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<h2><b>A vigilant, determined community moves on</b></h2><font size=2>By
Ashahed M. Muhammad -Assistant Editor- | Last updated: Nov 10, 2009 -
8:48:19 AM</font><font size=3> <br>
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<a href="http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_6565.shtml" eudora="autourl">
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_6565.shtml<br>
<br>
</a></b></font><font size=3>DETROIT, Mich. (FinalCall.com) - Muslims
recently gathered at Masjid Al-Haqq, a non-descript brick duplex in an
economically depressed part of the city for the traditional Islamic
Friday congregational prayer called Jum'ah.<br><br>
Followers of the late Imam Abdullah embraced, talked and relied on each
other for support and strengthall vowing to continue his work.
Rambunctious children ran and played in the back of the mosque, sternly
but lovingly told by the elder men in the mosque to keep their voices
downbut nothing like the abuse claimed in the FBI's affidavit. <br><br>
A strong spirit of brotherhood, camaraderie and unity was present,
nothing like the toxic atmosphere or heated rhetoric of government
overthrow alleged by the FBI. There was no talk of anger, revenge or
retaliation Nov. 6, only spiritual guidance and faith to overcome
challenges.<br><br>
A bearded man with a black turban, Amir Mika'il Stewart Saadiq, who had
been under Imam Abdullah's tutelage for almost a decade, delivered the
khutbah, or sermon. <br><br>
A tolerant and easy-going man, he told those gathered while it would not
be easy, they should not be angry or bitter. Imam Saadiq advised
listeners to direct their energy toward continuing the outreach and
service for which Imam Abdullah was known. He also told congregants grief
counseling would be held later that evening for the children of the
mosque emotionally traumatized by recent events. <br><br>
“Allah is with us,” Mr. Saadiq said. “How are you going to retaliate when
they can do whatever they want to do to you anytime they feel like it?”
he asked. <br><br>
Mr. Saadiq added that the Islamic community, as was Imam Abdullah,
remains unapologetically supportive of freedom for Imam Jamil al-Amin who
is currently serving a life sentence at the Supermax prison located in
Florence, Colo. The onetime Black Panther leader known as H. Rap Brown
was convicted in 2002 of killing a Georgia sheriff, but his followers
still maintain he is innocent. <br><br>
“Sometimes, religious communities can be naïve. We know Muslims do evil
just like Christians do evil, but we believe Imam Jamil al-Amin is
innocent of all charges,” said Imam Saadiq.<br><br>
“Imam Luqman was the heart and soul of the community,” said Akil Fahd,
who had become really close to him over the past five years. Pausing
several times to collect his thoughts, Mr. Fahd was one of the men who
conducted the “ghusl,” the ritual of washing and preparing Imam
Abdullah's body for the Janazah prayer prior to his burial at Knollwood
Cemetery in Canton. He said the late imam's body was “full of holes” and
the religious leader had been shot at least 18 times. Imam Abdullah's
family members corroborated Mr. Fahd's account.<br><br>
Mr. Fahd acknowledged that Imam Abdullah was known to carry a weapon for
protection, especially to prevent being robbed on days when a large
amount of charity was collected.<br><br>
“It was protection for his general person, not to be offensive or to
attack other people,” said Mr. Fahd.<br><br>
Mr. Fahd said members of Masjid Al-Haqq are aware of the so-called
informants listed in the FBI affidavit. But, he said, the Muslims are not
feeding into what they see as a divide and destroy strategy by the
government.<br><br>
“This is part and parcel of the COINTELPRO strategy, to turn brothers
against one another and questioning each other's commitments,” said Mr.
Fahd. “We are just focusing on the legacy of Imam Luqman Abdullah and the
activities that he was a strong advocate of, reaching out to and feeding
the poor, trying to assist brothers who are returning home from
incarceration, instead of focusing on the intrigues of the
government.”<br><br>
In retrospect however, he did offer some advice for other Muslim
organizations to prevent agent infiltration and to identify those who may
be working on behalf of government schemes.<br><br>
“The thing we have to be cognizant ofparticular within poor
communitiesis that they are mainly targeted by individuals who come and
appear to have generous resources,” Mr. Fahd said. “They will kind of try
to get up under leadership, try to gain the trust of leadership, then
(during) the times when the community is in need, they will give the
leadership some sort of financial support. They target more of their
socialization with leadership.”<br><br>
In another part of town that same day, Imam Dawud Walid, Michigan's
director of the Council on American-Islamic Affairs (CAIR) delivered the
Jum'ah sermon at the American Muslim Center in Dearborn, just a few miles
away from the location where Imam Abdullah was killed. <br><br>
His message was drawn from the Islamic book of scripture, Holy Qur'an,
chapter 49 and verse 6. Imam Walid said before jumping to conclusions
based rumors, media broadcasts or the internet, reflect on the words of
Allah: “Oh ye who believe! If a person of questionable character comes to
you with news, thoroughly verify it lest you should unknowingly do harm
to others and then regret what you have done,” the imam said.<br><br>
At the nearby Motown Kabob restaurant on Woodward Ave. and Milwaukee,
those eating lunch spoke highly of Imam Abdullah and his work, describing
how the mosque was open 24-hours a day for anyone to come by and get out
of the cold, or ask questions about Islam. If a husband and wife were
having problems in the home, instead of allowing conflict to escalate,
men would go to the mosque, stay until things cooled off, and then seek
to resolve the problem.<br><br>
Along the route to a nearby coffee shop on Joy Road where Imam Abdullah
would get his coffee, storeowners testified of a “good brother” who was
always willing to help.<br><br>
Masood Qayyum, a young man in his 30s, has known Imam Abdullah for 15
years and looked up to him as a mentor. <br><br>
“It's like, you have to stay strong, and that is the type of energy that
he gavea strong energy to give you the strength that you need as a man
being out here in society and dealing with the things you have to deal
with on a daily basis,” said Mr. Qayyum.<br><br>
Twenty-six-year-old Amirah Jabril knew Imam Abdullah her entire life. He
was a family friend and was like an uncle to her. <br><br>
“He was a wonderful man, he was an influence over so many people. This
man stood up for a cause and was shot down execution style. Where is the
justice in that?” Ms. Jabril asked. “There is no justice in murder. None.
There can never be.”<br><br>
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