QNE_p005

QC12172015

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com december 17, 2015 • The Queens Courier 3 St. Francis Prep HS students evacuated after suspicious call BY ALIN A SURIE L asuriel@queenscourier.com/@alinangelica It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, but at least the kids are okay. St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows went into lockdown and was subsequently evacuated on the afternoon of Dec. 15 after the office received a suspicious phone call. Although details of the call have yet to be confirmed, multiple students and staffers said that the caller had delivered a bomb threat to the school a little after 12:30 p.m. claiming that an explosive device was located somewhere in the building. Upon the arrival of the NYPD, students were instructed to stay inside their classrooms in a procedure known as a soft lockdown — which is enacted upon the threat of an outside danger. After cops performed an initial sweep of the building, students were evacuated so NYPD could thoroughly check each room. They were allowed back inside the facility after the building was determined to be safe around 45 minutes later. St. Francis student Nico Alexsic said that the worst part was not knowing if there was any real danger to fear. “It was pretty scary not knowing what was going on around you,” Alexsic said. The caller so far remains anonymous. Sources within the school revealed to The Courier that it is not known if the caller was an adult or a student at the school because the caller is thought to have used a computer program to disguise his or her voice. In a letter posted to the school’s website, Principal Patrick McLaughlin assured the community that St. Francis remains a safe environment for staff, faculty and students. “I thank the staff, faculty and administration for their leadership during these drills,” McLaughlin said. “I especially thank the students for their outstanding cooperation.” The city as a whole also faced threats to school safety earlier in the day. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton publicly confirmed that the New York City School System received emailed threats of a terrorist attack Tuesday afternoon. Schools remained open citywide after the message was determined to be a hoax. THE COURIER/Photo by Angela Matua Astoria residents and politicians gathered in front of Fatima Food Mart on Dec. 10 to show support for the owner Sarker Haque. #STANDWITHS ARKER ASTORI A POLS, RESI DEN TS DENOUN CE HATEFUL RHE TORI C AFTER ATTACK OF STORE OWNER by ANGELA MATUA amatua@queenscourier.com/@angelamatua Since the San Bernardino massacre this month and one presidential candidate’s suggestion that Muslims be banned from America, a number of hate crimes targeting those of the Islamic faith have occurred nationwide, including one involving an Astoria store owner. On Dec. 10, local politicians and many Astoria residents gathered in front of Sarker Haque’s Fatima Food Mart, the scene of a hate crime, to celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity and denounce the rhetoric that has been dominating the news cycle. “We are at a crossroad in this nation right now and we have a choice to make,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris said. “We can listen to charlatans like Donald Trump who are stoking fear and anger or we can pay attention to the good Samaritans who came in to this store to help Mr. Haque who are not Muslim by the way, who are from this neighborhood.” Haque, 52, was punched repeatedly in his store on Dec. 5 and suffered a lacerated lip, bruises and swelling to his face. His attacker shouted “I kill Muslims” as he carried out the beating. Astoria residents quickly rallied around Haque by creating a Facebook group and a hashtag #standwithsarker to encourage others to shop at Fatima Food Mart and to make cards and posters for the store owner. Haque noted that he began to lose his voice yesterday after talking to so many residents who visited his store. “I’m very happy,” Haque said through tears. “All these people … I don’t expect you guys behind me. I’m so happy.” Haque emigrated from Bangladesh to the U.S. when he was 21. He’s lived in the community for more than 30 years and has owned Fatima Food Mart for 16 years. His five children attend local public schools, including Stuyvesant High School, a college preparatory school focusing on science, technology, engineering and math “I am proud of this country,” Haque said. “That’s why I’m here. This country gave me everything.” Ahmed Jamil, president of the Muslim-American Society, said that the hate of Muslim-Americans is at an all time high and that the Muslim-American community, especially children, are fearful. Jamil noted that people with traditional Muslim names like Mohammed are shortening their names to “Mo.” He also condemned the words of politicians who he said are encouraging hate. “Why do we have fear to reveal the names in the United States, in America, in Queens?” Jamil said. “We should not allow that. Those people, I don’t want to mention the name, those people who feed the machine of hatred and division, they should not call themselves leaders at all.” Rindy Brandt, an Astoria resident for more than 20 years, attended the event with her children and is one of my many Astoria residents who has visited Haque to show support by shopping at Fatima Food Mart and sharing words of encouragement. “Our community is very diverse and we celebrate that diversity and I was shocked when I heard that this could happen here,” Brandt said. “I wanted to show the community, the city, the country, the world that that’s not OK here or anywhere. Haque has always been there. He’s a nice, hard-working man and just that anybody would go in and beat up anybody is unacceptable.” Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, Councilman Costa Constantinides, state Senator Jose Peralta and Public Advocate Letitia James also attended the event to denounce the attack. “Mr. Haque is a true American story,” Constantinides said. “He came to this country, he opened a small business and he’s given back to this community.” Sadyia Khalique, director of operations at the Council on American-Islamic Relations encouraged all Muslims who are victims of hate crimes to contact her office for help. THE COURIER/Photo by Alina Suriel St. Francis Lewis Prep received a suspicious call that caused an evacuation on Dec. 15.


QC12172015
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