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Friends, former teachers support student detained in Florida
The Kansas City Star ^ | 9-18-02 | BRIAN BURNES

Posted on 09/18/2002 4:12:18 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

Friends and former teachers of Truman High School graduate Omer Choudhary, one of three Muslim medical students detained last week in Florida, have offered encouragement and support in recent days, his father says.

"Many teachers have called, many high school classmates," said Javed Choudhary of Independence. "The support has been very positive."

Even though authorities eventually released Omer Choudhary and his colleagues, the hospital where they planned to continue their studies said they were no longer welcome there. An administrator of Larkin Community Hospital in Miami said the decision was made after the hospital received scores of hostile e-mails.

An alternate placement has been found for the three, but Omer Choudhary's former teachers and friends at the University of Missouri-Columbia are drafting a letter to ask Larkin officials to reconsider their decision.

"These three students were barred from entry even though the hospital was fully aware at the time that they had done no wrong, with the flimsy excuse that they couldn't protect them, or that there might be harm done to the hospital," said Miriam Golumb, an associate professor of biological sciences.

"This is pretty unprecedented."

The student she remembers from a genetics course does not at all resemble any terrorist profile, Golumb added.

"Omer is very kind and considerate, a gentle person," she said.

Omer Choudhary graduated from Truman High in Independence in 1997. At Truman High he was a member of the science club, the men's choir and the school's American Field Service club.

"He was a nice young man, a gentleman," said Molly Clemons, a former assistant principal at Truman High.

"I never dealt with him for any discipline problems. He raised no waves whatsoever. When I saw him on TV, I said, `I cannot believe this.' What he was being accused of, that is not Omer at all."

Choudhary graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in May 2001 with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences.

One of his former professors called Choudhary's father Monday night to offer support for his son, Javed Choudhary said.

"He said that he was very upset and that Omer had been a student of good character and had never caused any trouble," Choudhary said.

Javed Choudhary, who grew up in Pakistan, came to the United States in 1971 to attend radiology technological school. Almost 11 years ago, he left a job in Detroit to take a position as a radiological technologist at Truman Medical Center.

He is not surprised by the outpouring of support from friends and neighbors, Choudhary said.

"I love the community. That is why I have been here almost 11 years," he said.

Choudhary has two other children, who also graduated from Truman High. A daughter attends the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a second son is enrolled in an area community college.

Though he has spoken to Omer often in the last few days, Javed Choudhary is unclear about his son's immediate academic future.

Omer Choudhary, with two other Muslim medical students, recently completed medical training at Ross University in Dominica, an island in the Caribbean.

They were on their way to Larkin Community Hospital for further training late last week when they were stopped by police on Interstate 75 in Florida. Authorities were acting on a tip from a woman who said she heard the men make alarming references to the Sept. 11 attacks while eating at a Calhoun, Ga., restaurant.

In an interview Monday on CNN's "Larry King Live," Omer Choudhary suggested that the woman misconstrued comments such as "bring it down" to mean the men planned to blow something up. In fact, Choudhary said, the discussion involved possibly transporting a car from Kansas City to Florida.

The Kansas City Star could not reach Omer Choudhary on Tuesday.

The three men were detained for 17 hours Friday. Authorities searched their cars for explosives but found none.

Ross University has placed the three students elsewhere, Javed Choudhary said.

"They were only supposed to be in Miami for three months," he said. "After that, they were going to go to another hospital. Now, with all this commotion, they will be going to a different place, a different hospital."

Choudhary doesn't know the precise location.

"We don't know. The school has said that they have made other arrangements, but I don't know myself."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida; US: Kansas; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: alligatoralley; aymangheith; florida; i75; kambizbutt; omarchoudhary; students; terroristhoax
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Ayman Gheith (L), Kambiz Butt, and Omer Choudhary (R), the three men who were detained on Interstate 75 east of Naples, Florida, on September 13, 2002, appear on the CNN program "Larry King Live," in Los Angeles September 16. The Muslim medical students were stopped by authorities after a woman told police she heard them allegedly plotting at a restaurant September 12 in Georgia. The men were heading to Miami for training and denied making any comments or jokes about terrorism. Picture taken September 16, 2002. REUTERS/Fred Prouser
- Sep 17 11:13 AM ET

1 posted on 09/18/2002 4:12:18 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer


2 posted on 09/18/2002 4:14:14 AM PDT by Diogenesis
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To: Diogenesis
The only media attention the democrats can muster these days is that all the terror suspects being rounded up are registered democRATS.
3 posted on 09/18/2002 4:16:23 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Ayman Gheith was President of the Muslim Students Association (M.S.A) at Ross in Dominica.

It's unfortunate for Ayman Gheith that he has the same last name as Suleiman Abu Gheith who is quoted as saying :Muslims have the right to kill 4 million Americans

– including 2 million children – based on Islamic teachings, according to an article attributed to an al-Qaida spokesman.

"We have not reached parity with them," wrote Suleiman Abu Gheith, who contended that the U.S. has killed millions of Muslims around the world in places such as Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Sudan, the Philippines and Afghanistan.

"Furthermore, it is our right to fight them with chemical and biological weapons, so as to afflict them with the fatal maladies that have afflicted the Muslims because of the [Americans'] chemical and biological weapons," Abu Gheith wrote on the Center for Islamic Research and Studies' website, which reportedly is linked to al-Qaida.

He warned that "America must prepare itself; it must go on maximum alert; ... because, Allah willing, the blow will come from where they least expect it. …"

Having the name Gheith must be a little like having the name Hitler or Capone. I can understand the police holding him a little while in Florida, while they made sure he had no connection with Abu Gheith.
4 posted on 09/18/2002 4:40:27 AM PDT by syriacus
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To: syriacus
What do their friends and classmates think about them attending a 'terror' school? Field trip?????
5 posted on 09/18/2002 5:50:39 AM PDT by BlessedAmerican
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To: BlessedAmerican
What do their friends and classmates think about them attending a 'terror' school? Field trip?????
What 'terror' school are you talking about?
6 posted on 09/18/2002 5:57:44 AM PDT by drjimmy
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To: drjimmy
So very sorry...I confused my 'terror' stories!!! Just early morning precoffee fog. I apologize for my confusion.
7 posted on 09/18/2002 6:01:00 AM PDT by BlessedAmerican
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To: BlessedAmerican
It's hard to keep the recent stories, about 20-something male Muslims, straight.

A lot has happened in these past few days.

8 posted on 09/18/2002 6:36:24 AM PDT by syriacus
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To: syriacus

Abu Gheith, spokesman for bin Laden and Al Qaeda. He appeared beside bin Laden in a videotap in which Ayman Al-Zawahiri was on the other side of bin Laden.

9 posted on 09/18/2002 7:14:19 AM PDT by syriacus
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To: BlessedAmerican
No problem. I thought I was the one who had missed something (as happens often enough!).
10 posted on 09/18/2002 9:13:04 AM PDT by drjimmy
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To: syriacus
Interesting info--source?
11 posted on 09/18/2002 10:28:48 AM PDT by NautiNurse
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"Omer Choudhary graduated from Truman High in Independence in 1997. At Truman High he was a member of the science club, the men's choir and the school's American Field Service club."

What the teacher failed to mention is that Choudhary (aka "Chowder") also was voted "Most Likely to Kill Buckwheat" by the Truman High student body....

12 posted on 09/18/2002 10:47:15 AM PDT by tracer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"He was a nice young man, a gentleman," said Molly Clemons, a former assistant principal at Truman High.

Well, Molly, do you believe he killed Buckwheat?

13 posted on 09/18/2002 10:52:00 AM PDT by tracer
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To: NautiNurse
Picture of Abu Gheith from PBS
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/images/terroristattack/july-dec01/gheith.jpg

Fact that he was on tape with bin Laden can be found all over the web or at Wall Street Journal classroom edition (Bin Laden Appeals to Muslims to Launch Jihad on U.S., Allies

Mr. bin Laden and his two closest aides sat cross-legged at the foot of a barren cliff. Before Mr. bin Laden was a pair of rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Taking turns, each of Mr. bin Laden's aides -- Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian believed to rank second in Mr. bin Laden's organization; and Suleiman abu Gheith, a renegade religious sheik from Kuwait -- called on the world's 1.2 billion Muslims to choose sides in what they portrayed as an epic religious battle between believer and unbeliever. It appeared to be a deliberate response to President Bush's call to the world to choose sides in the war against terrorism.

Abu Gheith's diatribe against the US can be found all over the web and at http://pub6.ezboard.com/fhinduunityfrm7.showMessage?topicID=757.topic


14 posted on 09/18/2002 11:55:43 AM PDT by syriacus
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To: syriacus
Thanks for the info. I think I was having a blonde moment.
15 posted on 09/18/2002 12:05:13 PM PDT by NautiNurse
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"This is pretty unprecedented."

As opposed to , "not really all that much unprecedented."

What the hell do these people mean when they talk?

16 posted on 09/18/2002 12:13:16 PM PDT by HIDEK6
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To: NautiNurse
I wonder how these friends feel about Omer lying on national TV? He IS the one who said he didn't "blow through" the toll booth.
17 posted on 09/18/2002 12:15:45 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin
C'mon, now--you know that part doesn't count in the big picture.

;o)

18 posted on 09/18/2002 12:24:41 PM PDT by NautiNurse
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To: tracer
Stop....you're killing me with hilarious flashbacks.
19 posted on 09/18/2002 12:26:58 PM PDT by amused
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To: NautiNurse
Well, it doesn't look like Linda Vester believed them either!

There's your picture!

20 posted on 09/18/2002 12:55:58 PM PDT by Howlin
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