Hot take from Linda Sarsour and others: We cannot criminalize 'Allahu Akbar'

Brett T. | 6:57 PM on October 31, 2017

At the moment, investigators are still piecing together the details of a deadly terror attack in Manhattan that killed at least eight people. The suspect, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, of Tampa, Florida, is alleged to have shouted “Allahu Akbar” after exiting the truck with which he ran over cyclists on a crowded bike path.

When your priorities are on fleek. pic.twitter.com/lwTW1grPwB

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 31, 2017

For the record, "Allahu Akbar" has no inherent political/violent connotation meriting instant terror diagnosis.I say it like 20 times a day.

— rabia O'chaudry (@rabiasquared) October 31, 2017

That’s true, although it does take on a different tenor when shouted after deliberately running down people with a rental truck.

https://twitter.com/KevinNR/status/925487711703719936

https://twitter.com/TheMadHessian/status/925488422034255872

I think the connotation changes somewhat after committing a mass murder that *would* warrant that diagnosis https://t.co/0v3OHcLHIo

— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) October 31, 2017

I would hope someone killing 8 people while yelling "In Jesus' name" would be treated somewhat differently than a family at supper.

— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) October 31, 2017

https://twitter.com/LilMissRightie/status/925493114630000641

Dumb? Speaking of, Women’s March organizer Linda Sarsour had a similar take, reminding her fellow citizens that we can’t criminalize “God is great” … just what everyone was thinking.

Every believing Muslim says Allahu Akbar every day during prayers. We cannot criminalize "God is great." Prosecute the criminal not a faith.

— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) October 31, 2017