The terrorist couple from San Bernardino and their mother had stickers and certificates of appreciation for membership in the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) in New York, a group with known ties to terrorist organizations, and a group whose members and speakers have included Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical preacher who had significant ties with three of the 9/11 hijackers.

Via the New York Post:






The Islamic Circle of North America has recently been promoting a program called WhyIslam, a billboard campaign to ‘reclaim the message of Islam’ after it had been tainted by events such as those in Paris.

The WhyIslam campaign however, has controversy of its own.  The group’s former chair, Amir Mertaban, referred to Hamas terrorists as freedom fighters who have ‘done a lot of good’ in Palestine, and he refused to denounce the group.

In 2008, WhyIslam ran a series of Muslim subway ads, promoted by a Brooklyn imam whom federal officials had linked to a plot to blow up city landmarks.   That Brooklyn imam is Siraj Wahhaj, the unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The WhyIslam message is run under the umbrella of the ICNA, which promotes some very controversial ideas by some very controversial individuals.  Various reports show that the ICNA has a prolific resume, including:

  • Supporting the imposition of sharia law.
  • Having ties to the terrorist organization, Hamas.
  • Demonstrating deep ties to the fundamentalist Pakistani political party, Jamaat-e-Islami.
  • Ran a series of Islamic subway ads in 2008, promoted by Wahhaj, whom federal officials had already linked to a plot to blow up city landmarks.
  • Maintaining close ties to international groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, whose motto reads:  Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.
  • Presenting Anwar al-Awlaki as a guest speaker alongside Wahhaj at a co-sponsored convention.  Awlaki had been connected with three of the 9/11 hijackers, and had praised the murderous rampage by the Fort Hood shooter that took 14 lives, and the failed attempt by the Christmas Day bomber to kill 278 innocent people.




Awlaki, who had inspired many to acts of Islamic terror, was killed in an American drone strike in 2011.

Here is some more background reading about the key players at the ICNA.