Criminal Charges for Imam Masood?

This news just in RE: Imam Muhammed Masood , who was picked up last November on religious visa fraud, and was facing deportation. News of a significant development came courtesy of a Muslim American Society (MAS) e-mail:

1) Imam Masood's immigration case was just turned into a criminal case but the charges are still frivolous (ahem, according to the MAS)

2) He was threatened with jail, with criminal charges and with "humiliation" (as they put it) unless he cooperates and gives information about many of the mainstream Boston Muslim leaders and Muslim organizations/centers.
3) He will be indicted in court TODAY (i.e .MONDAY July 23 at 2:30pm)

Fascinating stuff!  So there's more to this story than simply waiting for the October deportation heating.  I hope some local reporters make it to the hearing so we find out what these criminal charges are.  There's a 40-page affadavit available in the court. Dear Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Patriot Ledger reporters, please read the affadavit and report on its contents!

More hysterical propaganda from the MAS here, who label this develpment a "Major Setback in Muslim-Law Enforcement Relations" and a "Reckless Witch Hunt."  Excerpts below:

"There has been an extremely urgent development in Imam Masood's situation. Previously, he was being charged with some trivial immigration technicalities. But 4 days ago, the US Attorney's office called him in and said they will indict him on criminal (as opposed to immigration) charges if he "does not cooperate" with what they are about to propose. The criminal charges they cited amounted to frivolous things like his car was registered in the wrong state, information on one of his health insurance apps was inaccurate, and that he allegedly did not spend the required period of time back in Pakistan between the time he was on a student visa and his current religious worker visa."

"They called him in for a meeting, threatened him with jail, with "humiliation", with isolation, and then grilled him for 7 hours about many of the mainstream Muslim leaders and organizations in the Boston Muslim community, seeking any sort of incriminating information about them. And when he "cooperated" and answered all their questions, they said he had not helped them discover anything new (read: anything incriminating) and so they went back on their word and he will be indicted Monday (tomorrow, 2pm) on the "criminal" charges above."

"MAS Boston is following up strongly with this situation and has sought the help of the ACLU, ADC, Islamic Council, and others to act strongly. We will keep you updated inshallah."

According to the MAS, there's an indictment hearing tomorrow  at 2pm.

ADDRESS:

1 Courthouse Way, Boston, MA. DIRECTIONS: Take Red line to South Station, transfer to Silver Line towards Logan Airport and get off at the courthouse stop.

UPDATE: There may not be any hearing tomorrow. The next criminal hearing is scheduled for August 9, 2007.   

Comments

[Sissy Willis]

Give him the chair! Here's more grist for your blogmill:

"We routinely speak of failed governments and failed societies overseas. So what are we doing about ‘failed’ Muslim communities here?"

http://jewishworldreview.com/0707/ibrahim072407.php3