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Umer Hayat	Umer Hayat	Harkatul Mujahiddin	Home Front: WoT	Pakistani-American	Arrested	Cannon Fodder	20050715
	Umer Hayat	Lodi mosque	Home Front: WoT	Pakistani	In Jug		20050810
	Umer Hayat	Harkat-ul-Mujahideen	Afghanistan/South Asia	Pakistani-American	Arrested	Cannon Fodder	20050622
		The US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a pair of Pakistani-Americans from Lodi, California. Hamid Hayat, 23, and his father, Umer Hayat, 47, were later charged with lying to the authorities regarding their connection with jihadi training camps. But the formal FBI affidavit contained the information that the training camps in question were in Pakistan, not in the tribal areas, but right outside Rawalpindi, which also hosts the Pakistan army headquarters.
	Umer Hayat	al-Qaeda	Home Front: WoT				20050810

Home Front: WoT

US judge says California man jailed for attending terrorist camp in Pakistan was wrongfully convicted

2019-01-13

[DAWN] A federal magistrate on Friday recommended overturning the controversial 2006 conviction of a Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, man accused of attending a terrorist training camp in Pakistain and plotting an attack in the United States. Hamid Hayat, ...did he spend time at an Al Qaeda training camp or did the site in the Northwest Frontier Province belong to the Pakistani army? Did he confess or was his testimony unfairly nudged by the FBI? And what ever happened to his father, Umer Hayat? now 36, who was then a young cherry-picker from Lodi, has served about half his 24-year sentence. But US Magistrate Judge Deborah Barnes said he likely never would have been convicted were it not for the inexperience of his defense attorney, who failed to call alibi witnesses. "A reasonably competent attorney would have done more to investigate Hayat's alibi," Barnes said in a 116-page opinion. Her recommendation that the conviction be vacated now goes to US District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. He presided over Hayat's original trial, conviction and sentencing and previously rejected a defense motion over whether Hayat was properly represented at trial. Either side can appeal Burrell's eventual decision. Barnes heard new testimony from witnesses who said Hayat, who was born in California, never had time to receive terror training while visiting relatives and getting married in his ancestral village in Pakistain. Barnes also found that Hayat's defense attorney, Wazhma Mojaddidi, should have put on evidence from an expert on false confessions who could have countered prosecutors' claim that Hayat confessed. Mojaddidi, an immigration and family law attorney who was trying her first criminal case, said she "passionately represented Hamid Hayat as a young attorney and worked with a great team of lawyers and Sherlocks in his defense." She said in a statement that she always has believed he is innocent and is elated by Barnes' recommendation. Prosecutors are reviewing the magistrate's recommendation, US Attorney McGregor Scott said. "It has consistently been our position that Mr Hayat received effective representation at trial and that his conviction by a jury, subsequently affirmed by the Ninth Circuit, is completely valid," he said in a statement. One of the three appellate judges dissented when the court upheld Hayat's conviction in 2013, saying jurors erred in convicting Hayat based on predictions of what he might have done. Hayat's attorneys said Barnes' opinion goes beyond finding that his conviction should be overturned. "The judge found the testimony of the alibi witnesses sufficiently credible to conclude that Hamid would likely not have been convicted if the jury had heard these witnesses," they said in a statement. "That is effectively a finding of actual innocence."

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India-Pakistan

Mastermind of suicide bombers held

2015-09-19

[DAWN] KARACHI: Police on Thursday claimed to have tossed in the clink Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! an Afghanistan-trained hard boy, said to be an expert in preparing jacket wallahs, who was planning to carry out an act of terrorism on the Kamra airbase in Punjab. Counter-Terrorism Department SSP Junaid Ahmed Sheikh said the police acting on a tip-off arrested Umer Hayat, alias Darvesh, in MPR Colony, Orangi. He was the Ameer (head) of the Tehrik Imarat-e-Islamia Afghanistan and the 'criminal mastermind' of terror acts, the officer said. Speaking at a presser at his office, the CTD Operations-II SSP said the held suspect had prepared two alleged suicide bombers identified as Raz Mohammed and Taj Mohammed. These suicide bombers were sent to Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... to carry out a terror attack on the Kamra airbase but they failed due to extensive security arrangements there and returned to Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... . The suspect was also planning to carry out terrorist attacks at Eidgahs in Karachi during Eidul Azha. He was also planning to attack military installations in the metropolis. "He is an expert in preparing suicide jackets and brainwashing suicide bombers," said the CTD officer. He got training from Afghanistan and remained associated with Afghan Taliban. He was allegedly involved in killing of 140 Afghan soldiers, said the SSP. The held suspect was also allegedly involved in deadly attacks on law enforcers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... . He hailed from KP and came to Karachi after the devastating 2005 earthquake, said the CTD officer, adding that he was detained under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. His team had 50 members but he had given names of his seven hardcore aides only, as the law enforcers were trying to arrest them to foil their nefarious plots, said SSP Sheikh.

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India-Pakistan

Plot to attack Kamra airbase foiled

2015-09-18

[DAWN] KARACHI: Police on Thursday claimed to have enjugged You have the right to remain silent... from Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... an Afghanistan-trained myrmidon who was planning to carry out a terror act at the Kamra airbase in Punjab. Counter-Terrorism Department SSP Junaid Ahmed Sheikh said police arrested Umer Hayat alias Darvesh from MPR Colony, Orangi, on a tip off. He said the suspect was associated with Tehrik-e-Imarat Islamia, Afghanistan. Speaking at presser at his office, the SSP said the held suspect is also a jacket wallah who had allegedly trained two suicide bombers identified as Raz Mohammed and Taj Mohammed. "The purported suicide bombers had been sent to Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... to carry out a terror act at the Kamra airbase," said the official. "But they failed due to extensive security arrangements there and returned back to Karachi." The suspect was also planning to carry out terror attacks on Eidgahs in Karachi during Eidul Azha, in addition to planning attacks on military installations in the metropolis. "He is an expert in preparing suicide jackets and brainwashing suicide bombers," said the CTD officer. The held suspect received training from Afghanistan and also fought there, said the officer, adding that he was also allegedly involved in deadly terror acts against law enforcers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... . "He basically hailed from KP and came to Karachi after the devastating earthquake in 2005." The SSP said the suspect's team consisted of 50 members. "He has given names of seven hardcore Lions of Islam and forces are carrying out operations to arrest them to foil their nefarious designs," said the police officer.

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India-Pakistan

JIT reconstituted for fresh probe into lynching of Christian couple, SC told

2015-03-23

[DAWN] Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... police have told the Supreme Court that they have reconstituted a joint investigation team (JIT) to carry out a fresh probe into lynching of a Christian couple by a mob in Kot Radha Kishan on Nov 4 last year. DIG (inspections and vigilance) Akhtar Umer Hayat Lalika now headed the JIT which was earlier led by the SP (investigations) for Kasur, said a report submitted to the court on behalf of Punjab IG Mushtaq Sukhaira. The JIT was reconstituted in view of the observations of the court at the last hearing of the case on March 9, when it expressed shock over the lax attitude of police and indicated that it might order a judicial inquiry to probe into police failure to prevent the couple from being burned to death in a kiln over blasphemy allegations. The court took up the case after taking suo motu ...a legal term, from the Latin. Roughly translated it means I saw what you did, you bastard... notice of the tragic incident. The police report said the new head of the JIT had been asked to ensure good quality investigations into the incident. It said that 25 suspects had been incarcerated Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! in addition to the earlier 76, bringing the total number of those arrested in the case to 101. Key witnesses' statements under Section 164 of CrPC were recorded before Kasur Magistrate Syed Muhammad Ilyas on March 19. The loudspeakers used for inciting the people to attack the couple had been seized and made part of the case record. According to the report, the JIT is minutely examining the role of ASI Abdul Rasheed in the tragedy. A fact-finding committee headed by the AIG of investigation branch has concluded that the ASI knew that a crisis was brewing a day before the ugly incident happened. But he kept quiet and did not bother to inform his seniors -- including the DPO, the SDPO and the SHO concerned -- who could have taken action to prevent the situation from taking an ugly turn. The ASI's silence precluded any preventive and security measures by police, the report said. Similarly, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Ali, who was in charge of the factory area check-post of Kot Radha Kishan cop shoppe, and Constables Mohammad Saleem, Ahmed Din and Hakim Ali have been held responsible for not acting in a manner befitting a police officer. All of them were armed and could have at least had gun sex to ward off the mob. The report said that their inaction was not condonable. As a consequence, ASI Rasheed was suspended and the remaining coppers were sent to the police lines, it added.

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India-Pakistan

Activist of banned outfit arrested

2014-04-08

[DAWN] TAXILA: An activist of a banned outfit, with head money worth Rs0.2 million, was placed in durance vile ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... by Taxila police after 16 years of hectic efforts. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Malik Umer Hayat, while talking to news hounds on Sunday, said Hafiz Naeemur Rehman was an activist of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi ... a 'more violent' offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain. LeJ's purpose in life is to murder anyone who's not of utmost religious purity, starting with Shiites but including Brelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, and just about anyone else you can think of. They are currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of al-Qaeda ... . He had been accused of killing Advocate Ali Shah and his 12 years old daughter in a sectarian murder in Kohsar Colony area on June 6, 1998. After that, he had gone underground. The SDPO said he was declared a proclaimed offender, and his name was added to the red book of the interior ministry. Later on, the court also announced a head money of Rs200,000 for his arrest, either alive or dead. Mr Hayat further said a team led by acting station house officer, Akram Gondal, raided his hideout near Havelian in district Abbottabad ... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden.... , and arrested him.

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India-Pakistan

Karachi Korpse Kount

2012-04-07

KARACHI: Six people, including three PPP and a PSF activist, were killed in the ongoing wave of target and sectarian killings in the city on Friday. Tension engulfed several areas of Orangi Town after four gunmen, riding two motorbikes, opened fire at a shop in Urdu Chowk Orangi Town. Four PPP workers – Farhan alias Guddu, Nafees Siddiqui alias Munno Bihari, Umer Hayat and Rana Faraz – received bullet injuries and were moved to hospital. Farhan, Nafees and Hayat succumbed to the injuries later. DSP Tariq Malik said the four shooting victims used to meet at the targeted shops, and added that the shooting took place after Friday prayers. He said a heavy contingent of police reached the site of killing to maintain order in the area. The killings triggered violence in Orangi Town’s sectors 10, 14 and 15, Bismillah Colony, Faqeer Colony, Urdu Chowk and its surrounding areas. Some armed men also resorted to aerial firing, forcing markets to shut down. Carrying the body of Farhan, scores of PPP workers marched on Shaheen Complex and tried to reach the Chief Minister’s House in the ‘red zone’. Police moved in a container to block the way of protesters and also baton charged them, injuring six party activists. But the angry mob walked into the Fawara Chowk area where Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah showed up and assured the protesters that the government would arrest the killers. The assurance helped pacify the protesters who then dispersed and moved Farhan’s body to his home. No case had been registered until the filing of this report. A seminary teacher was also shot dead in Surjani Town in an act of “sectarian” violence. The incident took place in Sector L-1 near the Maymarabad Mosque where Naeem Sheikh, 55, was driving his car when gunmen, riding two motorcycles, opened fired on him. Sheikh received five bullets and died instantly. Police said Sheikh was the resident of New Karachi and that he was also a teacher at Jalilia Madrassa. They said Sheikh was an active member of the Tableeghi Jamaat and that he could be a target of sectarian killing. A People’s Students Federation (PSF) worker was also shot dead outside his house in the Mobina Town police area. Saeed Hussain Khan, 29, was the resident of Scout Colony and came under fire from unidentified gunmen. An injured Khan was moved to hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. Soon after Khan’s murder, scores of PSF workers reached the hospital. PSF Karachi President Faisal Sheikh said the victim was an active member of the federation in the Karachi University. Condemning the killing, the PSF Karachi chief said Khan was not involved in any criminal activity. An activist of the banned outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), was also shot dead in Godhra Society. Abdullah Bhumka, 55, was on his way home after offering Isha prayers when armed men shot him in sector 11-G, New Karachi.

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India-Pakistan

MI denies custody of Hizbut Tahrir activists

2011-08-12

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday was informed that the Military Intelligence (MI) had categorically denied abduction or custody of four missing activists of banned Hizbut Tahrir. ...an al-Qaeda recruiting organization banned in most countries. It calls for the reestablishment of the Caliphate... Appearing before the single bench of IHC Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman in four identical petitions filed by the relatives of missing HuT's deputy front man Imran Yousufzai, Hayyan Dawar Khan, Osama Hanif and Dr Abdul Qayyum; Deputy Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri said the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) had requested for more time to submit their reply as they needed to gather data from all over the country. He said the petitioners' counsel had alleged that the missing persons had been jugged in General Headquarters. "If the allegation is true, even then the GHQ is beyond the jurisdiction of this court and only Lahore High Court can take up the matter," he contended. According to him, cop shoppes of Shalimar, Koral, Margalla and Rahim Yar Khan had started investigations after registration of FIRs of the abduction of the missing persons; therefore, the petitions may be disposed of. He expressed the possibility that the missing persons would have gone to North Wazoo on their own, as there had been such instances in the past. Umer Hayat Sindhu, counsel for the petitioners, said earlier MI and ISI in similar situations had denied the abduction of two persons -- Siddiqul Farooq and Ghulam Rasool -- but later produced them when the Supreme Court issued it a 24-hour ultimatum. He informed the court that the fifth missing HuT activist, Abdul Wajid, who was allegedly kidnapped on July 30, had returned home late on August 9. Upon his return, his brother-in-law Sanawar Shah, the petitioner, requested the court for withdrawal of the petition. Mr Sindhu said Wajid was jugged by MI at Qazi's guesthouse an undisclosed location. The court reserved judgment on the petitions and will announce it on Friday.

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India-Pakistan

Slow progress in Hizb activists case irks IHC judge

2011-07-22

[Dawn] The judge of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday expressed his displeasure over slow progress in the case regarding missing activists of the banned Hizbut Tahrir. ...an al-Qaeda recruiting organization banned in most countries. It calls for the reestablishment of the Caliphate... Single bench of IHC comprising Justice Mohammad Anwer Khan Kasi resumed hearing of two identical petitions filed by the close relatives of Hizb activists Imran Yousafzai and Hayyan Dawar Khan. Standing counsel for federation, Shabbir Abbasi, informed the court about the progress on police investigation in the case. The cases of missing activists have been registered with the Margalla and Koral cop shoppes under section 365 of PPC. He said officials of secret agencies could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. He, however, said that officials of Judicial Commission on Missing Person had been contacted and the matter of Imran Yousazai and Hayyan disappearance was formally brought to their notice. Justice Mohammad Anwer Khan Kasi while passing his remarks said that such sort of abductions were taking the society back to the `stone age`. He said citizen must not be picked like sheep and goats by any of the law enforcement agencies. Umer Hayat Sindhu, counsel for the petitioners, said the agencies had kidnapped both the individuals last week. Koral police sub-inspector Abdul Sattar produced FIR regarding abduction of Hayyan Khan. The FIR, lodged by Hayyan father Ihsan Dawar Khan on July 19, alleged that on July 13 about eight to nine individual came in plain clothes and picked up Hayyan from his car near PWD Housing Society at about 8:15am. The SI Sattar said the preliminary investigations had been conducted into the case and any progress into the case would be communicated to the court. Justice Kasi directed adjourned the hearing till July 25.

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India-Pakistan

Police claim netting five TTP men

2010-12-04

[Dawn] The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) claimed on Friday to have jugged five suspected forces of Evil involved in the suicide kaboom on Rescue 15 police and ISI buildings in 2009. The attack had claimed lives of 29 people, 19 police officials and a senior officer of an intelligence agency among them, besides injuring 416 others. Several public and private buildings and vehicles were damaged in the attack that followed massive firing on May 27, 2009. The alleged forces of Evil were identified as Sarfraz Ahmad of Chak 116, Faisalabad, Shabbir Ahmad (Chak 29, Thikriwala), Umer Hayat (Chak 423, Tandlianwala), Hafiz Mahmood (Chak 100, Karri-wala Dak Khana Khas, Faisalabad) and Abid Akram (a resident of 33/A Qazi Park, Shahdara Town, Lahore). CCPO Aslam Tareen told the media at the Qila Gujjar Singh Police Lines that the jugged men were activists of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistain's group -- Al-Toheed Al-Jihad led by Dr Umer Kundi (who belonged to Lodhran's Kehror Pucca tehsil). Dr Kundi was the criminal mastermind of the attack on police 15 building and was also assigned the task of generating funds through kidnap for ransom and robberies for the TTP to run its affairs. He said Sarfraz and Shabbir had opened heavy fire on the coppers deputed at barriers/check post in front of the police 15 building seconds before the explosive-laden vehicle attack in May 2009. All of them had kidnapped and killed people in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot, he said. The CIA police, he said, had jugged the suspects in Ravi Park, Shahdara, where they were planning more attacks in the scenic provincial capital. A huge cache of weapons and four suicide jackets had been recovered, he said. "Their next target were the offices of the Lahore police, the army and other law-enforcement agencies," said Mr Tareen who added that they had finalised plots and were awaiting suicide kaboomers. The police also recovered hand-grenade pins, mortar shells and sophisticated weapons. The CCPO said the suspects got training from North Wazoo's Dittakhel tehsil and were assigned re-organisation of the group in Punjab after the death of Dr Kundi. Abid Akram replaced Kundi for next 'assignments' in Punjab. He said the vehicle used in the police 15 building attack was snatched from Hangu district at gunpoint and a case was registered in the Hangu cop shoppe on Feb 2, 2009, against unidentified people. The CCPO said the cut-throats had been using Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, for secret meetings. He said Abid Akram, Dr Babar Cheema, Babar Bajwa, Dr Sarfraz and Asif Chattha kidnapped 14-year-old Arsalan from Samundari Road, Faisalabad, and killed him after four months on not getting the ransom. They threw the boy's body in canal. In April 2008, Abid Akram, Afzal Butt and Nadeem Butt kidnapped textile mill owner Muneer Ahmad from Khurrianwala (Faisalabad) and released him after getting a Rs100 million ransom. Abid, Ajmal, Shoaib Ishaq, Qaisar Cheema and Asad rubbed out Mian Laeeque, a cloth trader of Faisalabad's Montgomery Road in May 2009. They had a plan to kidnap him for ransom. The CCPO said Abid, Ajmal, Shoaib, Qamar Shah and Asad kidnapped UK-returned Mian Bashir from China Chowk, Sialkot, in August 2009. They later released him after getting Rs2.5 million ransom. The kidnappers also sold his car at a throwaway price of Rs60,000 in Mirpur, Azad Kashmire.

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India-Pakistan

Terrorists strike Peshawar twice

2009-11-20

[Dawn] Peshawar went through yet another day of bloodbath on Thursday when two strikes, within a space of 14 hours, left 22 people dead. The first target was the city's judicial complex, where a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a court building early in the morning, and the other came late in the night when a roadside bomb destroyed a police van. The first attack claimed the better part of the casualties -- 20 dead and 50 injured. Three policemen were among the dead. The hit on the police van killed two security personnel. Blood, flesh and shattered window glass littered the ground outside the court building, whose main gate was uprooted by the force of the blast. It was the sixth attack on the city in 11 days and came just three days after a suicide bomber blew up a car packed with explosives, killing four people in a suburb. The attack devastated a mosque, damaged a college and a police station. 'The bomber was on foot and tried to get into the judicial complex through its main entry gate. He blew himself up when stopped by police guards at the main gate of the complex,' police officials said. Dr Sahib Gul, head of the trauma centre of the Lady Reading Hospital, told Dawn that 16 victims were brought dead to the hospital, four died in the hospital and condition of two of the injured was critical. The three dead policemen were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Khaista Gul, Constables Fazal Rahim and Irfanullah. The injured policemen were Umer Hayat, Tariq Khan, Samiullah, Arshad and Samiullah Khan. A lawyer, Qazi Samiullah, from Dir district, and a court official, Ayub Khan, were also killed. An office assistant of the Peshawar District Bar Association, Sarwar Khan, who was deputed at the entrance and was very popular among the lawyers, also died in the bombing. Eight to 10 kilograms of explosives laced with ball bearings were used in the blast, an official of the bomb disposal unit said. Superintendent of Police Nisar Khan Marwat told Dawn that the bomber's target was the main building, but the policemen stopped him at the main gate. 'Had the bomber succeeded in reaching the main building, casualties would have been far higher,' the SP said. Cars and rickshaws parked outside the building on the main Khyber Road were badly damaged. 'I was coming down the stairs in the court when shrapnel from the blast just flew past my head. I was shaken,' a court employee said. Policeman Shakeel Ahmed, who escaped unhurt but left traumatized, told Dawn that he was going to his office on Khyber Road when his car was hit by shrapnel, human flesh and blood. The court building comprises district civil and criminal courts and government departments. The judicial complex has been under heightened security since early last month. The four-storey complex is located just across the sprawling residence of the Corps Commander of Peshawar and the Pearl Continental Hotel. The hotel had been hit by a suicide bombing in June, killing 11 people and injuring 50. The Supreme Court Bar Association's President, Qazi Muhammad Anwer, called upon lawyers to observe a countrywide strike on Friday to condemn the attack. Attack on police The bomb attack on the police van ripped through the vehicle, killing two policemen on the spot and wounding five civilians on the outskirts of Peshawar, adds AFP. 'It was a remote-controlled bomb packed with steel pellets, which was planted on the roadside,' senior police official Mohammad Karim Khan said. The left side of the patrol vehicle, which can seat around six policemen in the back of the cabin, was badly damaged in the attack.

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Home Front: Culture Wars

Sacramento FBI chief rebuilds trust with Muslim leaders

2008-12-01

For months, Sacramento's top FBI agent kept a Muslim prayer rug in his office. It was for Imam Mohamed Abdul Azeez, religious leader of the SALAM Islamic Center in Sacramento, who attended a citizens' academy with Drew Parenti at the FBI office. Parenti hasn't converted to Islam. He's been trying to convert Muslim leaders who might be suspicious of his agency after 9/11 and the Lodi terrorism case. And, after years of distrust, Azeez and other local Muslims believe they have found a friend in Parenti. The local FBI chief has visited several of the area's 14 mosques, ready to answer tough questions. He also has recruited an Egyptian Muslim agent who is known to the community and worships regularly at SALAM (Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims) and other local mosques. Local FBI agents and Muslim American leaders now come together "through friendship and partnership, not eavesdropping," Azeez said. "It's not us against them, and by working together, it's having a profound effect on preventing another 9/11. Prevention's not about phone- tapping and visiting people at 3 a.m., it's about being friends with the community. "He's the guy with the gun," Azeez said. "If he puts a smile on his face and approaches you humbly, you're going to open up right away." Now, the imam and the FBI agent plan to travel around California and the nation, to show other communities how to build similar partnerships. Azeez believes the Lodi investigation – which ended in 2006 with the conviction of one man of supporting terrorism – would play out much differently today. The new partnership between the FBI and area Muslims could prevent attempts to radicalize Muslim youths, Azeez said. "Someone familiar with law enforcement told me if we'd had an Arab or Muslim agent on the force, this whole Lodi thing would not have happened," Azeez said. Farouk Fakira, a leader at south Sacramento's Masjid Annur – which invited Parenti to the mosque's open house Nov. 22 – agrees. Parenti "is very approachable, very decent," Fakira said. "If Drew was around, the Lodi thing wouldn't have happened because Drew would have known better." Parenti, who inherited the Lodi case, "makes no apologies whatsoever for the case in terms of the way it was conducted or prosecuted." But he did say relationships now in place might prevent the "petri dish" of radical Islam from spawning hatred. Parenti, 48, became Sacramento Special Agent In Charge on June 19, 2005 – 11 days after two Pakistani American Muslims from Lodi, Umer Hayat and his son Hamid, were arrested on suspicion of terrorism. In 2006, Hamid Hayat was convicted of providing material support to terrorists by undergoing firearms training in Pakistan and returning to America prepared for jihad. Hayat, a 25-year-old cherry picker with a seventh-grade education, was convicted based on confessions he made during a 10-hour FBI interrogation without a lawyer present. Hayat had been befriended by Naseem Khan, a Pakistani American Muslim from Oregon working undercover for the FBI. In phone conversations disclosed during trial, Khan goaded Hayat into attending a terrorist training camp and encouraged his interest in violent Islamic fundamentalism. Hayat – sentenced to 24 years – admitted relishing the murder of Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl. No evidence placed Hayat at a terrorist camp other than his conflicting statements to the FBI. Parenti, a graduate of California State University, San Diego, with a degree in Spanish, is a 24-year FBI veteran. He once supervised the anti-drug trafficking program in Mexico City. Two months after he arrived in Sacramento, Parenti recalled, he was intrigued by a newspaper headline, "New-Wave Imams," featuring Azeez, who had just become imam at SALAM. "I realized I did not know much about Islam," he said. He reached out to Azeez, an Egyptian American Muslim who wrote his University of Chicago master's thesis on the roots of suicide bombers

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India-Pakistan

Islamic University teachers, students to get laptops

2007-09-25

Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) and Smart Solutions (SS) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide laptop computers to faculty members and students of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) on easy installments. MCB Vice President Arshad Iqbal, SS representative Usman Umer Hayat, and IIUI President Anwar Siddiqui signed the MoU. The signing ceremony was held at the IIUI auditorium and attended by faculty members of the university. On the occasion Siddiqui said laptop computers would encourage an atmosphere of learning, as the students and faculty members would be able to work elsewhere. Which brings up the question: Once you've got a copy of a Koran on a hard drive, what's the punishment for deleting it? Stoning? Beheading? Windows 95? Does moving your Koran copy to the recycle bin count as a desecration if you don't actually empty the bin? If a hard drive crashes with a copy of the Koran on it, is it a desecration when you dispose of it?

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