Omar Sattar, Son Of Convicted Terrorist Joins New York City Fire Department

The eldest son of a convicted terrorist became a certified firefighter with the New York Fire Department last month. 30-year-old Omar Ahmed Sattar was one of the 279 candidates who graduated from the Fire Department of New York Academy in October, the New York Post reported on Saturday.

Omar is the eldest son of Ahmed Abdel Sattar who was convicted in 2005 of "soliciting crimes of violence" and conspiracy to murder Jews.

In 2005, Manhattan federal Judge John Koeltl served Sattar with a 24-year sentence. He currently is completing his prison term in a federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, and is to be released in March 2023. Abdel Sattar was convicted after authorities said that he was an associate of late radical Egyptian cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the mastermind behind the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Abdel Sattar, aka Abu Omar and Dr. Ahmed, was tried along with Abdel-Rahman's radical defense lawyer, Lynne Stewart, and another indicted terrorist, Mohammed Yousry. However, Abdel Sattar, an Egyptian-born immigrant who worked as a postal employee in Staten Island, New York, and was also tried for issuing a fatwa or Islamic edict which called for the killing of Jews has always maintained that he was innocent of the crimes. According to the Daily Mail , Abdel Sattar said that the charges against him were a part of the conspiracy organized by former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak.

Omar, who was 18-years-old at the time, studying at the College of Staten Island had also written a letter, begging for leniency for his father, the New York Post reported.

"I know that he did not commit any crimes or plan to. I feel that an injustice has been done. My father is a man of honesty and kindness, he wouldn’t attempt to hurt anyone or even think about it. Yes, he has views, like so many people, but his views were just that and nothing more," he wrote.

In the letter, Omar had also mentioned how his father brought all his kids up to be responsible adults. "Most importantly, he wanted us to be good children and then grow up to be better adults. I will forever hold his lessons in my heart, and I thank god every day for the father I have."

Omar, who spoke to the post after graduating from the Fire Department of the city of New York (FDNY), did not speak about his father but mentioned this job was a dream that came true. "This is what I have always wanted to do. This is who I have always wanted to be. I have always admired firefighters," he said.

Omar told New York Post that his admiration began when he saw a fire-fighter rescue his family’s cat when he was 8-years-old. He recalled how he found his family standing outside their seared apartment when he came home from school. His family was heartbroken over the fate of their missing cat, Tootsie.

He mentioned how one of the firefighters standing on the street, overheard their conversation and walked over to the family and inquired about who went missing.

"One of the firefighters standing on the street overheard, walked over and asked who was missing. My mother replied, 'our cat,' and he went up and found her hiding under a bed and brought her down," he recalled.

"I remember being impressed and in awe of what just happened. … I respect FDNY members, and I am humbled to have this opportunity to be a part of this incredible department. The FDNY is a family that always supports each other, and now I am living it. It means the world to me to be here. When I look back on my career as a firefighter, I want to know that I did the best I could with the opportunity I was given."