A Real Question About Islam, Muslims, and The U.S.A.

11-18-01 | My Favorite Headache

[holman]

A federal grand jury met yesterday in connection with the FBI's search of two Chester homes earlier this week, a county prosecutor said. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A federal grand jury met yesterday in connection with the FBI's search of two Chester homes earlier this week, a county prosecutor said. But details of the case remain a secret, said Jack Stollsteimer, an assistant district attorney and spokesman for Delaware County District Attorney Patricia Holsten. "This is the FBI's case. It's their grand jury. They are the only ones who can say what it is all about," he said. Armed FBI agents and a hazardous materials team spent 13 hours on Tuesday searching the two buildings, but have yet to say what they were seeking. One building was the home of Chester city accountant Asif Kazi. The other building has an office rented by an area medical group and a residence shared by city Health Commissioner Dr. Irshad Shaikh and his brother Masood Shaikh, who works for the city's lead abatement program. Kazi, a native of Pakistan, said Wednesday that he had been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury, but was not sure whether he would be called to testify. He could not be reached for comment yesterday. Irshad and Masood Shaikh, who are also from Pakistan, did not return phone messages. All three men have denied wrongdoing. Dr. Howell Strauss, an executive of AIDS Care Group, which rents space from the Shaikh brothers, said no one from his organization had been asked to testify in the case. He said agents have yet to explain why the medical office, which is under construction, was searched. It is scheduled to open in January. Strauss, 54, said if the FBI ends its probe without filing criminal charges it should publicly exonerate the Shaikh brothers. "I'm very concerned for Dr. Shaikh and his brother," Strauss said. "We told him we support him and his commitment to the city. But this will damage his reputation if the FBI simply lets this thing drop without an explanation. It will hurt the city." FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi said the bureau had no immediate plans to release any additional information on the case. She said no charges have been filed. "It is still under investigation," she said. Kazi said agents took his computer, financial records and household medications and asked questions about anthrax. Strauss said items taken from his office included two jars of glue, cleaning bleach and some medical supplies, including latex examination gloves and surgical masks.

"Absolutely not," said Dr. Irshad A. Shaikh, 39, who is also a faculty associate at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "I'm not a lab person at all. My research has been on survey methodology." Shaikh said he has no idea what prompted the FBI to question him; his brother, Dr. Masood Shaikh, who runs Chester's lead poisoning prevention program; and Asif Kazi, the city accountant, all natives of Pakistan. But he said they have nothing to hide. He said he told the FBI agents "they can come back without a search warrant and look at anything they want at any time of day or night." While calling the notion that he could be involved in the anthrax attacks "ludicrous," Shaikh nonetheless did not criticize the FBI. "This is a time of war," he said. "In these times I can completely understand how aggressive the FBI can be. Actually I'm glad they're there to safeguard people." Kazi told the Associated Press yesterday that the FBI agents asked him about anthrax and other biological agents, removed a computer, medicines and financial records and took swabs from his television and furniture. He, too, denied any wrongdoing. "I haven't had a parking ticket in my life. I'm shaking. We watch The X-Files on television, but we never thought it would happen here," Kazi said. Masood Shaikh also has denied doing anything wrong. Linda Vizi, a spokeswoman for the FBI, declined to discuss the investigation. She said the agents had search warrants that are under court seal. The New York Times quoted a law enforcement source yesterday as saying preliminary tests on swabs taken during Tuesday's search were negative for anthrax. Shaikh said it was a complete surprise when FBI agents arrived at his office Tuesday morning. Two agents questioned him for more than two hours. "It was A to Z, a whole personal history," he said. Meanwhile, more than 30 agents, including some in biological safety suits, broke down the door to his house and began a 12-hour search there and at Kazi's nearby house. Shaikh said he worked as a general practitioner and radiologist in Karachi and Islamabad, Pakistan, before moving to the United States in 1993. In 1994, after completing a master's degree in public health at Hopkins, he became health commissioner in Chester, a gritty, poor city 15 miles from Philadelphia. He completed a doctorate in public health at Hopkins in May and commutes to a Hopkins campus in Montgomery County to teach a health information systems course.

so, what's the charge? Guilty for driving while muslim?

[JD86]

ping

[MistyCA]

LOL....great post :)

[holman]

I think you mean the Balkans,not the Baltics

Yes, I meant Balkans.

[JD86]

You still didn't answer my question. I asked you if you had any documentation of AMERICAN CITIZENS being held without due process and you come back with an article about PAKISTANI NATIONALS. Non-citizens do NOT have all the rights CITIZENS have....so again my question is: You said in your first post that American Citizens were being rounded up and held for secret indictments. Where is your PROOF?

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

This 1995 documentary includes previously unknown videos of the clandestine activities of
radical Islamic terrorist groups operating in the United States since the 80's,
and featured interviews with moderate Muslims and federal counter-terrorism officials
speaking for the first time about the magnitude of the threat posed by militant Muslim groups on U.S. soil.
This is a must see documentary that is 1 hour long but plays thru streaming video on RealPlayer
so you don't have to wait for it to load on your computer.

[clintonh8r]

So, what's the problem? Warrant not good enough for you?

[holman]

They are naturalized U.S. citizens.

[holman]

"I'm totally confused, but I'm an American citizen, and I'm ready to cooperate," he said.

FBI search mystifies Pa. man

[zip]

They are us.

I don't smoke the stuff you do. They are not us. In Columbia MO, they are celebrating 911.(Yes, the same place that houses MO University - Home of the student senate that REFUSED to pass a resolution to honor our military)

I'll revise my comment "they aren't us but they are the same as our leftist college students".

I know your kind - It's our fault because of our support of the democracy of Israel yada, yada, yada.

[TightSqueeze]

What would be the consequences if we rounded up all the illegal Muslims in America and expelled them, then found out only half of them hated America and wanted it destroyed? Who really cares, we are not talking about killing them or even incarcerating them, just get them the hell out.

[zip]

Ask them how many Muslims came forward to condemn the attacks, without making an excuse against the US or against the Jews....tell them you'll wait for the answer

Wish I've said that. Excellent

[col kurz]

Wrong. They will never assimilate and become US.

[fatboy]

They are naturalized U.S. citizens.

How do you know?

[JD86]

It doesn't say that in your article.

[zip]

American Jews have been accused by many in the U.S. of placing Israel before their citizenship. Any truth to it?

How many of these American Jews were dancing in the streets when they heard about WTO???????????I'm waiting for your answer.

[Sunshine55]

Wow. Never did I believe such ignorance existed until I saw YOUR post. You, yourself, as a non-American should be ashamed for thinking that we, as citizens should NOT take the notion of personal responsibility to its most selfish extreme. If not wanting any more of my American brothers and sisters to lose their lives at the hands of these heathens is taking personal responsibility to its extreme, then call it what you will. You're damn right I am selfish, we value life too much in this country to EVER have a repeat performance of September 11. If this means deporting every last member of the Muslim faith that stands on American soil, then give me ONE good reason why the hell that is wrong. As far as our education system is concerned, yes it has its faults. But you see, we in The United States, with our extreme notions of personal responsibility, also have the power to correct that situation too. If education is such a problem for you here, then perhaps you better pack YOUR sh*t and get the hell out too! P.S.-- My "prohibition-scarred ass" is fully sober now too.

[JD86]

your # 61 Shaikh said he has no idea what prompted the FBI to question him; his brother, Dr. Masood Shaikh, who runs Chester's lead poisoning prevention program; and Asif Kazi, the city accountant, all natives of Pakistan.

Where does your PROOF say naturalized US citizen?

[TightSqueeze]

Door swings both ways... Don't let it hit you in the ass!

[holman]

All of you who apparently assert that Terrorism is homegrown, are irrationally frightened men. None of these jerks (the attackers) are American citizens or mainstream American Moslems. And I don’t believe that ya'll are unintentionally tumping two million good Americans into your hate-filled caldron. The overwhelming facts are: there is no connection between American Moslems and the War on Terrorism. No more than Lutherans are culpable in Northern Ireland bombings.

So, it is your assertion that these guys - the 9-11 WTC attackers - are synonymous with AMERICAN CITIZENS who are adherents of the Prophet Mohammed.

You are wasting your time and hurting your credibility by de facto attempting to link David Koresh with Christianity. It is the height of nitwittery.

The Arab-Israeli conflict – ONCE AGAIN – will never touch our shores by itself nor is central to the War on Terrorism issue. But everyone sure is heaving the articles to make it so.

Now, are there a bunch of Arab Jonathan Pollards in our midst? Maybe. But for all your words, you remain behind the shield of innuendo and anecdotal cockamamie evidence. And if you don’t have the kind of proof by now that convicted Pollard, then you will certainly need to suspend due process, disregard rules of evidence and employ military tribunals to arrive at the kind of Middle East utopia you so desperately want to inflict upon the rest of us. You people are your own worst enemy. Bush said lay off the Arab Americans, and he meant it. Maybe he should throw all you real Americans in the brig until I get tired.