(New York, N.Y.)—On Saturday, March 7, an attempted ISIS-inspired terrorist attack occurred in which counter-protesters threw two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at an anti-Muslim protest near Gracie Mansion in New York City. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, attempted to detonate two IEDs near the protest area and in the vicinity of police officers. One of the  IEDs reportedly contained TATP, a highly volatile and dangerous explosive previously used by terrorist groups, including ISIS. Both suspects allegedly made statements in support of ISIS following their arrests, with Mr. Balat requesting a pen and paper in order to write “I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar! [nonbelievers].”  The Department of Justice charged them on Monday with attempted provision of material support to a terrorist organization, the use of a weapon of mass destruction, and additional charges related to the transport and possession of explosives.

CEP CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace said:

“The perpetrators’ apparent admission that their actions were ISIS-inspired demand a full and swift investigation and response.  This attempted attack comes just before two reportedly similar incidents in Oslo and Lieges—against an American target in Norway and a synagogue in Belgium. Such incidents do not need to be planned together to be part of the same problem: antisemitic and anti-civilizational rhetoric running rampant online will always eventually lead to real-world consequence. 

Islamist extremism, like all extremist ideology, deserves to be denounced—unequivocally and unapologetically. I applaud the NYPD as well as Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch for their rapid response to this incident.”

CEP Senior Director and former Coordinator of the Al Qaeda, ISIS and Afghan Taliban Monitoring Team at the UN Security Council Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler added:

“Unfortunately, our current social media environment continues to allow violent, extremist, and terrorist content, such as ISIS propaganda and how-to manuals, to persist online. Wherever they are available, they present a serious threat. And as ISIS feels they are winning in every theatre where they are active, their outreach is only going to become bolder over time. Unless we confront ISIS’ influence both online and off, we will only see an increase in incidents like this, including in the United States.”