UFA Press Release - NYC Firefighters Union Speaks Out About FDNY Chaplain Who Claims Hijackers Not Responsible for 9-11 Attacks

Uniformed Firefighters Association President Stephen J. Cassidy today called on New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta to accept responsibility for the appointment of Imam Intikab Habib as FDNY Chaplain. Habib was scheduled to be officially sworn in today as Chaplain but has since resigned. 

The resignation occurred after Habib made controversial remarks to New York Newsday in which he discredited the United States Government’s story on the 9-11 attacks. In addition to Scoppetta holding himself accountable, Cassidy also called on the Commissioner and his Administration to publicly apologize to the rank and file membership and the families of the 343 firefighters killed on 9/11 for the grief incurred by this embarrassing mess.

“The appointed leader of the Bravest should at least have the courage to accept responsibility for his actions when he is wrong. He has misled the public into believing that the FDNY Islamic Society appointed this man.  The truth is that the appointment of a Chaplain is at the sole discretion of the Fire Commissioner himself. It is an embarrassment to every New York City Firefighter and painful to the families of the 343 we lost on 9/11 that this fiasco took place. I am calling for a public apology from the Commissioner for the repercussions of his actions in this matter,” Cassidy said.

In a New York Newsday article the Imam is quoted as saying that he did not believe “It was 19 hijackers who did those attacks.” He goes on to say that he didn’t believe the towers fell due to just the planes themselves and bases his reasoning on news reports disseminated throughout the Muslim community. These words have sparked a large outcry of protest from a number of families and firefighters. Cassidy echoed the sentiment of theUFAmembership.

Cassidy concluded, “For the Administration to overlook an issue as large as this leads us to believe that they are insensitive to the views of their firefighters and families. Someone needs to be held accountable for this mess and that person is Nick Scoppetta.”