Published: January 17, 2022
By: Jack Newman, Tommy Taylor
- FBI initially said in the hours after the attack it was not directed against Jews
- They backtracked late Sunday after the statement provoked outrage
- They finally admitted 'the Jewish community was targeted' in the terror attack
- Malik Faisal Akram from the UK was killed after holding four people hostage
The FBI has finally admitted the Texas synagogue siege was an anti-Semitic terror attack after initially claiming it was not directly targeting Jews.
Malik Faisal Akram, from Blackburn in the UK, held four people hostage, including a rabbi, for ten hours at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, Saturday night.
Speaking Saturday after the attack, which ended with the death of Akram in a hail of bullets, FBI Special Agent Matt DeSarno said: 'We do believe from our engaging with this subject that he was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community. But we're continuing to work to find motive.'
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The comments caused a huge backlash, with Republican Lindsey Graham firing back at the 'disturbing' remarks from investigators and demanding further explanation.
In a statement late Sunday night, the FBI backtracked and admitted the attack was 'a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted'.
Hours earlier, President Joe Biden told reporters 'it was an act of terror'.
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Malik Faisal Akram, 44, (pictured) was shot dead by the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team after holding four hostages for more than 10 hours at Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas on Saturday |
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The FBI has finally admitted the Texas synagogue siege was an anti-Semitic terror attack after initially claiming it was not directly targeting Jews. Pictured: the synagogue on Sunday |
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Akram, from Blackburn in the UK, held four people hostage, including a rabbi, for ten hours at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville. Pictured: SWAT members during the siege |
Akram allegedly flew to the US two weeks ago, lived in homeless shelters and bought a gun on the street.
He was calling for the release of terrorist Aafia Siddiqqui from a prison in nearby Fort Worth in Texas.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker was leading the Sabbath service and was among Akram's four hostages.
The FBI also initially said there was 'no indication' that anyone else was involved in the siege, but two teenagers were arrested over the incident by anti-terror officers in Manchester, England, last night.
The pair, both believed to be under 18, cannot be identified for legal reasons and are still in custody.
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Akram's brother Gulbar issued a statement on behalf of the family last night in which he told of their 'devastation' and revealed how relatives had been in contact with Malik during his attack at the police's request but could not convince him to surrender.
The siege began when Akram entered the building as it was livestreaming a service, shouting that he had weapons and 'backpacks of explosives' on him.
He demanded the release of jailed female terrorist Siddiqu - known as Lady Al Qaeda, referring to her as his 'sister' but the pair are not related.
From inside the Texas synagogue, the assailant told a SWAT team: 'If anyone tries to enter this building, I'm telling you… everyone will die.'
Leaders from the Islamic Center of Southlake, who have worked closely with Rabbi Cytron-Walker to help unite the faithful in the Dallas-Fort Worth area came out to the scene to denounce the attack and pray for their friend.
'We want to see him again as soon as possible,' said Shahzad Mahmud, the former president of the Islamic Center. 'We just want to make sure he goes back to his family,'
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Speaking Saturday after the attack, which ended with the death of Akram in a hail of bullets, FBI Special Agent Matt DeSarno said he did not believe it was an anti-Semitic attack |
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Lindsey Graham has fired back at the FBI after appearing to dismiss a terror attack at a Texas synagogue as not being directly targeting Jewish people |
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'It is very disturbing to hear from the FBI they do not believe the hostage taker's demands had anything to do with the Jewish faith,' Graham tweeted |
One of the hostages was freed early in the incident and the other three fled to safety shortly before it ended.
Dramatic footage revealed the moment two hostages ran out of the temple followed by Akram who chased them with a gun before quickly retreating back inside and closing the door after spotting the nearby SWAT team.
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Dozens of agents then breached h the synagogue as gunshots could be heard.
In a series of tweets, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham vented his frustration with the FBI appearing to ignore the fact Saturday's attack targeted a religion that has long been subjected to violent and often murderous anti-Semitic hatred.
'It is very disturbing to hear from the FBI they do not believe the hostage taker's demands had anything to do with the Jewish faith,' Graham began.
'Apparently the FBI believes the hostage taker randomly selected a synagogue to demand the release of al-Qaeda operative and facilitator Aafia Siddiqui,' he continued.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker (pictured) was leading the Sabbath service and was among Akram's four hostages
'I hope the FBI will reconsider the statement because it is well known that at her trial Siddiqui, also known as 'Lady al-Qaeda,' was a raging anti-Semite who demanded that jurors be genetically tested for Jewish blood,' Graham added in a follow up tweet on Sunday.
'This statement by the FBI seems ill-conceived and ill-timed. I look forward to further explanation from the FBI,' Graham concluded.
Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss also took issue with the FBI statement, and warned that wherever Jews were attack, the entire community felt the affects - especially in the wake of rising anti-Semitic attacks in recent years.
'They are us. There's no distinction. Anywhere they are in danger, we are,' Hausman-Weiss, the founding rabbi of the Congregation Shma Koleinu, said Sunday morning.
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Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss, pictured, took issue with the FBI statement, and warned that wherever Jews were attack, the entire community felt the affects - especially in the wake of rising anti-Semitic attacks in recent years |
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Social media users called the FBI 'a joke' and said the organization should be 'defunded and eliminated' |
People on social media were also quick to criticize DeSarno's statement and some even called for the FBI to be 'defunded and eliminated.'
'Just a coincidence that he targeted a house of worship used by this one particular religious minority, a coincidence that seems to happen an awful lot throughout history,' media correspondent Gregg Carlstrom tweeted.
'I am sure the FBI will clean this up shortly, but until then, worth stating the obvious: The gunman did not travel thousands of miles to terrorize some Mormons. He sought out a synagogue and took it hostage over his grievances. That's targeting Jews, and there's a word for that,' journalist Yair Rosenberg tweeted.
'The FBI is a joke. A dangerous joke,' military intelligence analyst Sebastian Gorka noted.
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