Prominent American Muslim imam associated with criminal terrorist acts during CNN American morning segment Tuesday, July 22.
TRANSCRIPT FROM CNN AMERICAN MORNING - 07/22/2208 http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/22/ltm.02.html [ ... ] CHETRY: Well, it's not the message but the messenger that's causing quite a debate over a new ad campaign that's set to go up here in New York City's subways. The posters will try to fight negative stereotypes about Islam during the morning commute. But it's the man behind the idea that's raising some eyebrows. Mary Snow has more on the plan to educate city commuters that could go off the rails -- Mary. MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, a group promoting Islam is trying something new. It's targeting New York's roughly five million daily subway riders with ads. But it's the face promoting those ads that's prompting discussion that organizers are trying to erase. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SNOW (voice-over): Q: Head scarf? Q: Islam? These subway ads are designed to battle negative images of Islam. They aren't even put up yet but they've already sparked this "New York Post" headline "Jihad Train." "The Post" story focuses not so much on the message as the messenger, an imam who's now promoting the project to spread awareness about Islam to millions of subway riders. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) IMAM SIRAJ WAHHAJ, AL-TAQWA MOSQUE: Imagine them seeing the word Muhammad. Imagine them seeing the word Islam. Imagine them seeing the word hijab. (END VIDEO CLIP) SNOW: Imam Siraj Wahhaj draws attention because he's among 170 unindicted co-conspirators in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing case. And he served as a character witness to the man convicted of being the mastermind of that bombing, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman (ph). IMAM SIRAJ WAHHAJ, AL-TAQWA MOSQUE: The context of me being a character witness for Sheikh Abdel-Rahman (ph) is what we knew about him before the incident. SNOW: A former U.S. prosecutor in the case says while Wahhaj was on a list of unindicted co-conspirators, he was never charged. ANDREW MCCARTHY, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR (ON THE PHONE): I think the list is probably an interesting footnote to people. I get asked about it every couple of years when some story or another about Wahhaj comes up. But I, you know, I think it's -- the list is a tempest in a teapot. SNOW: Wahhaj says while he may be a controversial figure, he was also the first Muslim to lead a prayer before the session of the House of Representatives in 1991. But he admits there are things he said he regrets, such as calling the FBI and CIA terrorists. WAHHAJ: What I was saying is that no, not that all of the FBI are terrorists or the CIA are terrorists. But there are some elements in there. So if you want to accuse some Muslims, OK. These Muslims did that. But don't undermine the entire faith. That's really the message. (END VIDEOTAPE) SNOW: The group behind the ads, the Islamic Circle of North America, says it welcomes the imam's promotion of their campaign. They say he is often portrayed the same way Islam is portrayed. The ads are slated to go up in 1,000 subway cars in September to coincide with Ramadan -- John and Kiran. CHETRY: All right. That was Mary Snow for us. And again, she says these ads are scheduled to go up in subway cars. The MTA looking to make about $48,000 out of that ad campaign.
