On August 16, 2017, the United States Department of State designated Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), the organization that owned the Pakistani compound where US Navy Seals shot and killed Osama bin Laden, a terrorist organization. Imagine the embarrassment and potential danger, then, when less than one month following the designation, soldiers from the US Army National Guard – dressed in full military gear – were served food by members of an American group related to HM, outside a radical mosque. It was a serious mistake that could only result in legitimization of terror and bigotry, and it should never happen again.
On September 5, 2017, the Islamic Society of Triplex (IST), a mosque located in Beaumont, Texas, less than an hour and a half’s drive from Houston, handed out dinners to members of the US Army National Guard. The troops were in the area dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which had hit Southeast Texas very hard. To many, this might seem like a generous gift provided to our nation’s finest, who were hard at work assisting those devastated by the storm. However, when one considers who this mosque is affiliated with, they will find that this was no gift at all.
