Northeastern University appears to have removed Abdullah Faaruuq from his position as the school's Muslim chaplain after a new video showed him supporting "convicted Islamist terrorists, and [as] a religious leader who is inciting Boston Muslims against the U.S government."
The university has not issued any statement about Farruuq, but his Northeastern web page has been taken down.
"The apparent dismissal of Chaplain Faaruuq by President [Joseph] Aoun is commendable, said Charles Jacobs, president of Americans for Peace and Tolerance, in a news release. The group issued the new video and has long chronicled Faaruuq's actions. "It demonstrates the kind of leadership that is required on many college campuses which harbor hate promoting extremists."
"Leaving Faaruuq in place would have meant a continual betrayal of Muslim parents who may not be aware that their children are being radicalized on its campus," Jacobs added.
It's unclear why the university acted now, when Jacobs' group and the Investigative Project on Terrorism reported on Faaruuq's statements in 2011. He spoke at a Dec. 8 fundraiser for Aafia Siddiqui, also known as "Lady al-Qaida." Siddiqui, an MIT-educated neuroscientist, was carrying notes about mass casualty attacks when Afghan officials arrested her in 2008 and handed her over to American officials. During questioning, she grabbed an Army officer's M-4 rifle and fired it at the Americans.
"What a brave woman she is," Faaruuq said of Siddiqui. "What a brave woman she continues to be, and how much her bravery and her faith and her belief warrants our support at this time." Had his mother been in Siddiqui's shoes, "she would have took (sic) her West Indian machete and cut her way through those kafirs [unbelievers]."
Siddiqui was convicted in 2010 and is serving an 86-year prison sentence.
Faaruuq got to know Siddiqui when she attended his mosque in Boston, Jacobs said. Faaruuq also served as a Muslim chaplain in Massachusetts prisons, and the two worked together to distribute Jihadist literature.
Faaruuq also served on a committee working to Free Tarek Mehanna, who was convicted in December on four counts related to his desire to provide support to al-Qaida and three counts of lying to federal investigators.
While Jacobs was pleased with Northeastern's apparent action, he's not through asking questions. "We need to understand how this was allowed to persist for years," he said, "and we need to be sure there are processes in place to monitor and correct any teachings of hate at the University."