Allow me the following fantasy……
An Islamic extremist, Abduhl, arrives in NYC on a student visa. He is 20 years old and was raised in the Palestinian territories. He was recruited by Hamas as a young man and received training from a Taliban camp in central Afghanistan. He has been raised and indoctrinated to see the enemy as Christian or Jewish inhabitants of the Western world. Raised on extreme Islam he is now in the belly of the beast–New York City. It represents all that he has been taught to despise–capitalism, Western values, women walking around without head scarfs, tempting and testing a religious man's desire. And furthermore it has a large powerful Jewish population. It is Satan's playground and Abduhl has arrived to bring it down.
He has been educated in the mechanics of destruction. He knows who to meet, how to locate operatives in NYC who will assist him in his goal. He must learn about this evil City, understand why it is Satan's own. He must establish a residence, attend classes, blend in. He shaves his beard and adopts Western clothes. He despises the way he looks but understands the higher purpose.
He begins to travel the subways of New York City.
He is immediately taken by the variety of human beings who travel these subterranean hollows. He observes the crowded cars. There are African-Americans standing alongside Asians. There are teenagers with their Ipods. There are business men with suits and briefcases. There are whites, Hispanics, Asians, African-Americans. They stand next to each other. Each in their own world.
He spies the Hasidic Jews with their black hats and long beards. He sees one with his woman and five children. The woman has her head covered. He sees an Asian appearing man in maroon robes and sandals. He notices an attractive blond in her early thirties reading her Ipad.
At each station the subway doors slide open. People leave, others enter. It is a continuous process. New faces. The mixture on his train changes but one thing never does–the incredible variety of colors, faces, ages. He sees some Muslim women with head scarves and children enter the train. He watches carefully but no one seems to offer more than a glance. The women are sitting next to a Hasidic man. He glances briefly at one of their children. They look at him.
No one seems concerned. Everyone is engrossed in themselves or the person they came on with. The continuous flow–a sea of diversity. No one angry. No one seems threatened.
He leaves at his subway stop. He wanders around for hours. He feels relaxed for the first time in many years. He decides that he likes being here. He changes his mind.
I told you this was a fantasy. But if it could happen, it would happen in NYC.