Monday, June 4, 2007

AM New York: Alleged Plotters Hot Topic in Guyanese Community by Tim Farnam...

Residents of the Guyanese community in Richmond Hill said Sunday they were angry and troubled at the news that two Guyanese men were among those alleged to have plotted to destroy fuel tanks and pipelines at Kennedy Airport.

"If they don't like America, then get the hell out," said Angie Sherman, 40, at her small shop on Liberty Avenue where she sells clothing and religious effects, and the walls are filled with bridal dresses made of cloth with deeply saturated hues of pink, red and blue.

The plot became a hot topic of conversation in the store as many of her customers shared news and discussed the implications for their community, she said. Some feared the arrests would cause them difficulty in their travels or if they try to sponsor relatives for U.S. citizenship.

"People are saying they are afraid to send their kids back to school because they may be singled out," Sherman said. "We came here for the benefit of our children," she said, noting that Guyana provides few options for higher education and that children typically leave school at the age of 10.


Sherman was the first of her family to arrive from Guyana about 20 years ago; the family now owns three stores on Liberty Avenue and another in their native country.


"If any Guyanese want to have a terror plot, catch them and kill them right away," said Sampap Goopthen, 35, a construction worker, as he finished a breakfast of roti, a fried flat bread, smothered in a spicy chickpea sauce with apple soda.


"Don't take any chances. ... We don't want these people causing problems. We want to enjoy America just like everyone else."

A few blocks away, adjacent to the Van Wyck Expressway and the AirTrain to Kennedy Airport, Muslims gathered at the Ahlul Quraan Wa Sunnah mosque for midday prayers.


"Of course we are angry, because this is a negative portrayal of our religion and we are always angry when there is terrorism," said Imam Jameel B. Azeez, 40, who moments earlier had led about 20 men through prayer in his storefront mosque.


"I think these people are very ignorant and need to be taught," he said of the accused plotters. "We are affected for sure. People look at you on the street and they think you are one of them."


At a community meeting last night at a Hindu temple in Ozone Park, Guayanese and Trinidadian community leaders and residents also decried the alleged plot. Speakers asked that the public not judge their communities based on the actions of the suspects.


"We may be of Guayanese heritage or Trinidadian heritage, but we stand proudly as loyal Americans," said Albert Baldeo, a lawyer from Guyana and member of the Richmond Hill/Ozone Park Democratic Club who lives in Ozone Park.


"We want everyone to know that this is not the face of the community, this is not what our community is about."