Christians and Jews Are Not Safe in NYC, Says Council Member
Two Pennsylvania Muslim teens accused of plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack in the heart of New York City are now facing federal charges, sending shockwaves through a city already on edge.
Authorities say the suspects attempted to bomb what was described as an anti-Muslim protest outside Gracie Mansion. According to federal officials, one of the men pledged allegiance to ISIS and was captured on video shouting “Allahu Akbar” during the foiled attack.
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NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch made it clear that investigators believe the suspects were motivated by the notorious terror group.
“In the complaint, the defendants were inspired by ISIS to carry out their attack,” Tisch said. “There should be no confusion about what ISIS constitutes. It is a designated foreign terrorist organization responsible for deadly terrorist attacks across the globe and has taken credit for mass casualty attacks in Europe, the Middle East, and right here in the United States. And as alleged, both defendants have admitted that they acted on Saturday. Because of ISIS.”
Federal prosecutors allege the suspects hoped to inflict mass casualties—reportedly seeking a “bigger body count” than the Boston Marathon bombing.
Attorney General Pam Bondi responded forcefully on X, writing: “We have charged the two alleged ISIS-inspired terrorists who attempted to bomb a protest in New York City. We will not allow ISIS’s poison anti-American ideology to threaten this nation. Our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant.”
The arrests have reignited concerns about public safety in the nation’s largest city. During an interview with Newsmax host Todd Starnes, New York City Council Member Joann Ariola did not mince words when asked whether Christians and Jews in New York are safe.
“They’re not safe. No one is safe because finally our mayor has recognized that these are radical Muslim Islamic ISIS driven terrorists and they are in our midst,” Ariola said. “And we can thank the Biden and Obama administration. For these cells being allowed to cross on into our borders and be in our city in many cities across the United States of America.”
Ariola pushed back against early characterizations that framed the incident as primarily an attack on Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, who live at Gracie Mansion. It turns out the attack had nothing to do with Mamdani.
“It really was an attack on a peaceful protest with people with conservative values. And that’s very scary,” she said, emphasizing that demonstrators were exercising their First Amendment rights when the alleged terrorists targeted them.
The controversy deepened after Mayor Mamdani described the protest as “a vile protest rooted in white supremacy entitled Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City.” Ariola responded sharply.
“I think that if he doesn’t want the Muslim community painted with a wide brush he shouldn’t paint other communities with a wide brush,” she said. “They were peaceful protesters. They we’re not being disruptive. Police were on site. They were exercising their First Amendment rights when Islamic radical ISIS terrorists came to throw bombs at them and admittedly have been motivated by ISIS, admittedly wanted more deaths at that, that incident than they had at the Boston Marathon.”
Ariola warned that city policy decisions could further jeopardize safety.
“And New York isn’t safe. And New York will be less safe because the mayor has now canceled any additional police recruitment classes coming out of. Of the, of the NYPD,” she said. “We need our police. It’s shown right there in the video why.”
With terrorism charges now filed and federal investigators continuing their probe, many New Yorkers are left grappling with a troubling question: Is the city prepared for the next Islamist threat lurking within the city limits?
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