Saturday, February 17, 2007

I don't think it reflects well on a religious group when it tries to disseminate false information on a folllower. See this via the Salt Lake Tribune.

Although he quit school at 16, Sulejman Talovic often attended Friday prayers at the Al-Noor mosque on 700 East in Salt Lake City, said Salih Omerovic, Ajka's cousin.

Salih Omerovic said the young man stopped coming to the prayers in December, when he landed a full-time job at Aramark Uniform Services in South Salt Lake. He said Sulejman Talovic's father had pressured his son to get a job to help out with the family's living expenses.

Now contrast that with what the Muslim Forum of Utah would have you believe. It isn't exactly going to build trust between Muslim and non-Muslim if they attempt to hide ties to individuals involved in crimes or controversy.

PRESS RELEASE: Trolley Square Shooting Not Related to Islam & Muslims 2/14/07 The tragic Trolley Square Shooting that happened recently was not related to Islam and Muslims. Our hearts go out to the families that were hurt in this event. The people hurt and killed could have been our own families and friends that attend the nearby Mosque, so we are happy that the perpetrator was killed before he could hurt anybody else in the community. Our Bosnian contacts in the community say that Sulejman Talovic, an 18 year old high school drop out and Bosnian immigrant, was a young man who lived a hermit type of lifestyle. Political terrorism is not a factor, given his lifestyle and lack of adherence to Islam. He was not known to have been religious, but infact secular in nature and never attended any of the local Mosques and did not associate with the community.

Imam Ali Mohamed, the spiritual leader at Al-Noor, said he does not know Talovic.

"I know some Bosnians, but specifically this person, I don't know him," said Mohamed, a Somali who has been in Utah since 2000.

Up to 200 people turn out for Friday prayers and there is not much socializing, said Maung Maung, who attends the mosque.

Although he was a loner and withdrawn, Sulejman Talovic seemed normal and "nice" to the few people who knew him.