[Ppnews] Detroit Funeral held for slain mosque leader, questions remain

Tue Nov 3 12:50:38 EST 2009

<http://www.finalcall.com/>FinalCall.com News
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_6551.shtml

Funeral held for slain mosque leader, questions remain

By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Assistant Editor-
Updated Nov 3, 2009 - 12:34:17 PM

(FinalCall.com) - Muslims from across the United States converged at 
the Muslim Center in Detroit, Michigan, October 31 for the Janazah 
prayer service and funeral for Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah.

The 53-year old leader of Masjid Al-Haqq was gunned down by FBI 
agents on October 28 after a raid on a warehouse just outside of Detroit.

Several subsequent raids were conducted at different locations and 
ten others have been arrested including the late imam's son Mujahid 
Abdullah (also known as Mujahid Carswell), who, according to the FBI 
was taken into to custody in Windsor, Ontario by Royal Canadian 
Mounted Police on October 29.

The FBI's 43-page affidavit detailed a federal investigation of the 
group which began in 2007 charging Imam Abdullah and the other 
defendants with running an interstate crime ring involving receiving 
and selling stolen goods, mail and insurance fraud, illegal 
possession of firearms, body armor and tampering with motor vehicle 
identification numbers.

According to FBI special agent Gary Leone, the evidence gained during 
the investigation came through visual surveillance, electronic 
surveillance (wire and oral) and the use of informants within the group.

"The investigation has shown that Luqman Ameen Abdullah, Imam of the 
Masjid Al-Haqq, in Detroit, Michigan, is a highly placed leader of a 
nationwide radical fundamentalist Sunni group consisting primarily of 
African-Americans, some of whom converted to Islam while they were 
serving sentences in various prisons across the United States. Their 
primary mission is to establish a separate, sovereign Islamic state 
"The Ummah" within the borders of the United States governed by 
Shariah law. The Ummah is to be ruled over by Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, 
formerly known as H. Rapp Brown, who is currently serving a life 
sentence in the Florence, Colorado Supermax for shooting two police 
officers in Georgia," according to agent Leone.

The affidavit also alleges that Imam Abdullah "calls his followers to 
an offensive jihad, rather than a defensive jihad" and that he 
"regularly preaches anti-government and anti-law enforcement 
rhetoric." Additionally, the FBI alleges that Imam Abdullah's 
followers trained in the use of firearms, martial arts and sword 
fighting and that he encouraged his followers to carry firearms.

Those who knew him well, and served with him in Muslim outreach 
programs have a completely different view.

The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) led by Imam Siraj Wahhaj 
expressed "deep sadness and concern" regarding Imam Abdullah's death.

"To those who have worked with Imam Luqman A. Abdullah, allegations 
of illegal activity, resisting arrest, and 'offensive jihad against 
the American government' are shocking and inconsistent. In his 
ministry he consistently advocated for the downtrodden and always 
spoke about the importance of connecting with the needs of the poor." 
Imam Abdullah served as a member of the Shura, or general assembly 
governing body of MANA.

Dr. Agha Saeed, chairman of the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil 
Rights and Elections, an umbrella group that includes all of the 
major American Muslim organizations, asked for the FBI not to link 
Islam to the case.

"It is imperative that an independent investigation of Imam Luqman 
Ameen Abdullah's death make public the exact circumstances in which 
he died. And unless the FBI has evidence linking the criminal 
allegations to the religious affiliation of the suspects, we ask that 
federal authorities stop injecting religion into this case," he said.

Amir El Hajj Khalid A. Samad, of the International Council for Urban 
(Formations) Peace, Justice and Empowerment, who had been in Detroit 
for counseling and comfort for some of the younger Muslims, 
distraught by the death of their community leader told The Final Call 
that he believes this is another case of entrapment.

"The inconsistencies in this investigation are glaring. The case is 
based on the sworn statements of informants. These informants were 
convicted criminals who were paid by the federal government for their 
work. These criminals were used to engage and entrap law abiding 
citizens," said Mr. Samad. "The FBI has stated that this was not a 
terrorism case. However, the investigation was conducted by a 
counter-terrorism unit," he added.

Mr. Samad also said the language used by the media and the FBI feed 
into a climate of Islamophobia and sensationalism.

Hodari Abdul-Ali, chair of the Social Justice Task Force for MANA 
agreed and called the use of informants "despicable." Mr. Abdul-Ali 
described the imam as a warm-hearted and generous brother always 
willing to serve.

"I never heard him talk about going to kill every White person or 
every non-Muslim; he never talked like that. The slanderous media 
campaign is truly unfair and unjust. I think they are only doing that 
to cover up the misdeeds of the FBI," said Mr. Abdul-Ali.

Referring to the media's coverage of the fact that an FBI dog was 
shot and killed during the October 28 raid, he said, "The reality is 
that they value the life of a dog more than they value the life of a 
human being."

Related news:

<http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_6535.shtml>Racial, 
religious profiling root of terror cases? (FCN, 10-26-2009)

<http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_6395.shtml>The 
strange saga of an alleged FBI-paid instigator (FCN, 09-11-2009)

<http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/Skepticism_about_dubious_plot_in_New_York.shtml>Skepticism 
about dubious plot in New York (FCN, 06-01-2009)

<http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/FBI_targets_religious_groups.shtml>FBI 
targets religious groups (FCN, 04-23-2009)

<http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Perspectives_1/Cointelpro_2009_FBI_up_to_old_dirty_tricks.shtml>Cointelpro 
2009: FBI up to old dirty tricks? (FCN, 04-18-2009)

<http://web.archive.org/web/20010821094226/www.subliminal.org/archive/deefiles/shabazz/qs-sanction.html>The 
FBI-Manufactured Plot to Kill Farrakhan (03-1995)

<http://www.noi.org/cointelpro/>The United States COINTELPRO Reading 
Room (NOI.org)

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