected, but, really, is this sort of rhetoric necessary? Some say definitely not…
His town hall reference to Elk Grove, Addison and Elgin were meant, Walsh says, to suggest that no place is immune to threat.
His opponent says that kind of talk, with no specifics, is meant to spread fear.
“When he speaks he doesn’t speak as a lay person,” said congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth. “He speaks with the power of his seat, and he’s shown he’s not a suitable congressman for this district.”
The religious leaders who gathered Friday argue that it is too easy and too reckless to say radical Islam poses an imminent threat without specific intelligence define the threat.
- Leave a Light on George - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 10:46 am:
I don’t know if radical Islam is in Elk Grove, Addison, or Elgin but it in this country and means to do harm to Americans.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 10:56 am:
I do think the rhetoric is over the top but shouldn’t be connected to this particular incident without evidence of a connection. Sounds like this guy has had issues for years and years.
- Shore - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 10:59 am:
I don’t support Walsh’s language but if you’re going to “go there”, especially with a congressman with an election 90 days out, you need to be rock solid that there’s a connection.
- Liberty First - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:05 am:
“High velocity” sounds menacing and makes for great headlines but a pellet gun isn’t going to damage a brick wall. It might scratch paint. You might be able to break a window. A sling shot would do more damage.
- wordslinger - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:09 am:
–I don’t know if radical Islam is in Elk Grove, Addison, or Elgin but it in this country and means to do harm to Americans.–
Like the Americans who happened to be Muslims who died in the towers?
Let’s not stop with ferreting out “radical Islamists.”
How about those radical Baptists from Westboro?
How about those radical Catholics who occasionally blow up the odd abortion clinic?
How about those radical Jews in the JDL?
Why not call a hater a hater, without libeling faiths practiced peacefully by millions, in some cases billion?
Al-quada has no more claim to Islam than the KKK or Aryan Nation have to Christianity, although all have hidden behind those faiths to justify their murders.
Speaking of haters, Rep. Walsh, the Fox audition is going great. You’ll be the new Glenn Beck come January. Have a nice life.
- anon - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:09 am:
People, you’re missing the point. Walsh is a congressman, and he should be stoking hatred to gin up his base. The world is a better place when we work to understand each other, not by condeming an entire religion because of a few extremists. For those who think that radical Muslims are the real threat, I suggest you read “Rocking the Casbah” by Robin Wright. The truth is most Muslims view the extremists and terrorists very unfavorably. Muslims are like you and me, and they would rather their sons and daughters become doctors than martyrs.
If you insist that Muslims are a threat to everyday Americans, I suggest you look closely at recent events. Innocent people have been killed not by Muslims, but rather by deranged white men. Lets stop demonizing Muslims and maybe focus some energy on treating those with mental illness.
- Excessively Rabid - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:10 am:
LF, I think when the police talk about a high velocity air rifle, they don’t mean an ordinary CO2 pellet gun. Maybe something more in the nature of a competition gun. Specifics will no doubt be coming.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:13 am:
===but if you’re going to “go there”, especially with a congressman with an election 90 days out, you need to be rock solid that there’s a connection. ===
Agreed. That’s why I said we should wait and see.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:15 am:
===but a pellet gun isn’t going to damage a brick wall.===
Right. And yet the gun he used did allegedly damage a brick wall. So perhaps it’s not the gun you say it was.
- just sayin' - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:18 am:
Not only is Walsh going to lose, he’s hurting the entre GOP ticket in IL. The tea party label has become a huge turnoff to most voters, in IL at least. This latest kookiness from Walsh is just one illustration why. He’s crossed into scary territory.
- Wensicia - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:25 am:
I don’t want to believe words by Walsh and Bachmann trigger events by people on the edge, but I think that spreading fear based on race/religion should be taboo in politics. This kind of talk does harm the innocent, though not necessarily through violence.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:25 am:
I am very disappointed in Walsh’s statements about Illinois and radical Islam. He said this after the horrible Sikh massacre in Wisconsin. Does he want to encourage another shooting at a religious site? Where is the evidence of the Islamic threats to America that are in Illinois cities?
- Cheryl - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:30 am:
The article in the Trib makes it sound like this guy had a problem with anything being built where the mosque is. I don’t understand why it took him 10 years to pick up his rifle and shoot at it.
- Way Way Down Here - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:46 am:
Walsh’s pony has done it’s trick and all that’s left is to turn up the volume. This kind of stuff makes me ill.
- Demoralized - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:47 am:
Walsh complains that Duckworth won’t debate or talk about anything. Why would she? He makes himeself look ridiculous enough.
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:50 am:
The best defenders against radical Islam are the Muslims trying to adjust Islam to its minority position in the USA. This is fairly new to Islam and not always easy.
- D.P. Gumby - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:50 am:
just replace “Islam” w/ “right-wing fanaticism” in the quote and it would be a true statement exemplified by Walsh himself.
- Leave a Light on George - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 11:59 am:
I didn’t say radical Islamists were the only group trying to harm Americans but they are the group mentioned by the congressman. Thus my comment.
Killing themselves and their fellow Muslims in an effort to kill innocent Americans and others is a big reason we call them radical.
- Boone Logan Square - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
Wonder what Joe Walsh has to say about the racist terrorist murders in Wisconsin this month? Oh, nothing?
Wonder why.
- Huh? - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
Radical extremism is not limited to religions, look what happened in Wisconsin. From what we have learned, the shooter was not an islamic religious nut. So far I haven’t heard that he practiced any particular religion, other than that of hate.
Was the Colorado shooter a religious nut? What about the punk who shot Ariz. Rep. Gabby Giffords?
We are so afraid of people who worship a different religion than ours. Rather than take the time to research a religion, we are more than ready and willing to smear an entire religion based on the perverted actions and twisting dogma of a few.
Congressman Walsh once again puts his foot in his mouth after stepping into a pile a stinking, festering dog poo. Woe to the people who re-elect this person.
- anon - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 1:04 pm:
The tone of religious tolerance thus far pleases me. Thank you, people, for proving that humans can still be humane.
- Team Sleep - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 1:52 pm:
In late 2006, George Allen had his “macaca” (sp?!) moment. Everyone running for office - rather it’s a 20 term Congressperson or a neophyte running for an open countywide office - needs to study Senator Allen’s gaffe and ensure they never do or say anything remotely close to something that can be blown up on YouTube, Facebook, Cap Fax, Drudge Report, etc. Rep. Walsh could’ve easily found a better way to phrase his concerns. It also wouldn’t hurt for Rep. Walsh to throw a bone to our intelligence and military officials and express support for their efforts and resolve to keep us safe.
- Team Sleep - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 1:57 pm:
Sorry - that should’ve read “whether it’s”…
- Colossus - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 2:10 pm:
And I’m sure the WI shooter would be described by Walsh as a “gunman” instead of a “terrorist”.
Despite his fear about radical Islam in America statistics indicate the Congressman would be better off focusing on the danger of armed white men in America.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 2:25 pm:
Rep. Walsh should be considering whether American global military policy is a deterrent to terrorism, since terrorism has a political element.
- Plutocrat03 - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 3:08 pm:
terrorist murders in Wisconsin
if that was domestic terrorism, why were the murders of the servicemen in Texas not called terrorism?
Playing politics with tragic crimes is despicable.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 3:34 pm:
I just read that someone allegedly threw a pop bottle full of acid at a mosque yesterday in Lombard, during a Ramadan service.
- Belle - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 4:50 pm:
While it has been amusing and bizarre to hear the many thoughts that swirl around in Walsh’s head, this one went way over the top.
- Kendall - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 6:03 pm:
Why is CAIR being quoted as some kind of credible group. Believe they are terrorist front group and unindicted co-conspirator in Holy Land Foundation case. Dick Durbin even called the group troubling.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Aug 13, 12 @ 6:28 pm:
Democracy — like evolution — makes mistakes.
Fortunately, both are self-correcting.