Ann Arbor Muslim Leader Detained by INS

The Detroit News ^ | 12-17-01

[Moleman]

   DETROIT -- A Muslim community leader who is on the board of trustees of an international group that was raided by federal agents last week has been detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, his attorney said Monday.
   Rabih Haddad, 41, was detained by the INS on Friday and was being held on a visa violation, said attorney Ashraf Nubani. INS officials said Monday that they could not confirm or deny that Haddad was being held and said it was unlikely any information would be released on the case. The FBI referred all questions to INS.
   Nubani said INS officials told him Haddad would be held without bond or a detention hearing. He said those who pose a danger to the community or are considered a flight risk generally are denied bond or a detention hearing, but he said Haddad falls into neither category.
   Haddad, a native of Lebanon now living in Ann Arbor, is on the board of trustees of the Global Relief Foundation, a Bridgeview, Ill.-based group whose offices were raided on Friday.
   No arrests were made there. Two Global Relief Foundation offices in Yugoslavia also were searched Friday by NATO-led peacekeepers and U.N. police. A NATO spokesman said three people were detained there but gave no details.
   The group's assets have been frozen. U.S. Treasury Department spokesman Tony Fratto said early Saturday that "there was coordinated action to block the assets because the groups are suspected of funding terrorist activities."
   Messages left with the Global Relief Foundation on Monday were not immediately returned.
   Nubani said Haddad's detention came now because of the political climate following Sept. 11.
   "If he had any (immigration) issue he would have been picked up long ago," Nubani said.
   Nubani said Haddad came to the United States in 1998 on a tourist visa that has since expired. But he said Haddad applied for permanent residency through a provision of the Lise Act passed by President Clinton in 2000.
   Michael Steinberg, legal director of the ACLU of Michigan, called Haddad "a beloved person in the Ann Arbor community," who has a wife and four children here.
   "In my view the federal agents are destroying any trust that exists between the law enforcement and the Arab community," Steinberg said. "It's counterproductive for the federal government to seek assistance from the Muslim community on one hand and then arrest their leaders on the other."
   Michigan is home to about 350,000 Arab-Americans. The Justice Department sent letters to hundreds of southeastern Michigan men, mostly from the Middle East, seeking to interview them in the terrorism investigation. Officials have sought help from local Arab leaders in the interview process.

[Moleman]

Islam is a religion of peace...

[GuillermoX]

It sure is. Our President told us so. The INS/FBI obviously are suffering from an extreme case of Islamophobia.

[harpseal]

I am putting this to the Islamic_violence bump_list.

[Moleman]

Treat the terrorist like he deserves to be treated!
We need to tell this to the morons at the ACLU.
These bozos wants to treat terrorists like school children who poked another with his pencil

[Publius6961]

Nubani said Haddad's detention came now because of the political climate following Sept. 11.
"If he had any (immigration) issue he would have been picked up long ago," Nubani said.

And who says Arab Muslims have no sense of humor?
This is the funniest statement I have heard in years.

[Shermy]

It's interesting that he's from Lebanon. Prior threads discussed where these charities were involved. Global's website notes: "Kosova Chechnya Pakistan Ethiopia Afghanistan Kashmir". Notably all areas where al-Qaeda is involved. Notably does not include areas like Egypt, Lebanon, etc. where charity work could be done too, especially the children's work claimed. Check out this thread:

Sources: Feds raid Islamic charity groups (Dec. 14)

[Hugin]

Nubani said Haddad's detention came now because of the political climate following Sept. 11. "If he had any (immigration) issue he would have been picked up long ago," Nubani said.

Yeah, right. He couldn't possibly be here illegally, because he was not arrested until they started checking his immigration status. We all know that the INS never misses anyone.

[AppyPappy]

"In my view the federal agents are destroying any trust that exists between the law enforcement and the Arab community"

9/11 not withstanding.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this.

This in this article says it all for me, "Nubani said Haddad came to the United States in 1998 on a tourist visa that has since expired. But he said Haddad applied for permanent residency through a provision of the Lise Act passed by President Clinton in 2000.,"

Now Haddad and his fellow illegals need to catch the next plane for Portland, Oregone if INS releases him. His buddies had better head to Portland, Oregone, too!

(Why Haddad should go to Portland, Oregon!)

[Shermy]

He's a Cornhusker.

Rabih Haddad holds a Masters of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In 1992, he co-founded Global Relief Foundation, a humanitarian organization. He has served as chairman of GRF's board since 92, and as its CEO between 92 to 96. He currently serves as GRF's public relations director and also fundraises extensively for its projects. He in addition lectures and writes, mostly on topics related to relief work and the Islamic faith. For more information on the Global Relief Foundation please visit www.grf.org

Where I found the biography

[Warren]

What in the hell is a Muslim doin in Michigan anyway??? Gettem outta there! Got no right to breathe good clean (okay, not clean) American air.

[Moleman]

Yeah, Abraham's a bum

[Moleman]

Interesting...

[truth_seeker]

"In my view the federal agents are destroying any trust that exists between the law enforcement and the Arab community," Steinberg said.

Wasn't it President Reagan who said "trust AND verify?" With our Arab/Muslim visitors and neighbors, we are FORCED by the acts of their countrymen, to verify FIRST, BEFORE trust.

So if they are unhappy, the targets of the unhappiness SHOULD be the countrymen and co-religionists, who put them into this situation. Our FBI, INS, should be trained to say "...don't blame me, blame radical Islam, blame bin Laden, blame mullah Omar, blame any Arab or Muslim terrorist you want, but don't blame the US. The US is into the justified, self-defence phase.

[Iscool]

ACLU=AMERICAN civil liberties union...This raghead ain't no American...He has no rights in America...He an illegal arab alien which means he's a potential terrorist...He should be under armed guard all the way to the ship that takes him away from here...