Islamberg: How Fox News fuels racism

“Who here fights for our Constitution?” “Who here is against sharia law?” “Who loves being a deplorable?” “Is this it?” “There’s like four cars outside.” “Who’s that guy on top of the roof?” “Where?” “Right there.” “Oh, definitely a cop.” “This is crazy.” “That guy’s looking at us with his binoculars.” I’m in Deposit, New York, where a group of self-proclaimed patriots have gathered to protest a private Muslim community called Islamberg, which many of them believe is harboring terrorist activity. “So what brought you here today?” “What brought me here today is because this to me is a real situation.” “I’m sure that they’re not murdering people in the streets every single day, but nonetheless,” “there’s definitely something to see.” “It’s not a true religion.” “It’s a theocracy.” “It’s a politically based religion.” “I can’t go with it as being part of the First Amendment.” “It’s not a peaceful ideology.” “We want to keep our country, and we don’t want terrorism to take over” “like it is in Europe because right now Europe is almost gone.” “I’m a big Second Amendment person, but this may be a little bit out of control what’s going on here.” So what is going on in Islamberg? Founded in the 1980s and seen here in this CBS News report from 2015, Islamberg is a rural hamlet of mostly black Muslims. “What I love about Islamberg is the peace, the affordability” “of being able to raise your children without any type of city influence.” “We have actually been protected” “because of the freedoms the United States affords to Muslims.” But the approximately 50 people who have gathered outside of Islamberg, for what they call a “ride for national security,” have a different perspective on the community. “Our Heavenly Father, please look out for us today.” “We’re here to make sure that we can keep what you have given us.” “Deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.” “Amen.” “Thank you.” “Thank you, father.” “Most people you talk to, especially in this area, they say they have no problem,” “that these people are peaceful, and we want to believe that,” “and then we see news reports come out, and we don’t know how they true they are,” “but we know there is some truth in it.” “Are the inhabitants of a tiny Islamic outpost in New York jihadists in training?” Shortly after the attacks on September 11, 2001, reports began to emerge raising concerns about Islamberg. “Frightening examples of Islamic extremism right here in this country.” “A school bus with blown-out windows, an eerie private cemetery,” “lots of beat-up trailers for homes.” Fox News has repeatedly perpetrated theories that Islamberg is a terrorist training compound, in recent years almost always turning to one man as their source: Ryan Mauro. Mauro is a so-called national security analyst for the Clarion Project, a nonprofit whose donor list includes billionaire casino mogul and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson. During many of his media appearances regarding Islamberg, Mauro presents the same video, a video he claims is from a law enforcement source. “What you see on the screen right now is at their Islamberg headquarters in Hancock,” “New York, the women getting guerilla warfare training.” Reached by The Outline via email, Mauro repeatedly declined to confirm which police department the video came from, but he insists that it’s real. A spokesperson for Islamberg, however, told us he didn’t know where the video was from. “I don’t know anything about those videos.” “When he’s quoting his source, that information is garbage.” “Whatever they’re saying is not happening with us.” “It’s not.” “I’m giving you my word here.” And here’s what New York State police had to say about the idea that Islamberg is a jihadist training camp: “I have no reservation whatsoever with the fact that there is nothing occurring here in Hancock or Islamberg” “that would be considered terrorist training.” Regardless, the video has become one of the main talking points for those who fear Islamberg. “The Clarion Project has found information that there was training going on here for” “terrorism and kidnapping and all the other stuff.” “It looks like training, something that you would see in Syria.” “This is a military-style training camp.” “Where did you hear about the training camps?” “It’s been all over the news, Lou Dobbs.” “Take this video full, if you would.” “And I’d like to see that opening shot in that video because it is really quite something” “to see the name of this place laid out on that sign: Islamberg.” “It couldn’t be more specific.” Mauro has also stated that the leader of The Muslims of America, which is based in Islamberg, may have been directly responsible for terrorist activity. “Their leader, Sheikh Gilani, is the man that Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter,” “was going to interview when he was abducted and killed,” “and so there’s a section on our new website going over that incident because” “I’m not convinced that Sheikh Gilani wasn’t involved in that.” The FBI, however, passed on Gilani as a suspect during their investigation. “Our feelings were that Sheikh Gilani was not involved in this.” Still, the allegations against Gilani remain a key part of the conspiracy theories surrounding Islamberg. “Sheikh Gilani, he was involved with interviewing Daniel Pearl, who was then kidnapped and beheaded.” And last month, when local police uncovered a large stash of weapons in the home of a Muslim man approximately 40 miles away from Islamberg, Mauro began citing it as part of a larger conspiracy. “This individual, Ramadan Abdullah, who had previously been arrested in 1977 —” “they found material for 50 bombs in his home — was arrested again.” “This individual is not just one guy with a lot of guns.” “He is a close associate of this group, Muslims of America, which is famous for having” “what they call ‘Islamic villages’ around the country.” State police, however, tell a much different story. “We’ve been very actively involved in the investigation with the Johnson City Police Department,” “the Broome County district attorney’s office.” “We have no evidence to say that any of those weapons were destined for Islamberg.” And The Muslims of America reject the accusations that Abdullah was connected to their organization or the town. “Ramadan Abdullah is not a member of TMOA.” “He has never been an elder or a founder of Islamberg.” Still, the rumor continued to evolve, with several far-right publications claiming that the weapons bust led President Trump to order a federal raid of Islamberg, a claim which also appears to be entirely fabricated. In general, the police say that The Muslims of America pose no threat to their neighbors in New York. “There’s a lot of misinformation that is out there.” “The amount of crime that is probably associated there at the land is less than it is everywhere else.” But for attendees of the “ride for national security,” facts aren’t always important. “There’s people who are absolutely — absolutely — training for violent activities and housing” “violent activities as was demonstrated in the Johnson City bust, what — 40 miles from here” “or something like that — where they said, ‘Yeah, the guns were going to Islamberg.’” This is Pawl Bazile, who was there representing the Proud Boys, a fraternity whose members are encouraged to only masturbate once every 30 days. “I am a Western chauvinist.” “People are giving thumbs up or thumbs down, but here’s the thing: We get to look at them!” “And there’s not one unfuckable girl in there!” His publication, Proud Boy Magazine, claimed I was there as a quote, “curious college student.” “What are you doing here today by the way?” “I’m a reporter.” “Me too.” He also claimed that the liberal media was too afraid to follow the protesters up the mountain where Islamberg is located, despite the fact that almost all of the press arrived there before he did and left after. But Bazile was right in saying that it could be dangerous to be there. There actually have been two violent plots involving Islamberg that police prevented. They didn’t originate inside Islamberg however. They came from far-right conspiracy theorists threatening the town from outside. “The FBI has arrested and charged Robert Doggart of Signal Mountain, Tennessee,” “in connection with a plot to kill residents and destroy the school and mosque” “of the Muslim village of Islamberg.” Doggart, arrested in April of 2015, reportedly tried to recruit people through right-wing social media pages. He told one of his co-conspirators that Islamberg, quote, “must be utterly destroyed.” In November of that same year, former Marine Jon Ritzheimer posted a video online claiming he was armed and heading towards Islamberg. “Fuck you Muslims!” “Fuck all of you.” “We’re fucking ready for them.” “Bring it on you Muslim fucks!” Ritzheimer had made no secret about his feelings towards Muslims in the past and previously organized anti-Muslim rallies in Arizona. “Fuck your book.” “Fuck your religion.” “Take it all, and shove it up your fucking ass.” Knowing that Ritzheimer was headed to New York, the FBI issued a warning and successfully stopped him from arriving there with a loaded weapon. However, unlike Doggart, he was not arrested. Doggart was eventually convicted on civil rights charges this June and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Islamberg residents saw his conviction as a major step forward. “The criminal conviction of Robert Doggart is a historical moment.” But it’s clear that the Islamophobia and misinformation that led to these violent plots is still rampant. “A caliphate.” “The last caliphate that happened in the world was during the Ottoman Empire” “when the Turks killed all the Armenians.” “You know, the Armenian genocide.” “And that was a hundred years ago, and we’re kind of repeating history.”