The last time we met Saqib and Susan Ali of Maryland was when Anna blogged a long Washington Post feature on the couple’s experience bringing to term a baby that they knew had no chance of surviving outside the womb. Deciding how to proceed after learning of their baby’s condition, and enduring all that followed, was a trial beyond the imagination of most of us. And yet they made it through.
Here is part of the article’s presentation of the couple:
The two were as opposite as could be. Saqib is tall, olive-skinned and athletic. Susan is tiny, fair-skinned and delicate. Saqib is Muslim, the son of immigrants born in India. Susan was raised in a conservative Christian family from a small town in Pennsylvania. He’s a door-knocking community activist who hopes to run for public office someday; she’s soft-spoken and cherishes her privacy.
Well, not only did Saqib and Susan make it through, but they are pursuing their dreams. Saqib Ali is running for the Maryland House of Delegates (the state legislature). And in his capacity as a candidate, he had this experience a few days ago:
A demonstrator sat down Saturday near the home of a Muslim candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates with a hand-lettered sign bearing a crude denunciation of Islam.
The sign was apparently aimed at Saqib Ali, a Gaithersburg resident who is running in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary for a seat in House District 39.
The demonstrator, who wore a T-shirt reading “This mind is an Allah-free zone,” planted himself near the house in the Quince Orchard Estates development that Ali also uses as a campaign office. Ali, a software engineer who is challenging three incumbents, said he went out into his small cul-de-sac to look at the man but said nothing to him.
“I knew he was there to bait me,” Ali said.
According to Ali, the man began saying, “‘You are a terrorist … You guys are violent extremists.'”
The campaign blog has photos of this individual sitting in front of Ali’s house. He also displays a handwritten sign that says “Islam Sucks.”
Here’s how the man, identified as nearby resident Timothy Truett, explained his actions:
An Associated Press account said Truett, 46, of Montgomery Village, called the demonstration “basically an experiment.”
“I had heard that Muslims were generally intolerant of views other than their own, and so I thought I would put it to the test,” the AP quoted him as saying. “I wanted to see what would happen.”
Sadiq was born in 1975 and works in software; surely lots of our readers can relate to that part. What’s less usual is that he had the courage to marry outside his community, the patience and love to get through personal tragedy, and the call to service to run for local political office. His reward is to get this fool sitting in front of his house calling him a terrorist. No wonder so few good people run for office.
I don’t get that guys rational. Doesn’t intentionally trying to provoke someone by invading their home and denouncing their beliefs an intolerant act?
What exactly does this prove? Why blog about such a minor one man idiocy ? There are idiots in this world and I think that everyone who visits this blog knows it.
Because you can blog about anything you want to; Plus they are following on a previous story. How many blogs actually do that?
I like the results of this experiment/test.
Also maybe this guy was trying out the Islamophobic approach….”lets try and piss of a muslim cos it trendy these days to go around and call them terrorists”
sigh
WOULD’VE BEEN A GOOD TIME TO ‘TEST’ THE SPRINKLERS
Incidentally, I just read the original Washington Post article re their baby. Wow is it a good article.
“He also displays a handwritten sign that says “Islam Sucks.”’
“Islam Sucks” is the best sign this nutcase can come up with??? It’s so weak, it almost sounds like something out of the Onion.
Good one, Payal!
WhatÂ’s less usual is that he had the courage to marry outside his community
Even the most pious mujahid can succumb to the charms of a flaxen haired enchantress!
oh boy, not another call back to this
One time in a grocery store, a woman came running to me and started bad mouthing India. About how India is a nuclear power and we have no barins to know it would kill people, and also she asked me to remind Indians that “REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO RUSSIA, THATS HOW WE WILL BEAT YOU JUST LIKE WE DID RUSSIA”. So there, it is Indians. Lets be scared of the impending breakdown of India due to this crazy white woman. Nowadays i check the grocery store for crazy people with bad hair before I go in to buy something.
Wow, I had read the WP story (and forgot about it), and I heard about this. I didn’t know both Saqib Ali’s were one and the same. Thanks for posting this
i should say for the sake of journalistic integrity that i don’t have exact evidence they are the same sadiq alis…. but the name, wife’s name, year of birth, town of residence, profession, and stated political plans are all exact matches 😉
i should say for the sake of journalistic integrity that i don’t have exact evidence they are the same sadiq alis…. but the name, wife’s name, year of birth, town of residence, profession, and stated political plans are all exact matches 😉
Good enough for me!!! How many Saqib and Susan Alis are going to be in the same town anyways!!
Payal, I like the way you think.
Regarding the statement “You are a terrorist … You guys are violent extremists.”, I did not say that or anything remotely like it. Ali just made it up. It appeared in the Washington Post story solely on the basis of what Ali said that I said. The Post reporter did not actually talk to me before writing his story.
Also, I was not in his yard. I was on a little island in the middle of the cul-de-sac. It was a street-width away from his yard. Ali moved one of his campaign signs from his yard to where I was sitting and quickly took a picture. I left right after that.
An untold part of this story is that one of Ali’s campaign workers (a man much older than Ali) came out and offered me some water. But Ali spoke rather harshly to him, and the man went back inside.
Two words is somewhat terse for a meaningful message. How about three words: “Islam considered harmful”.
Tim Truett
Mr. Truett:
allow me to be the first from this motley crew to say…gosh, that changes everything! thanks to that clarification, you…well…you still look like an asshat.
So…hey, you’re an asshat.
Islam SUCKS!
This is the truth.
I saw the stoning video from Iran.
It was HORRIBLE.
Islam is planning to stone and flogg and murder us all.
The only reason there is any moderate muslims on the planet is because they have not taken power yet.
Islam SUCKS!
Islam is CURSED!
Islam is the religion of child molesters.
Everything about Islam is a crime in most countries.
Islam must be CRUSHED!
Islam was created so that SATAN might have representation here on earth. This is why Islam is so cruel and unjust. However don’t worry. It is told that in the final battle of revelations. Islam will be crushed and the false prophet ( Mohammed ) will be thrown into the bottomless pit and burn forever. Islam is the religion of SATAN.
10 · Al Mujahid for debauchery said
“Flaxen haired enchantress” and “Pious Mujahid”?? ?? 😮 that was the dumbest/corniest/queerest post ive ever seen on any blog, on any topic, in the history of blogs. stay away from the absinthe or refrain from blogging.