Ann Arbor, Michigan

  We must condemn that which is condemnable. In the Qu'ran, Allah commands Muslims to speak the truth, even if it is against themselves. On October 28, Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah was fatally shot and killed during an FBI raid in Dearborn, Michigan. Along with 10 other men, he was suspected of charges that included conspiracy to sell stolen goods, illegal possession and sale of firearms and altering numbers on license plates. They are suspected of these acts and, in both American law and Islamic law, suspicion is not enough to convict a person.

Unfortunately, none will be privy to the perspective of Imam Luqman as he chose to fight against the authorities. However, these acts, if true, are truly condemnable and no one would deny that truth. As the facts emerge over the coming days, weeks, and months, we can try to make sense and judge best what took place on that day and over the previous months of the FBI's investigation.

Over the next days, maybe the connection that authorities are trying to make between these 11 men and terrorism will become clearer. But thus far, all that seems to be evident is that these men were allegedly engaged in some type organized crime. Organized crime is not equal to terrorism and those guilty of it historically have not been broadcast in the media and identified with their religion.

For example, one never saw a headline that read that the Catholic John Gotti was convicted of a crime. We do not look at John Gotti and conjure up thoughts about Catholics even though we know he is Catholic. We simply see him as a former boss of organized crime.

Apart from the suspected charges in this case, it is also condemnable that media sources are using headlines like: "Feds: Islamic Radical Killed in Mich. Raid," and "Feds: Imam who led radical Sunni Islam group fatally shot in Detroit-area FBI raid." Yes, Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah was the Imam at Masjid Al-Haqq and those that mention his title do not seem to be feeding into the usual propaganda that follows any story relating to a Muslim.

But others, like the ones mentioned above, are starting down that all too familiar path of propaganda, repeating over and over that these were "radical" men, that they were "Muslim" men and "Islamic" men, therefore associating all things bad with "these people." If it is repeated enough then the public will believe it. This is how propaganda works. And just as propaganda was condemned in Nazi Germany and during the Cold War so should it be condemned against a minority of Muslims in America.

Another piece of this story that is condemnable is that both the Muslim community and the broader mainstream community did not serve its members well. Muslims are to 'know what the needs of our neighbors are before they have to tell us'. As well, Christians and Jews believe in 'loving thy neighbor.' The area surrounding Masjid Al-Haqq is an area known to have problems with crime, prostitution, drugs and poverty. Many of the people who live in this area are uneducated or undereducated, impoverished, or close to poverty level.

This Masjid sought to counsel and rehabilitate its community members, but why didn’t the broader community know what was happening here? Why did we not know that these men were having issues? Why did we not contribute to their education and give them opportunities to do something other than what they were alleged to be doing? Did we not care? If we do care, isn't inaction the same as not caring? This should be condemned as well and something that as a community is examined moving forward.

What remains to be seen is how condemnable the Muslim organizations are for not vetting people better. In the days to come, surely all of who knew who Imam Luqman Ameen Abduallah was will be forthcoming, not the least of whom would be those who were part of the Majlis Ashura (advisory board) of the national organization MANA (Muslim Alliance of North America), where Imam Luqman sat.

This young organization serves many in the American community and has even conducted groundbreaking work around social issues like marriage counseling, divorce, and domestic violence. Many people affiliated with its boards are leaders in the Muslim community across the United States and have advised people in the American government. If this organization and others that Imam Luqman was affiliated with were to suffer because of a lack of knowing the company they kept, that is certainly condemnable as well.

Whatever conclusions people make, they should do so with all the facts in hand. And if we find condemnable acts, we should all condemn them. Where we find innocence, we should defend it. Where we find trouble-makers, we should call them out for their behavior.

Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah was a Muslim. Only the people involved in these events know what truly happened. As far as Imam Luqman's involvement, only he and Allah will now know the true extent of his actions. Whether a Muslim is one who is practicing or one who is astray, when a Muslim dies it is said: "To Allah do we belong and to Him shall we return." And Muslims pray for forgiveness also for those who have preceded them in death.

Rather sad story to hear about. 2 other items of note:

1. Statement by his son, actor Omar Regan, who said that (similar to the recent spate of "terrorism" arrests) it was the FBI informants who worked to entrap him and pushed him to commit petty crimes:

http://www.freep.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/91029052/1319/FBI-defends-decision-to-shoot-mosque-leader/Son-of-slain-imam--FBI-is-on-witch-hunt

http://www.freep.com/article/20091030/NEWS05/910300358/1319/FBI-defends-decision-to-shoot-mosque-leader/Muslim-leaders-say-informants-were-unreliable-thieves

2. Seems every single ardent supporter, follower, or defender of former Black Panther, H Rap Brown/Jameel al Ameen has been caught up in rather suspicious circumstances by the govt.:

http://www.freep.com/article/20091030/NEWS06/910300357/1319/FBI-defends-decision-to-shoot-mosque-leader/Ex-Panther-has-a-new-cause--FBI-says

Though all of this is rather suspicious and there should be no rush to judgment until all of the facts are in, why is it that when Muslims overseas are alleged to commit crimes or die under suspicious circumstances due to U.S./Israeli military action, the same alphabet soup "American" Muslim groups don't act in the same manner then?

Kw

it was the FBI informants who worked to entrap him and pushed him to commit petty crimes:
>>>>>>


UUUUUh .... yeah. The devil made me do it and while he was at it he ate my homework?? Uh huh ....

Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah is not the only Muslim who has been targeted by the Zionist Lobby and its collaborating law enforcement authorities (most of which had been are currently headed by Zionist Jews) - On October 21 the major Zionist-controlled mainstream media outlets, such as, The New York Times, AP, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, Jihad Watch, etc. – ran sensational news item on how the FBI has arrested a Sudbury (Massachusetts) man, Tarek Mehanna, on charges of terrorist activities – ranging from “plotting to shoot up a mall”, kill US troops fighting oversea, and kill assassinate US officials” and “conspiring to support terrorists by seeking training from Islamic extremist fighters oversea”….. And the best part of the allegation: “He failed to get access to automatic weapons”!! Now even an American idiot would tell you that purchasing an automatic weapon (AK-47, AR-15, Uzi assault weapons, etc.) is no problem in the US.....

http://rehmat1.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/its-dangerous-to-be-a-muslim-in-america/

To God we belong, and to Him is our return. God have mercy on this man, pardon him, forgive him his shortcomings, and grant him the best of the Hereafter.

If those who killed him did so with malice, forethought, and pretext, may God give them their due, and may He turn their plans against them and those who sponsor them.

kwaleed >>>> Though all of this is rather suspicious and there should be no rush to judgment until all of the facts are in, why is it that when Muslims overseas are alleged to commit crimes or die under suspicious circumstances due to U.S./Israeli military action, the same alphabet soup "American" Muslim groups don't act in the same manner then?

A system of government and its various organs are much more inclined to act than civil society groups who are limited by resources and mandate.

One things for certain though, similar tactics were adopted by the FBI during the 60's and both MalcolmX and Martin Luther King were on the receiving end of the states attempts to discredit them. Counter-intelligence and entrapment are old tricks. Unfortunately Muslims are not as politcally savvy, cohesive enough or materially empowered to identify their common issues and support each other in mutually beneficial projects. Many don't even recognise the basis for collective action i.e. equality of individuals regardless of differing values, creeds and ideas.

"For example, one never saw a headline that read that the Catholic John Gotti was convicted of a crime. We do not look at John Gotti and conjure up thoughts about Catholics even though we know he is Catholic. We simply see him as a former boss of organized crime."

I think that the difference is clear.

Gotti wasn't trying to promote Catholicism and wasn't interested in killing people because they were non-Catholic. Catholics weren't justifying Gotti's actions because he was a Catholic. Gotti never flew a plane into buildings and he never sent suicide bombers out to kill innocents.He didn't believe that Catholicism should rule the world and that only Catholic texts be the basis of law. His actions, reprehensible as they were, are not the reason that we have high security at airports and we have bomb sniffing dogs checking high security "targets". Gotti never issued "Fatwas" to kill those who "disrespected" Catholicism. He laughed at cartoons that were anti-religious and didn't issue death warrants on religious grounds.


Had he done so, and had he done it to promote Catholicism as Muslims condone violence because they "understand" the goals of the criminals, then it would be necessary and fair to conjure up thoughts about Catholics whenever he was mentioned.

bigbill6999,

The KKK, Neo-Nazis and American Nazi groups want to Anglo-Christianize the world, by any means necessary. They want everyone to accept
Anglo -Saxon culture and the English language as the predominate, only civilized entity.

Timothy James McVeigh, an American born extremist Catholic, Nazi ideology radical, blew up a Federal building in the name of Christianity. “ He once ordered a "White Power" T-shirt from the KKK in protest against black servicemen who wore "Black Power" T-shirts around his army camp.

Neo Christian, Nazism Terrorist movements are fully alive in America. These dangerous Christian Terrorist, lunatics want to mane or kill our President, Barack Obama and have made several threats on his life. They want to get rid of every Black, Latino Arab or non White in America.

The point is, there are dangerous ideologies and loonies in every religion. So don't try to paint Islam as the enemy and Christianity, that enslaved hundredths of millions of Black people and also used to kill millions of Jews in the name of Neo-Nazi espoused ideology as the savior of humanity.

Salim

Actually I can paint Islam the way that I did. All of the cases that you listed are prosecuted by the "christian" nation (the US) that you criticize and they take action to end that type of crime. Islam, on the other hand, makes half hearted protests against the method but not the goal. Islam considers it MANDATORY to spread the religion by terror and war. The only objection that comes from Muslims is once again, to the methods as they praise the goal.

Therefore, my broad brush is accurate

bigbill6999,

Oh by the way, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco have executed hundredths of extremist, terrorist over the years.

Oh by the way, United States of America today, is not a Christian nation. That's the problem with your thinking and the point and making (KKK in disguise). People like you want to oppress everyone with Anglo-Christian ways. America is for the free. Accept other people's religion, I DO. Accept the atheist who don't want to stand in front of the flag of the United States of America. Or do you want to arrest them and place them in jail, or better yet get rid of them (Execution)?

Accept the gays, accept the liberals, accept people who don't think and look like you do.

I love the FREE America, away from your mental and physical prison.

The Neo Nazi, KKK Christian terrorist have gone without persecution for killing innocent Blacks for decades in many documented cases. They still thrive in the streets of America. They are allowed to roam the back-woods of America unchecked for years on end. Very few are held accountable for their threats or physical violence.

Thousands of these terrorist, roam rural America, nothing stopping their heinous killings and sick sadistic ideas. Molesting children and committing covert killings of innocent Black and Latino people, that go unsolved by law enforcement for years. Hitler is alive and well in these sick, twisted, organized terrorist groups.

>>> Gotti wasn't trying to promote Catholicism and wasn't interested in killing people because they were non-Catholic. Catholics weren't justifying Gotti's actions because he was a Catholic. Gotti never flew a plane into buildings and he never sent suicide bombers out to kill innocents.

Well neither did Luqman Abdullah. Or are you repeating your perennial racism as a matter of course. The point is simple. Because he was catholic didn't make his gangsterism catholic. Do you understand? MalcolmX was muslim and that didn't make the civil rights movement a pan arabist terrorist movement. How much longer do you intend sticking to the ignorant racist comments? Do you think its OK because its in defence of your country?

Has everyone lost sight that the FBI explicitly stated that this was NOT a terrorism investigation?? They assert its all about theft, fraud and other domestic crimes. Hellooooo...

BTW, that turban he has on in the photo is awesome, for real.