Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah Assassination Update

[XXPANTHAXX]

Detroit Groups to Protest FBI Terrorism; Statements Continue to Condemn Execution, Arrests



Detroit groups to protest FBI terrorism on Nov. 5

Feds change story about Imam’s assassination

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Detroit
Published Nov 2, 2009 9:29 PM

Funeral services for Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah were held Oct. 31 at the
Muslim Center on Detroit’s west side. More than a thousand people
attended the memorial from the Detroit area and around the United
States. The Muslim leader had been gunned down by FBI agents on Oct. 28.

Speakers at the services stressed that Imam Abdullah was known
throughout the city and country as a peaceful man who worked tirelessly
to help the poor people in the community surrounding the Masjid Al-Haqq
mosque, where he had presided for decades. Questions were raised about
the account of the events given by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s office
and the corporate media.

According to information that surfaced just days after his
assassination, the Imam was shot 18 times by FBI agents at a warehouse
in Dearborn, located right outside the city of Detroit. The warehouse
had been set up by the FBI in an attempt to frame the mosque members for
involvement in “stolen goods.” The purported “stolen goods” were also
supplied by the FBI.

Imam Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations in Michigan, told the Fighting for Justice radio program,
which aired on the Detroit affiliate of Air America on Nov. 1, that
“Imam Luqman was shot 18 times before he was handcuffed and placed on a
stretcher. In a meeting between the FBI, representatives of the U.S.
Attorney’s office and area leaders of the Muslim community on Friday,
they informed us that Imam Abdullah never fired on the federal agents.
They said that the Imam shot at an FBI dog and then he was shot by the
agents. The dog was medivaced to a veterinary hospital while the Imam
received no medical attention,” Imam Walid said.

Also speaking on the program was Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin of the Muslim
Center, where the funeral was held for the assassinated leader. Imam
El-Amin corroborated that “Imam Abdullah had multiple, multiple,
multiple gunshot wounds to his body.” El-Amin, a funeral director by
profession, prepared the slain leader’s body for burial.

Imams Walid and El-Amin, plus other prominent Islamic leaders in the
Detroit area, have called for an independent investigation into the
circumstances surrounding Imam Abdullah’s death. Callers to the radio
program viewed the shooting and the arrests of other Masjid Al-Haqq
members as a continuation of the federal government’s
Counter-Intelligence Program (Cointelpro), which was implemented against
so-called dissidents between the 1950s and the 1970s.

The African-American community suffered the most damage from the
Cointelpro terror operations, which resulted in the deaths of numerous
leaders and the framing of others by the federal government and local
police agencies across the country.

Groups to demonstrate at Federal Building

In response to the assassination of Imam Abdullah, the Michigan
Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MECAWI) has called for a
mass demonstration outside the federal building in downtown Detroit on
Nov. 5, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. The demonstration is designed to both
condemn the assassination of the Islamic leader as well as demand an
independent investigation into his death at the hands of the FBI.

A statement issued by MECAWI on Nov. 2 said that “The FBI and the media
headlines are trying to cover up this outrageous murder. But their story
has changed every day as more and more facts have come to light. Even
the government’s own ‘criminal complaint’ makes it clear that there was
no reason for this huge assault on the Muslim community.”

Groups endorsing the demonstration include the Detroit Coalition Against
Police Brutality, Latinos Unidos of Michigan, Students for Justice in
Palestine, the Detroit Green Party and Workers World Party.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Articles copyright 1995-2009 Workers World. Verbatim copying and
distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without
royalty provided this notice is preserved.

Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Page printed from:
Detroit groups to protest FBI terrorism on Nov. 5


Stop FBI Terrorism Against Detroit’s Islamic Community

Demand an Independent Investigation Into the Assassination of Imam
Luqman Ameen Abdullah of Detroit's Masjid Al-Haqq

Demonstration – Thurs. – Nov. 5 – 4:30 PM
FBI Office – McNamara Federal Bldg
477 Michigan Ave. at Cass in downtown Detroit

On October 28 the FBI launched a terrorist attack against members of the
Masjid Al-Haqq mosque on Detroit’s west side. Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah
was gunned down – 18 bullets in his body. Eleven of his fellow Muslims
were arrested.

The FBI and the media headlines are trying to cover up this outrageous
murder. But their story has changed every day as more and more facts
have come to light. Even the government’s own criminal complaint makes
it clear that there was no reason for this huge assault on the Muslim
community.

There is no mention of any “terrorism” charge in the government’s
documents.

Most of the charges are rights of all citizens under the U.S.
Constitution:

The victims owned guns (so does half the population).
The victims had knives (so does half the population).
The victims preached separatism (freedom of speech).

Other charges are about receiving stolen goods – usually not an FBI
concern – except that in this case the FBI set up an entire warehouse
operation to lure in and entrap victims. These charges were based on
informants who were themselves criminals.

Charges of mail fraud are the same as those used to frame-up and jail
Marcus Garvey. The FBI called in a medivac helicopter for the dog that
was shot, but gave no medical attention to Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah.

Community members know the work of the Imam and his followers in feeding
and housing poor people for the past 30 years or more.

The FBI is well known historically as a racist, murderous and terrorist
organization.

Their own documents – released under the Freedom of Information Act –
have shown how they collaborated with the KKK in the 1950’s and 60’s to
threaten, beat and kill civil rights workers (remember Detroiter Viola
Liuzzo).

The FBI followed, wiretapped and threatened Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and his family. Many believe that the FBI was party to Dr. King’s
assassination.

The FBI carried out raids, arrests and murder of Black Panther Party
members, the American Indian Movement and others in the 1960s and 1970s
under its Cointelpro Program.

The FBI was involved in harassing and threatening the Nation of Islam
and Malcolm X for many years. Many believe the FBI was involved in
Malcolm’s assassination.

This demonstration is being called by the Michigan Emergency Committee
Against War & Injustice (MECAWI) – (313) 671-3715 – Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice

And endorsed by:

Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality
Latinos Unidos/United de Michigan
Students for Justice in Palestine
Green Party, Detroit Chapter
Workers World Party


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2009
11:05 AM

CONTACT: National Lawyers Guild (NLG) [1]
Paige Cram, Communications Coordinator,
212-679-5100, ext. 15, communications@nlg.org

National Lawyers Guild Calls for Immediate and Independent Investigation
Into Assassination of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah by FBI Agents in
Dearborn

NEW YORK - November 2 - The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) calls for an
immediate and independent investigation into the FBI's fatal shooting on
October 28 of Islamic leader Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah in Dearborn,
Michigan. The FBI killed him during a series of raids of the Masjid
Al-Haqq Mosque by federal and local law enforcement officials in which
11 others were arrested. While mainstream media outlets are calling the
killing and arrests a counter-terrorism operation, the raids arose out
of criminal complaints containing no specific allegations of violations
of federal law or acts of terrorism.

All reports from local residents and community leaders indicate that
Imam Abdullah and Mosque members were dedicated to improving the
community, feeding hungry neighborhood residents and helping young
people in need, even letting many sleep in the mosque during inclement
weather.

By publicizing the killing and arrests as related to terrorism, absent
any such allegations in the complaint, the FBI seems to be engaging in
the same tactics used in its Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO),
in which it spied on, infiltrated and disrupted political movements.
Imam Abdullah had a close relationship with Imam Jamil Abdullah al-Amin,
formerly known as H. Rap Brown, was a field organizer for the Student
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and later served as national
chairman of the Black Panther Party (BPP).

The FBI and mainstream media blamed the organizing work of SNCC for the
urban rebellions in over 200 cities in the late 1960s. The Black Panther
Party was COINTELPRO's primary target, but it targeted a vast array of
others, including Martin Luther King. In light of these events, we
cannot trust the claim that COINTELPRO has been abandoned. Many have
been imprisoned on spurious charges-Al-Amin, for example, maintains his
innocence in the deaths of Atlanta law-enforcement officers and has
sought an appeal of his case. Reports indicated that he has been
harassed and placed in isolation in the Georgia prison system. Over two
dozen BPP members were killed by law enforcement between 1968 and 1971.

The National Lawyers Guild advocated on behalf of, and represented,
members of the BPP and other political organizations. The FBI tried to
have the Guild labeled as a subversive organization, and for many years
spied on and infiltrated the association and its individual members.

Guild president David Gespass said, "It took more than twenty years to
prove in court that Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were targeted and
murdered by the FBI and Chicago police. We cannot wait that long for the
truth of what happened to Imam Abdullah."

The National Lawyers Guild [1] is dedicated to the need for basic and
progressive change in the structure of our political and economic
system. Through its members--lawyers, law students, jailhouse lawyers
and legal workers united in chapters and committees--the Guild works
locally, nationally and internationally as an effective political and
social force in the service of the people.


The International National Council for Urban Peace, Justice and

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 10/31/2009 - 4:54pm.
October 30, 2009

We, as members of the International Council for Urban Peace, Justice and
Empowerment are appalled by the raids on Masjid Al-Haqq and a halal meat
packing plant that left Imam Luquman Ameen Abdullah dead. We are
demanding an independent investigation into this action that is clearly
the result of a climate of Islamaphobia fed by law enforcement and a
media bent on sensationalism.

This complaint and the resulting raid are nothing more than government
sponsored terrorism against a group that was working to help the
community. This action is inconsistent with statements by President
Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder which call for mutual
respect for Muslims in the United States. 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.

We have seen the media statements that Imam Abdullah was the head of a
separatist group called Ummah, which means Brotherhood. Ummah means
community--not brotherhood. Al-Ummah is not now, or has ever been, a
Black Separatist and radical group, as any discrimination on the basis
of skin color is forbidden in the Koran. We as an organization have
never heard Imam Abdullah make any statements consistent with the
statements in the complaint. We have never seen any actions that would
be consistent with the allegations in the complaint.

The media has stated that there is a sign at the mosque that states that
"There is no God but Allah." There is only one god, who is known by
many names in many cultures. Why was this statement even mentioned?
The FBI has stated that this was not a terrorism case. However, the
investigation was conducted by a counter terrorism unit. They mention
threats against the government and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Is this a terrorism case or not?

Much is also being made of the fact that many of the members of the
Masjid Al-Haqq converted to Islam while in prison. The inference is
that, while they served their time in prison, sought to change their
lives by developing a practicing faith--they have not really changed.

Much is also being made about Imam Jamil Al-Amin being the leader of
Al-Ummah. Various articles state that he is serving time in a federal
prison facility for federal charges after murdering two police officers.
The fact is that those were state charges and he is being housed in a
federal penitentiary on state charges. All of the facts--not just the
words of paid informants--need to be brought out in a clear and unbiased
manner.

The fact is that Masjid Al-Haqq, under the direction of Imam Abdullah,
fed the hungry, housed the homeless, worked with gangs and the formerly
incarcerated to turn a crime ridden and drug infested neighborhood
around to becoming a productive community. The fact is that a complaint
is not an indictment.

The fact is that the media is engaging in an Islamaphobic feeding
frenzy. The most disturbing fact is that a religious leader who reached
out to his people and his community is dead, the victim of a society
that sees anyone who is different as dangerous.

Amir El Hajj Khalid A. Samad and T. Rashad Byrdsong On behalf of the
International Council for Urban (Formations) Peace, Justice and
Empowerment Contact information


Washington's Imam Musa: FBI assassinated Luqman Ameen Abdullah to
intimidate the Black American Muslim community

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:42:02 GMT

The following is the transcript of a Press TV interview with US Muslim
activist and director of Masjid Al-Islam in Washington, DC, Imam Abdul
Alim Musa, on the recent killing of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah by US
federal agents during an alleged shootout in Detroit.

Over one thousand American Muslims gathered in the city of Detroit on
Saturday to mourn the prayers leader who was shot several times by the
FBI in an apparent attempt to arrest him.

As well as giving a new angle into what actually occurred, Imam Musa's
intriguing comments can also provide an insight into the current
atmosphere of the American Muslim community and the US establishment's
attitude toward Islam in general.

Q. The FBI has said that Imam Luqman resisted arrest and shot the police
dog before being killed. Do you have any other information on what took
place?

A. I am now reading what I have in my hand, the indictment from the
United States court. This is about a 42-page indictment, and this
indictment has information that was given to the federal government by
certain informants. I want to read a portion of this document to give
you an idea why we call the Imam Luqman killing an assassination by the
FBI.

If you notice the government, in order to do something to you, they have
to prearrange a scenario so that they do whatever crime that they want
to commit. When they wanted to invade Iraq they said there were weapons
of mass destruction. So, this is what they said. Although it wasn't true
it justified the invasion.

I would like to read what source number one, who is an FBI informant,
says about Imam Luqman. This is in December 2007. It says source number
one testified that on many occasions he heard Luqman Abdullah preach
that Islam should be spread through violent jihad and advocate violence
against the government and against law enforcement.

Abdullah told his followers that if the police tried to take his weapon
or tried to apprehend him he would respond with violence and they will
have to shoot him before they can arrest him. Ok, this is a government
informer giving the government the information that they want to justify
using violent means against Imam Luqman.

So, what we are saying is that we refer to his killing as an
assassination by the federal government. This is to intimidate the rest
of the Muslim community. The Muslims in America are under a lot of
pressure and the masjids, the Muslim centers, the community centers are
full of government infiltrators, spies, and saboteurs who try to break
the back of this wonderful Islamic movement in North America.

So what the government is doing by assassinating Imam Luqman is trying
to intimidate the Muslim community, especially the black community. And
I say that because the immigrant community, which is about half of the
Muslims in the United States and the African American Muslim community,
which form the other half, have different views about Islam in America
and how it should be fostered.

The immigrant community has been frightened since the 9/11 terrorist
attack and they practice the kind of American style Islam. Now, the
killing of Imam Luqman is to intimidate us. But our message is
different. We will not be intimidated by the United States government or
by the FBI.

We all state clearly what Imam Luqman said on one occasion. I have from
the same information something that source two, another government
informer said about Imam Luqman. This is on December 12 2007. Source two
told me he had been with Luqman Abdullah outside the masjid on that day
and he was able to surreptitiously record their conversation.

S2 told Abdullah he had authority to donate five thousand dollars to pay
to have someone do something during the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit.

Abdullah said he would not be involved in injuring innocent people for
no reason. If there is something to be done it is going to be
legitimate. This is what we are saying.

This is from the FBI's own records. They had sent an informer to donate
five thousand dollars to have Imam Luqman do some terrorist type thing
at the super ball, which was in Detroit in 2006. Imam Luqman, by
sticking to his principles of Islam, said and this is recorded on page
four of the FBI indictment, it says that Imam Luqman said he would not
be involved in injuring innocent people for no reason.

You see, so, this is the principle that we all follow here in America.
This is in their own FBI record. They knew, already, that Imam Luqman
was not violence prone. They already knew that he would not do any harm
to any citizen, by his own words, that was not legitimate and that we
would not harm innocent people for no reason.

But when you listen to the television and the radio and all of the news
they try to portray Imam Luqman and his group, and the larger group,
al-Ummah [not Ummah, which is usually interpreted as the overall Muslim
community] as violence prone; as wanting to establish an independent
Islamic state in North America ruled by Sharia law and that Imam Jamil
Abdullah Al Amin, which is the leader who is now in a super max prison
up in Florence, Colorado would be its leader.

Q. Can you give us a little bit of information about this group, Ummah.
Can you explain a little bit about it?

A. al-Ummah is led by Imam Jamil Abdullah Al Amin who was a great civil
rights leader during the 1960s. He converted to Islam in 1972 and became
a part of one of our great Islamic movements in North America called Dar
al-Islam Movement.

When that movement broke up in about 1980 and 1981 Imam Jamil Al Amin
inherited or kept together one section of that group. That group became
known as al-Ummah or basically the community, and so, they have centers
all around America, in Atlanta in Detroit, in many cities in
Philadelphia, and other cities around the country.

It is mostly an African American organization and it believes in the
principle of strong leadership, and so, the goal of this leadership, and
I am telling you from experience; I have worked very closely with the
brothers, we have been friends and associates for 25 or 30 years now;
this group's goal is to spread Islam in America, not through violent
means, but by what the Quran says - bring to the way of the lord through
wisdom and preaching.

So their goal is to invite the American people to Islam through
beautiful preaching, through Da'wa [Arabic for invitation], through
Tabligh [Arabic for proselytization] through all the legitimate means,
but the government in America is fearful of any group that has any
Islamic organization with good strong leadership, especially if that
leadership has ties to Muslims around the world, which Imam Jamil Al
Amin does.

So the goal of the government is to destroy this group and to send the
message to other African Americans that the federal government will not
allow any unified, organized Islamic activities to be carried on inside
of the United States of America. But we have a message for them. We will
not be intimidated by the government of the United States of America.


October 31, 2009

American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) Calls for
Probe Into FBI Shooting Death of Luqman Ameen Abdullah

A coalition of local and national organizations which includes the
American Muslim Alliance (AMA), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP),
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North
America (ICNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), MAS-Freedom,
Muslim Students Association - National (MSA-N), Muslim Ummah of North
America (MUNA), and United Muslims of America (UMA) issued a statement
and press release earlier today calling for a probe of the shooting
death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah.

In the press release AMT states:

It is imperative that an independent investigation of Imam Luqman Ameen
Abdullah's death make public the exact circumstances in which he died.

Locally, in the Chicagoland region at least one prominent American
Muslim leader from the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater
Chicago consultative body is urging the community's leaders to also make
some noise in order to bring about an independent investigation of the
shooting death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah. The crux of this leader's
argument seems to be that since there is a presumption of innocence and
Imam Luqman had not yet been proven guilty, the FBI shot and killed an
innocent man.

In an email exhorting other Chicagoland leaders to step up in calling
for an investigation into Imam Luqman's shooting this leader ridiculed
the notion that Imam Luqman was anything but a peaceful man who fed the
hungry, sheltered the homeless and worked for the community. If Imam
Luqman was looking to wage a war on America why hadn't he done it yet
asked the local leader rhetorically? Clearly Imam Luqman has at least
one very passionate supporter in the Chicagoland leadership.

Others who were perhaps more close to Imam Luqman did not sanitize Imam
Luqman's beliefs quite as much. Dr. Ihsan Bagby, a professor of Islamic
studies at the University of Kentucky and a board member of the Muslim
Alliance in North America (a national African American Muslim
institution on whose board Imam Luqman sat), reportedly told the Detroit
News that Imam Luqman's organization - Ummah - is anti-government but
does not advocate violence.

Many American Muslim leaders seem to want an independent investigation
into th shooting death of Imam Luqman. The facts surrounding this
shooting support the call for an independent investigation. Furthermore
and under the circumstances, an independent investigation is an absolute
must if the FBI is to regain/retain credibility with the American Muslim
community.

The 43 page affidavit by FBI Special Agent Leone notes in multiple
places, based on transcripts of audio recordings of conversations with
Imam Luqman (purportedly recorded by undercover informants and without
Imam Luqman's knowledge) that he was frequently armed, sometimes wore a
bulletproof vest and spoke of dying in a shoot out rather than being
arrested if he were ever confronted by law enforcement. Regardless of
whether or not these claims by Imam Luqman were true, clearly the FBI
was on notice that this man may very well put up a deadly struggle. As
such, why didn't they attempt to arrest Imam Luqman in a setting that
would have lessened the chances of deadly shootout taking place?

One cannot help but think of the recent "raid" on a slaughterhouse in
Kinsman, Illinois (this raid was in connection with the then sealed
indictment against Tahawwur H. Rana on charges of providing material
support to a terrorism conspiracy). Unlike the move on Imam Luqman in
Detroit which was based on an arrest warrant, the action on the
slaughterhouse in downstate Illinois was based on a search warrant.
According to local news reports including eye witness accounts the FBI
had a used a massive show of force including nearly 100 agents and even
a helicopter.

It may be reasonable to assume that the FBI used a large team of agents
and resources as a deterrent for anyone at the Kinsman, Illinois
slaughterhouse who may want to resist the execution of the search
warrant. To a lay person this strategy of overwhelming force in order
to protect law enforcement agents might make sense. Furthermore, this
strategy, whether it is so intended or not, has the benefit of
protecting the lives of individuals upon whom the search warrant is
served by deterring them for even trying to resist.

So, if a search warrant merits a small army of federal agents, then why
would an arrest warrant (which seems to be a far more serious matter
than a search warrant) not merit similar or even greater precautions and
deterrence measures? What did the attempted execution of the warrant on
Imam Luqman and the others named in the arrest warrant look like? Why
has this not been discussed by the media thus far?

Also, given that the FBI believed, based on what they purportedly heard
from two years worth of audio recordings and informant statements, that
Imam Luqman is armed and is likely to resist arrest with deadly force,
why did the FBI not attempt to arrest Imam Luqman in a setting where
there was a greater element of surprise and where he had fewer options
to flee?

Lastly, there remains the question of whether or not deadly force was
necessary. The news reports are not clear as to what exactly Imam
Luqman did or did not do. It is known that an FBI dog was shot and
killed. Reportedly the dog was killed by Imam Luqman. Did the FBI
agents kill Imam Luqman in a moment of retaliation in an already tense
and deadly situation?

These and other and better questions need to be answered in a
independent investigation of the shooting death of Imam Luqman.
American Muslim leaders have a responsibility to mobilize a grassroots
civil action campaign to pressure the FBI into conducting an independent
investigation.

The credibility of the FBI within sectors of the American Muslim
community is abysmally low as a result of its policy and program of
conducting "assessments" of potential threats by "proactively" pursuing
leads that take undercover FBI informants into otherwise legitimate,
lawful and constitutionally protected gatherings (this policy was
revealed with Muslim Advocates and other civil liberties groups recently
successfully sued to get the FBI to turnover some of it surveillence
policies). The shooting death of Imam Luqman has the potential of
escalating skepticism of the FBI's motives to the kind of deep-seeded
distrust and even contempt or hate of the FBI as Imam Luqman was
portrayed as having in the affidavit of Special Agent Leone.

This is not acceptable. It is not acceptable for the FBI and the
American Muslim community to be at odds with one another. Like it or
not, there are real threats out there. There are people who wish to
bomb and kill and terrorize Americans in America for political gain. We
know very well that the people who are responsible for this wanton
violence are indiscriminate in their attacks and have no qualms about
killing Muslims. That means American Muslims are at as great a risk of
being victims of future terrorist attacks as anyone.

At the same time, if the terrorists wish to use American Muslim
institutions and resources and try to recruit within the American Muslim
community, then it is imperative that there be a strong relationship
between law enforcement and the American Muslim community based on
mutual trust and respect. American Muslims cannot possibly know what to
look for and how to detect clues to extremist operations without the
help and support of law enforcement (including the FBI).

An independent investigation into the shooting death of Imam Luqman
Ameen Abdullah is a must for all of the foregoing reasons. It is the
right thing to do and it is the pragmatic thing to do as well.


The Killing of Imam Luqman Abdullah

Monday, 02 November 2009 16:51
Ali Jafri
Courtesy of Islamic Insights

What is the true story?

By now, most of us have heard the news of the killing of Imam Luqman
Ameen Abdullah by the FBI in Detroit, MI. There are many questions
surrounding the death of Imam Luqman. Although I do not have the answers
to these questions, there are a few issues that come to mind.

Yesterday I was able to read the criminal complaint filed in the United
States District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan (Case:
2;09-mj-30436) on October 27, 2009. Included in the complaint is a
43-page sworn affidavit by FBI Special Agent Gary Leone. This affidavit
chronicles nearly two years of surveillance by the FBI on Imam Luqman
and Masjid al-Haqq in Detroit. The complaint discusses terms such as
kuffar, Qureish, revolution, Imam Jamil, jihad, hadith, etc. This is
odd. The reason this is odd is that these terms have absolutely nothing
to do with what the criminal complaint charges the 11 individuals with.

Law enforcement has drummed up this incident to be terrorism-related, or
somehow related to the faith or political views of Imam Luqman and his
community. The mainstream media has predictably followed suit. But the
actual charges against these 11 individuals say otherwise. The charges
mentioned are as follows: possession of body armor and fire arms by a
convicted felon, providing firearms to a convicted felon, tampering with
a motor vehicle identification number, mail fraud, and selling/receiving
stolen goods. There are absolutely no terrorism-related charges in this
complaint. There are no charges in any way related to the religious or
political views of Imam Luqman. Two years of investigation, and no
material support charge, no conspiracy charge, nothing. When asked why
Imam Luqman had not been charged with terrorism, the United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Terrence Berg said, "The
charges speak for themselves." And that is exactly my point.

As often has been the case in these so-called "terrorism" cases, smaller
charges are brought and law enforcement still acts as though they
brought terrorism-related charges. And the public doesn't know the
difference. We have seen this pattern again and again under the Bush
administration, and President Obama has continued this dishonest policy.
Look at the words being used in the context of these arrests in the
media and the statements given by law enforcement, and ask yourself what
they have to do with the charges which are alleged. Why are they saying
this is related to terrorism? Do they think we can't read what they
themselves wrote? What does being a Sunni or a fundamentalist or a
Muslim have to do with tampering with a motor vehicle identification
number?

"O you who believe! If a liar/evil person comes to you with a report,
look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be
sorry for what you have done." (49:6)

What was the nature of this investigation by the FBI? According to its
complaint, at least three agents were used by the FBI in surveillance of
Masjid al-Haqq. The complaint stated that these agents constantly said
and did things in order to make Imam Luqman or others at the mosque say
or do something which would lead to an arrest on terrorism charges. For
example, the criminal complaint mentions how one agent told Imam Luqman
he is interested in blowing up people during the Super Bowl in Detroit,
and Imam Luqman responded that he would not be involved in killing
innocent people (see information from confidential source S-2, paragraph
14). This is just one example, and there are many similar examples in
the complaint. Obviously this does not come as a surprise, because this
is what the FBI does for a living. But we should realize that after two
years of this harassment, the best material they could come up with is
in their complaint.

This incident is another reminder to the Muslim community. When someone
is spending time and effort in order to set us you and put you in
prison, they are not your friend. This is not an attempt to thwart a
crime. This is an attempt to set your you-know-what up. There is a
difference. Any criminal defense attorney will tell you never to speak
to law enforcement without an attorney present. Most will tell you that
if the FBI comes to speak with you, even with an attorney present, you
would be crazy to speak with them. This is because the goal of law
enforcement is to get a criminal conviction. It is beyond disappointing
that some members of our Muslim community, both Sunni and Shia, know
what the FBI is doing to their fellow Muslim brothers and sisters on a
daily basis, yet they continue to want to buddy up to these same agents.
How many more examples are needed before we open our eyes?

I do not know what all transpired with Imam Luqman and his community. I
do not know if they are guilty or innocent of any of the alleged crimes.
What I do know is that a man exercised his First Amendment rights, and
he did not commit a crime by doing so. Had he committed a crime or a
terrorism-related offense, it would be in the complaint. Instead, all we
see are regular criminal offenses being alleged.

Unfortunately there is a segment of our community more interested in
looking like the "good Muslim" than in standing up against oppression or
finding out the truth. These Uncle Toms have predictably made
irresponsible statements regarding Imam Luqman and his mosque without
any of us even knowing all the facts. The Muslim community must stay
away from these types of organizations and mosques, whose leadership
will lead our community away from the sunnah of our Holy Prophet (peace
be upon him and his progeny).

Let's for a minute believe all the allegations in the complaint. Would
this justify this man being killed? Would it justify the alleged 18
shots fired at him? Why all the references to Islam in the complaint if
he is not charged with any political or terrorism related offenses? Why
all this talk about Imam Jamil?

Please, let us open our eyes.