Friday, November 18, 2005

Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington

SEATTLE, Washington (HOL) – On Monday, November 14th, authorities from the Joint Terrorism Task Force detained a prominent member of the Muslim community in the Greater Seattle area after he got off a domestic flight from Dallas, Texas. Sheikh Ibrahim Mohamed, a Somali immigrant and the imam of Abu-Bakr Mosque in south Seattle, was arrested by the JTTF and then transferred to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, where authorities planned to continue their investigation into his case.

Government sources tell Hiiraan Online that Sheikh Ibrahim is accused of having violated U.S. immigration laws. However, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on its Wednesday edition that one of its sources informed them that indeed the sheikh had a green card and is, in fact, a legal U.S. permanent resident.

The Muslim community of the Greater Seattle area received news of the sheikh’s arrest as an unpleasant surprise. A Seattle local who frequently attends Sheikh Ibrahim’s Jum’a (Friday) qutbah, or sermon, remembers a mild-mannered indivual known for his selfless activism in a community without leaders. “His work in the community in regards to social affairs is truly a blessing,” the man told Hiiraan Online. He went on to mention that Sheikh Ibrahim is highly regarded, both in the Somali and in the larger Muslim community.

Yesterday, many in the Muslim community planned to protest in downtown Seattle after Jum’a prayer. But Sheikh Ibrahim’s lawyer informed the community that authorities had set a court date; the sheikh’s case will be brought into a court of law on November 29, 2005. However, authorities declined to mention which court will house the sheikh’s case.

Also, some private citizens, who spoke with Hiiraan Online on the condition of anonymity, expressed particular concern as to why the Joint Terrorism Task Force, an umbrella unit tasked to stop domestic terrorism, took on the case despite the fact that it was classified as an immigration case.

Whatever the reason, the Muslim community of the Greater Seattle area is paying close attention to the outcome of this very important case.

Yusuf “Buzhfam”, Hiiraan Online
Seattle, Washington (USA)
E-mail: [email protected]