UPDATE BELOW
What, no jail time for former Imam Muhammed Masood, despite the conviction for lying to federal agents?
The Boston Muslim American Society and the Islamic Council of New England are holding a "special Farewell Dinner" and fundraiser for Masood and his family tomorrow, July 26, 2008 (6 PM) at Ashur's Restaurant, behind the yet-to-be-finished Islamic Cultural Center in Roxbury.
According to the e-mail notice about this special dinner:
"Imam Masood will be leaving the US, with his family, on August 2nd, according to an agreement he has reached with his case. This event will go towards funding the travel expenses for 10 family members, and to support the family in their time in need. Funds will also go towards helping local Muslim immigrant families experiencing financial hardship."
What's so special about Masood? I bet Emadeddin Muntasser wished that the local MAS would have helped him out. I bet Martha Stewart and Marion Jones wished they could have avoided jail time for lying to federal agents. How does Masood escape jail time? Is there a different justice system for the brother of Hafiz Saeed?
You can make a financial donation at the MAS website here (select "Shaikh Masood Family Support" in the drop-down menu). The website says that "All donations to MAS Boston are tax deductible." Hmmm, here we go again. Is it really tax deductible to give money to a criminal who's essentially being deported from the U.S.?
Questions:
The MAS/ICB e-mail states that Masood and his family are leaving the country on August 2nd. Who is going to supervise Masood's three year probation that was part of his plea agreement?
Masood, with his criminal convictions, gets to board a plane and skedaddle out of here. What's going on here? Is this simply the most expedient way to deport Masood and his family? If that's the case, I'm OK with that. I don't see the need for my tax dollars to support these folks in jail and subsidize their dawah there. Fine, let them all leave now.
I welcome any legal minds out there to shed some light on this.
Previous postings on the Muhammed Masood/Abdul Hannan case here (scroll down).
UPDATE: Hmmm, now why would the MAS send out an e-mail dated Tuesday, July 22nd, announcing that Masood and his family are leaving on August 2nd, when Masood's sentencing has been postponed from August 1 to September 26th, 2008? The motion for continuance of the sentencing was filed on July 22nd, and granted on July 23rd (masood_sept_08_continuance.pdf ). Maybe they're not going anywhere for a while after all. Such a strange case this has been.
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