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Posted on 11/16/2005 11:37:03 PM PST by XR7
The respected leader of a Rainier Valley mosque was arrested Monday on an immigration charge, surprising those who knew his work in Seattle's Somali community.
Federal agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Abu Abrahim Sheik Mohamed at Sea-Tac Airport as he got off a domestic flight, federal criminal justice sources said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lorie Haley said only that Mohamed, 37, was "in custody on immigration violations" and is being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.
She declined to specify what immigration regulations Mohamed is accused of having violated.
While he is being held only on the immigration violations, the Joint Terrorism Task Force is continuing its investigation, a source said.
Mohamed, a native of Somalia, has led prayers as the imam of Abu-Bakr Mosque for the past five years.
The mosque originally was on Rainier Avenue South but moved earlier this year to a simple building on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
"I know the man. I'm shocked to hear that (he was arrested), if he's the one I have in mind," said Hisham Farajallah, president of the Islamic Center of Washington.
Farajallah said Mohamed, whom he saw at the end of the recent Islamic holy month of Ramadan, has a green card and is a legal U.S. resident.
Several Somali immigrants expressed surprise Tuesday after hearing of Mohamed's arrest, saying the imam was well regarded in the community for his counsel on a wide range of family issues.
"He is a leader for all the Somali community, not just for the mosque," Hassan Nur said as he arrived at the mosque for midafternoon prayer.
Nur and a man named Ali said that Mohamed would solve "99 percent" of the problems brought to him, helping people with questions related to marriage, parenting, addictions and youths.
They said Mohamed even started a summer program at the mosque to keep youths off the street and out of trouble.
"I've never heard of him doing anything wrong," Nur said.
Mohamed is "a wise man in every aspect," said Mohamed Abdi, president of Somali Community Services of Seattle.
Nur said he heard that Mohamed was returning from Dallas when he was arrested. Another man traveling with Mohamed was not detained but was told that the imam was going to be "held for a few hours," Nur said.
Mohamed has been the only imam at the mosque, which started six years ago without a prayer leader.
Though open to Muslims of all national origins, the mosque is used mostly by Somalis.
In November 2004, the Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested 14 people at about a dozen Seattle-area locations, including a business one block from the original location of Abu-Bakr Mosque.
Among those arrested in the November 2004 raids was Karim Abdullah Assalaam, who told an FBI informant that "his whole Muslim crew" is involved in an ongoing bank fraud scheme for personal gain and because "you can't go to war broke," court documents say.
In a tape-recorded conversation about guns, Assalaam told the informant, "I just want to die a Shaheed," which he defined as a martyr "who dies in the cause of Allah."
Assalaam is to be sentenced next month after acceding to a federal plea agreement.
The agreement has been kept secret.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P-I reporter Paul Shukovsky contributed to this report. P-I reporter John Iwasaki can be reached at 206-448-8096 or johniwasaki@seattlepi.com.
Grant him his wish.
Respected by whom? Terrorists?
Fark him. Lock him up and throw away the key. Or, just shoot him and be done with it.
except for maybe "how to be a legal U.S. resident"..
oops.
Another innocent holy man to fall to the racist, sexist, homophobic corporate machine.
(/sarcasm)
Thing is, living in the NW, I knew this thread would have a NW connection.
I was right.
Just FYI, FWIW:
Portland, Oregon- hub of terror? Some Surprising Connections-
various FR links | 05-09-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1132469/posts
Sounds like a good bust.
"The respected leader of a Rainier Valley mosque was arrested ......"
Respected by ignorant, sanctimonious, obnoxious liberal Seattle retards. But you knew that.
Somalis are bad news
"I just want to die a Shaheed"
Oh man...this is too easy...just change a few letters and empty a couple of 50 caliber rounds into him...and voila...he will just die as a "sh--head"!
Let's hope he's the first of many.
Deport them all.
Abu-Bakr mosque is named after a man with an unusual interest in young camels.
You be the judge...
"Abu Bakr was born in Mecca (Makkah), a Quraishi of the Banu Taim clan. According to early Muslim historians, he was a merchant, and highly esteemed as a judge, as an interpreter of dreams, and as one learned in Meccan traditions. He was one of the last people anyone would have expected to convert to the faith preached by his kinsman Muhammad. Yet he was one of the first converts to Islam (see below) and instrumental in converting many of the Quraish and the residents of Mecca."
"Originally called Abd-ul-Ka'ba ("servant of the house of God"), on his conversion he assumed the name of Abd-Allah (servant of God). However, he is usually styled Abu Bakr (from the Arabic word bakr, meaning a young camel) due to his interest in raising camels"
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"We in America know the benevolence that is at the heart of Islam. We've seen it in many ways."
He doesn't know... all the names sound the same. ;~D
Is that his only interest in young camels?
Sorry I just couldn't resist. :)
I'll bet....
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