Long Island's Iranian and Islamic communities feel mixed after U.S.-Israeli military attacks on Iran
The United States-Israeli military strike on Iran Saturday led to mixed reactions from communities across Long Island.
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The United States-Israeli military attacks on Saturday led to mixed reactions from Iranian and Islamic communities across Long Island.
President Donald Trump, Israeli officials and Iranian state media confirmed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attacks. In response, Iran launched a wave of retaliatory strikes on U.S. and Israel targets across the Middle East.
As of Saturday night, Iranian state media said at least 200 people were killed in the strikes. The U.S. military reported no American casualties.
Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral was born in Iran and moved to the United States when he was 14.
“I'm hoping that these current events are going to end up with a regime change that is going to bring peace not only to Iran, but to the entire region,” Bral said.
He said the conflict overseas really started years ago during the Islamic revolution.
“I remember when I was a kid, they were chanting 'death to America' way before they started chanting 'death to Israel,'” Bral said. “This was just waiting to happen. I know it happened in the past 24 hours, but really it has been brewing for the past many years.”
Nayyar Imam, president of the Long Island Muslim Alliance, said nothing positive comes out of war.
“We are going for another war which will not help anybody. So it was not a surprise, but it was very sad and frustrating,” Imam said. “It’s not even our war. It’s someone else’s war we are fighting.”
He said violence shouldn’t be the solution.
“If any conflict can be resolved though talk, it’s much better,” said Istafa Naqvi, president of the Suffolk Islamic Center. “You cannot change it from outside. You can change it from inside.”
Naqvi said his biggest concern is loss of innocent life.
“We are concerned and everyone is concerned about nuclear weapons,” Naqvi said. “We pray and we hope that this should be over faster and without having life lost on both sides.”
