Al-Fuqra Exposed

I've not been blogging actively this summer as you can see. However, I've not gone away altogether. This blog took a turn a couple years ago when I began writing here almost exclusively about Al-Fuqra and Muslims of America, thus I decided to create a new site as an archive of information on this group. I don't have a complete archive at the new site yet, but it does contain some additional information - links to additional information sources, photos, video, etc. I hope it will be of use to those who are interested.Click here to visit AlFuqraExposed

Posted on: 20 September 2007 | 9:32 am

Islamberg Gets Top Billing on FoxNews.com

The spotlight continues to shine on Islamberg. FoxNews.com has a feature story on its website right now on the secluded compound.Read it here

Posted on: 12 June 2007 | 11:54 am

More Islamberg on Fox News

Islamberg was again a topic on "the most powerful name in news" today on Your World with Neil Cavuto. The guest was Dr. Paul Williams, who has been to the compound and shot some video while he was there. It's an interesting interview.Watch the video hereI'll try to YouTube it and post it here later.[UPDATE] Here's a screencap from Cavuto's page at FoxNews.com today (Wednesday)

Posted on: 5 June 2007 | 8:57 pm

Islamberg on Fox News

Just heard the intro for John Gibson's show Big Story and he teased a story on Islamberg. Stay tuned...[UPDATE] Gibson ran a segment on the JFK plot and the Fed's hopes to connect Adnan Shukrijumah, a "most wanted" suspect, to it. He then interviewed former CIA operative Mike Baker, a Fox News contributor, and asked him about the "homegrown" issue saying, "What about Islamberg?" Baker then discussed Jamaat ul-Fuqra and the fact that the [front] organization is tax-exempt and claims to be non-violent, but in fact, Gilani has established some dozen compounds (mentioning Colorodo and Holy Islamville in SC) around the U.S. and is indeed connected to a violent history. As an aside, he said that Holy Islamville's name came from an exclaimation from Robin to Adam West on the old Batman TV show..."Holy Islamville, Batman!" Haha. If I can get the video later, I'll put it up.

Posted on: 4 June 2007 | 6:04 pm

New York Post Runs Story on Islamberg

Media attention is indeed increasing on the shadowy network of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and its public front Muslims of the Americas.A couple of reporters from The New York Post have a story out today after they paid a visit to the group's headquarters compound in the Catskills known as Islamberg near Hancock, NY.READ IT HERE[UPDATE] Mark Steyn posted an excerpt and linked the NY Post story at NRO's Corner.

Posted on: 4 June 2007 | 5:22 pm

Muslims of America Story Makes Front Page on FoxNews.com

As I type this, the Muslims of America story from Red House, VA reported by Fox News last Friday is featured on the front page at FoxNews.com about a third of the way down. The spotlight on this group is shining a little brighter at the moment. This is good news!

Posted on: 4 June 2007 | 3:12 am

Fox News Channel Reports on Muslims of America

Here's a link to the video on FoxNews.com

Posted on: 2 June 2007 | 2:53 am

Fox News Visits Red House!

I was just informed by Baron Bodissey at the Gates of Vienna blog that FoxNews is reporting from Red House, Virginia today on the compound that belongs to Muslims of the Americas, the front organization of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a place with which readers of this blog should be familiar. Also, the FNC schedule indicates that this will be a feature story on Special Report with Brit Hume tonight. Tune in to see some big-time light shed on this group. Hopefully, this will just be the beginning.Read Baron's post with a rough draft transcript of the initial report from earlier today.I just read the transcript he has posted and apparently the mayor of the Red House compound says they have no connection to Jamaat ul-Fuqra and they don't even know who that is. THIS IS A COMPLETE LIE! Stay tuned for more to come...

Posted on: 1 June 2007 | 3:09 pm

Registered Sex Offender Living at "Holy Islamville"

Late last week, someone posted a comment on three separate threads here on the site that caught my attention...I AM NEW TO THIS BLOG THING BUT I CANNOT KEEP QUIET ABOUT THIS..I HAVE SOME VERY INTERESTING INFO ABOUT THIS "HOLY ISLAMVILLE" THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED.. THEY CLAIM THAT THEY LIVE "HOLY" LIVES AND DETEST VIOLENCE..DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A REGISTERED 3RD DEGREE CRIMINAL SEX OFFENDER WHO WAS FOUND GUILTY OF 2 COUNTS, LIVING IN THEIR COMPOUND!!!IF YOU LOOK ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WEBSITE AND DO A SEARCH BY YORK CITY OR YOU CAN USE HIS NAME "NATHAN SCOTT KENNEDY"AND CAN GET ALL HIS INFO AND PICTURE..(PRETTY SCARY LOOKING)I SURE HOPE SOMEONE IS KEEPING AN EYE ON THESE PEOPLE.IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT THEY CAN BE ALLOWED TO FUNCTION AS A SOCIETY WITHOUT HEAVY SURVELLIANCE...I followed up on the tip and sure enough, a man named Nathan Scott Kennedy does reside at an address within the Muslim village known as Holy Islamville near York, SC - a compound that is linked to the terrorist group Al Fuqra (aka Jamaat ul-Fuqra) and its front group Muslims of the Americas. From the tone of the comment, I'm not sure if this came from just some individual doing research or what. However, the way it is worded along with the phrase, "I cannot keep quiet about this" indicates to me that it might have come from someone who is close to the group and is unhappy with the environment. This would certainly be a good sign. It's no wonder that someone would become disillusioned in the group - most live in miserable conditions in run-down trailers while the elite of the group live quite well; they are forced to live among criminals and now, apparently, sex offenders who may pose a threat to the women and children on the land. It's good that this sort of thing is made known. Maybe Child Services should pay a little visit. Who knows who else is lurking around there? To whomever left the comment, thank you, and if you are indeed involved with this group, I hope you find peace away from them and that others will follow.That said, here is the link to Nathan Scott Kennedy's profile in the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry. A copy of the record is embedded below. What makes this a little more interesting is that he's white, because there are very few white members among 'the Fuqra'. He was originally convicted in Michigan in 1993 on two counts of criminal sexual conduct-third degree. The female victim was 37, he as about 20. He looks like a real model citizen. ==================================Previous Posts on Holy IslamvilleFuqra Community: York, SCUPDATE: Fuqra Compound: York, SCFox Carolina Visits Holy IslamvilleFuqra FugitivesGilani & Sudan: The Turabi Connection

Posted on: 23 May 2007 | 4:33 am

A Mighty Heart Trailer

This is the trailer for the new movie about Daniel Pearl, based on the book by his wife Mariane. I'll be interested to see it, especially to see if they say much about Sheikh Gilani and Daniel's investigation of him. He's mentioned in the trailer. The movie's initial (limited) release in the US is scheduled for June 22.

Posted on: 17 May 2007 | 1:54 pm

Fuqra & Operational Security

Former head of counterterrorism in India, B. Raman, writes prolifically these days about jihadi organizations, their inner workings, and the threats they pose to civilization. He is particularly well-versed in the organizations that have been bred in Pakistan. Jamaat ul-Fuqra is one of the organizations with which he is quite familiar and has written many times about.In one of his latest pieces, "The Jundullah", he describes the growing trend of freelance jihadis who are operating independently and also discusses the threat many western countries now fear from "homegrown terrorism". He begins his article thus (emphasis mine):This is my second article analysing the British fertiliser bomb case in which the judgement was delivered by a British court on April 30,2007. In my earlier article, I had referred to the extensive roots taken by the Pakistanised version of Al Qaeda in the UK and the danger of this spreading to the US and Canada.From this, one should not jump to the conclusion that the US is not yet facing threats from home-grown jihadis of Pakistani origin in its territory. It has been since the 1980s. The very active US and Canada-based cadres of the Jamaat-ul-Fuqra (JUF), a Pakistani jihadi organisation with headquarters in Lahore, were the first generation of home-grown jihadis in the US and Canada. They used to indulge in fire-bomb attacks on Hindu and Jewish places of worship in different parts of these two countries in the 1980s. They had also alarmingly penetrated the security forces of some States in the Caribbean. At that time, there was no Al Qaeda or the International Islamic Front (IIF) and yet, the intelligence agencies of these two countries were greatly concerned over the threat posed by this organisation to their internal security. The intelligence officers of the US and Canada, with whom I used to interact, used to describe the JUF as the most secretive and security-conscious jihadi organisation of Pakistan. Daniel Pearl, the US journalist, paid with his life in the beginning of 2002 for trying to make enquiries into the suspected links of Richard Reid, the so-called shoe bomber, with this organisation.Troubling stuff, to be sure. The Fuqra cell that was broken up in Colorado some years ago was a prime example of this. They operated in strict secrecy. Access to information was tightly controlled, outside contact was forbidden, even with members of other compounds, and orders were handed down directly from the shaykh in Pakistan. Of course, having studied this group for some time now, I realized the "homegrown" threat that they pose. What struck me was Raman's statement that they had a reputation in the intelligence community as "the most secretive and security-conscious jihadi organization of Pakistan". No doubt, their leaders' ties to the ISI contributed to such trained discipline. This sort of statement reiterates to me that they are an organization to be watched and taken seriously.==================================================PreviousJamaat ul-Fuqra: Homegrown Islamic Radicalism Since 1979

Posted on: 15 May 2007 | 5:19 am

Welcome Readers!

Last Friday, the Canada Free Press published an article by author Dr. Paul Williams entitled "Springtime in Islamberg" about the US headquarters compound of the Islamist terror group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Various front organizations are run out of this compound, but it is a known terrorist training ground operating on U.S. soil.Dr. Williams' article was linked by Instapundit, one of the most widely read sites in the blogosphere, and has also been republished by FrontPageMagazine.com. Dr. Williams was assisted in his research by several individuals including private investigator Douglas Hagmann, director of the Northeast Intelligence Network, with whom I have also worked. Early last year, he and I released a special report exposing this compound which was subsequently highlighted by WorldNetDaily. I was also interviewed about the report on Kevin McCullough's Musclehead Revolution radio show.Anyway, since Friday, this site has seen over 3,000 page loads from readers all over - a level not usually seen here - so I wanted to say welcome to those who have been visiting the site and feel free to look through the archives of extensive research that I have done on Jamaat ul-Fuqra and I will be working to bring more content here and continue the focus on this issue that more Americans should be aware of.

Posted on: 15 May 2007 | 4:50 am

Fuqra/Taliban/Qaeda Associate Khawaja Set for Release, Arrested Again

My last post in early April discussed the case of one Khalid Khawaja, an ex-ISI officer in Pakistan who is now being held in prison for connections to a radical neo-Taliban cabal in Islamabad. He has been held by the government since January and was set for release last week in a concession to the radical parties threatening disruption if he was not let go. And, once again, upon his very release, he was arrested again on different charges. So, we shall see how this plays out. Now, for readers of this blog who may or may not be familiar with Mr. Khawaja, a few highlights from his resume...Former Pakistani Air Force; former ISI; close associate of Osama bin Laden - has described him as "like an angel" - even named his son Osama bin Khawaja; has called George W. Bush a "terrorist"; known trainer of jihadis, poses as humanitarian human rights activist; close associate of Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, head of Al Fuqra, a covert militant group operating in Pakistan and also in the US under the cover of a group called Muslims of the Americas; quoted as saying, if Gilani is pushed to the point, he would declare jihad on America that would "blow like a volcano"; was last contact for Daniel Pearl before he was abducted and murdered; associate of neo-Taliban radicals linked to radical mosque & madrassa in Islamabad. Below are the two latest articles from the Daily Times of Pakistan which further discuss the details of Khawaja's current legal troubles.

Posted on: 1 May 2007 | 12:00 am

Fuqra Associate Linked to Neo-Taliban Cabal

I have written several times about a man named Khalid Khawaja, a former officer in Pakistan’s ISI as well as its air force and rumored to have at one time served as a pilot for Osama bin Laden. Among his various roles, he is also a very close associate, some might say a consigliere or even "blood brother" to Sheikh Syed Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani, founder of the secretive militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Following one of my reports, Mr. Khawaja even commented on this site, defending Gilani’s reputation. Gilani is also the founder of Muslims of the Americas, which serves as a front organization for Jamaat ul-Fuqra and is believed to have a few thousand members spread throughout the United States. In fact, Khawaja was once quoted as saying, "Osama doesn’t have many people in America, but...I am telling you, Osama does not have even one of his followers as committed as Sheik Mubarak Gilani. Osama does not have even one as committed as the least of his people."Khawaja has a long history in the jihadi movement of Pakistan. According to a source of mine who has actually met him, he has a rather genteel disposition, but is quite skilled with weapons and has experience in the jihadi training apparatus of Pakistan. Having served as an officer with the ISI, along with his wife, for years he has received protection from elements of the Pakistani government. However, it seems that tide is changing as competing (and ruling) elements are now responding to a perceived threat from Khawaja and others.Khalid Khawaja Goes MissingOn January 26 of this year, Khawaja was arrested outside of the Lal Masjid in Islamabad and charged with the distribution of hate material. Among materials seized from him was a banned book entitled ‘Fatwa-e-Rasheedia’. He was held first in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. On February 3, his application for bail was denied. After being detained for close to a month, he was due to be freed on February 22nd after finally being granted bail. He then disappeared. The BBC reported that he was believed to have been handed over to intelligence officials and is being held at a military prison known as Attock Fort. Attock Fort, where Khawaja is believed to be heldDespite his known associations with terrorist groups, like Gilani – Mr. Khawaja has attempted to portray himself outwardly as a humanitarian. In fact, ironically, he is head of an NGO called Defence of Human Rights and has advocated against the government regarding the disappearance of hundreds of people believed abducted by security agencies.Emergent Neo-Taliban ThreatB. Raman, a former Indian intelligence official, writing for the South Asia Analysis Group’s International Terrorism Monitor, noted in a paper entitled “Looming Jihadi Anarchy in Pakistan” (released on March 30, 2007):There has been an increasingly disturbing challenge to the authority of Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, from jihadis inspired by the Neo Taliban and Al Qaeda, who are actively supported by a group of retired officers of the Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This group is led by Gen. Mohammad Aziz, a Kashmiri Sudan from the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul, Lt. Gen. Javed Nasir, Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmed, Maj.Gen. Zahir-ul-Islam Abbasi and Sq. Leader Khalid Khawaja.[…]Khawaja was also in the ISI and used to be in touch with the Taliban after it came into being in 1994 and Osma bin Laden after he shifted to Afghanistan in 1996. After leaving the ISI, he joined the Jamaat-ul-[Fuqra] (JUF) of Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Jilani, which has many followers in the Muslim communities of the US and the West Indies. Daniel Pearl had sought his help for arranging a meeting with Jilani. Pearl wanted to enquire about any links between the JUF and Richard Reid, the shoe bomber. It was Khawaja, who had tipped off the kidnappers of Pearl about his Jewish background and created a suspicion in their mind that Pearl had links with the CIA and Mossad. He is now in detention on a charge of instigating the women students of a madrasa of Islamabad (Jamia Hafsa) to start an agitation against the demolition of some mosques in Islamabad. This agitation has been going on for the last two months. In addition to other demands, the agitating women students, who project themselves as future wives and mothers of suicide bombers, are now demanding his release from jail. They have been shouting slogans in praise of bin Laden and Mulla Omar.Source: http://www.saag.org/papers22/paper2189.htmlProminent weblog Little Green Footballs posted this BBC video the other day profiling the radical Jamia Hafsa madrassa in Islamabad to which Khawaja has been linked.HotAir.com then posted a subsequent analysis of this with links to news of additional developments.So, the questions to be asked now are - What is the government of Pakistan going to do with Khawaja? Will they continue to hold him incommunicado, interrogate him for useful intel, and then go after these radical elements? Will they cave to pressure and release him? Will subversive elements in the government intervene on his behalf? Will Sheikh Gilani be further exposed in all this as having played a role? Will US intelligence agencies request and/or receive information gleaned from Khawaja's interrogation regarding Gilani's network and its ties to the Taliban and al-Qaeda?Well, for now, it seems the government has caved. They have agreed to release him within days. ==============Previous Posts1) The commitment of Sheikh Gilani's followers2) Khalid Khawaja3) The Journalist & The Jihadi

Posted on: 5 April 2007 | 6:04 pm

A blogger went down to Georgia

Update on Aliville, a very rural Muslim village in southeast Georgia linked to followers of Sheikh Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, a militant jihadist from Pakistan.Throughout my work here at this site exposing the Islamist network of Jamaat ul-Fuqra that operates in the U.S. under the name Muslims of the Americas (MOA), I have received many interesting emails from readers with tips, suggestions, and useful information. I am often impressed by not only the quality of their information, but also the spirit of patriotic comradery in which they offer it. A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by another such American.An intrepid reader going by the pseudonym Counter-Jihadist at the Constantinople Again Blog was on the road the other day and decided to swing past one of the MOA villages in southern Georgia and snap some pictures.Read the description of his visit to Aliville here.View/download the pics in the document below ========================Previous PostsAliville, Part 1Aliville, Part 2

Posted on: 5 April 2007 | 4:45 pm

Note to readers

To those who have continued to check in, I know I haven't had anything new up lately and I'm sorry about that, but we all know how life intervenes with schedules and so forth. Blogging is something I do here as I have time and I just haven't had time the past few weeks. The next couple will probably be hectic too. Though, I am still working on various threads related to my most blogged about topic, my investigation of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and Muslims of the Americas and I hope to bring you some very interesting posts in the near future. Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who continue to find my work interesting and for those who also send along emails, tips, well-wishes, etc.

Posted on: 5 April 2007 | 2:19 pm

Counterfeit Ring Broken Up

***Exclusive Report***Criminal Enterprise Has Ties to Muslims of the AmericasLast Wednesday, the FBI arrested eight individuals and raided businesses as part of an investigation into a counterfeiting ring that was involved in the sale of falsely-branded clothing, pirated DVDs and other merchandise. Individuals from Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York were apprehended and businesses in Lynchburg, Richmond, and New York City were searched. Proceeds from the ring originating with a wholesaler in NYC had yielded at least $19 million over the course of the last two years.According to my sources, at least some of the individuals who were arrested are believed to be members of the Muslims of the Americas, an Islamist organization operating throughout the US and founded by a Pakistani named Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani. The organization is made up of mostly religious followers, but serves as a front organization for the activities of a covert militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. The organization is partly funded via tribute from MOA members. Most members are generally required to send a percentage of their income, which may be gained through legal or, in a number of cases illegal means, to the sheikh in Pakistan. Research indicates the suspected MOA members in this ring may include: > Ronald Roundtree of Lynchburg who, according to a source, is aka Muhammad Talib and has a history of drug abuse. News reports say he operated a booth outside the Z Market in Lynchburg selling some of the bootlegged items. Authorities searched not only the Z Market, but also Roundtree's home at 11th and Polk Streets in Lynchburg, although research indicates he has been a previous resident at the MOA compound in Red House, VA. An additional address history search links him to several other Virginia locales as well as Williamsport, PA and California, both areas where MOA has previously operated.> Eric Harmon, owner of the Big EZ store in Richmond who according to a source is possibly aka Abdus-Sabur. His business was also involved in the sale of counterfeit goods and I have been told he may have been involved in illegal drug activity as well.> Ismail Haqq, of Meherrin, VA. Little additional information was available, but a reverse address search of the location in Meherrin where MOA operates another residential settlement turned up a similar name - Isiah Haqq, which could possibly be a relative or an alias. [UPDATE: An additional search via whitepages.com, thanks to a contact of mine, did match Ismail Haqq to the MOA location in Meherrin. In fact, the address and phone number for Ismail Haqq is the same as Isiah Haqq. The relation is unconfirmed - it could be a relative, though MOA members are often known to use aliases].> Ishoc Uthman Ibn-Abdus Salaam, of Pamplin, VA. I am told he is the son of an elder MOA member.> Cherubin Pierre of Richmond, VA. I am unsure of any familial relationship at this point, but it is possible he is a relative of an MOA member of the same last name - Vincent Rafael Pierre. Vincent Pierre was part of a Fuqra cell in Colorado during the '90s and was involved in various white collar criminal schemes. He later joined the MOA community at Red House, VA. He and his wife were arrested for illegally purchasing guns in 2001.Any further connections or possible associations of the others who were arrested are unclear at this time. Whatever the case, kudos to law enforcement for rounding up these guys. They have obviously put alot of work into this investigation.I have posted a couple of videos here of the local television coverage surrounding the arrests.I have also put together a document containing the government's press release, a collection of news coverage, and corporation records for two of the companies involved including pictures of the one in Richmond. Interestingly, in addition, I discovered a record of substantial political contributions made by the suspect that was arrested in NYC, all to the Republican Party, which is also in the document. Lastly, I have included the court schedule for the upcoming week for the US District Court - Eastern District of Virginia during which several of those arrested will be arrained. It will be interesting to see how this case moves forward.

Posted on: 12 March 2007 | 4:39 am

An American Islamic Mafia?

Al-Fuqra: Organized crime. Jihadi style.Watch this(Intrepid Truth Media presents...)A closer look at this secretive militant group reveals an organization that operates less like an insurgent group and more like La Cosa Nostra.Meet the Godfather"You have here a man whom many follow, many fear and many refuse to cross no matter what. He has body guards , many different homes and collects money from many people. Always thinking someone is watching him , always thinking that federal agents are going to bring down his empire , and in great fear of being attacked or someone crossing him. No it is not John Gotti, it is Mubarak Ali shah Gilani."Gilani, a Pakistani with ties to the ISI and a number of jihadi groups including al-Qaeda, is believed to have several thousand followers in the United States. He is their godfather.Khalid Khawaja, a former ISI official himself and friend of Osama bin Laden, is Gilani's spokesman, adviser, go-between, and for all practical purposes his "blood brother". He could be considered Gilani's consigliere.Rank has its privelegesJust as the Italian mafia has its pecking order - boss, underboss, capo, soldier, etc. - according to a former Fuqra member, members of the jamaat are similarly divided. Here are the titles according to rank:SheikhKhalifa (reps or successors to the Sheikh)Allamah (one whom is well taught in islam)Maulana(religious teacher)Ni'eeb (one who is the khalifa's right hand man)Ameer (literally a mayor)nazim (a novice, a trainee one who is on his way up the ranks)Soldiers of AllahAs you may know, American mafia organizations refer to their enforcers as "soldiers". Note this excerpt of Sheikh Gilani speaking on a recruitment video (featured on NOW with Bill Moyers, "Gun Land", 11/15/02):"We have already established under the auspices of Muslims of America, Incorporated … the organization is called Soldiers of Allah....You are most welcome to join one of our, you know, advanced training courses in Islamic Military Warfare. For which, you can get in touch with anybody in the Muslims of America in the United States, Canada, or anywhere, or in Pakistan."Hit MenCell members are responsible for over 17 firebombings and more than 13 murders on U.S. soil.Criminals on the HustleFront companies. Fake charities. White collar schemes. Welfare fraud. Identity crime. Robberies. Drug and weapons trafficking. Bootlegging. They've done it all.[Hat tip to Pajamas Media for the link!]

Posted on: 1 March 2007 | 5:18 am

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Run for Senate

Al Franken wants to go to Washington...because his background is poor enough, he's smart enough, and doggonit, he hates conservatives.

Posted on: 14 February 2007 | 3:11 pm

The Journalist & The Jihadi

Last fall, HBO produced a documentary called The Journalist & The Jihadi - The Murder of Daniel Pearl. It profiles WSJ journalist Daniel Pearl and the jihadi who ensnared him before his untimely execution, Omar Sheikh. This weekend, CNN aired the documentary on its new show Special Investigations Unit, hosted by Christiane Amanpour, who also narrated the HBO special.As the documentary notes, before Daniel Pearl was abducted, he was attempting to meet with a shadowy cleric known as Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani. There had been some suspicion that perhaps the shoebomber Richard Reid had been a follower of his. The film also mentions that Gilani was suspected of running the hawala network that al-Qaeda used to move money around. Gilani has been reported to have ties with several known al-Qaeda members. A close associate and sometime spokesman of Gilani's named Khalid Khawaja appears in the film. He is pictured in the thumbnails for Parts 4 & 5 of the video below.In the documentary, Khawaja appears a thin, almost gaunt, soft-spoken man. He says Pearl asked him several times to set up a meeting with Gilani and that he told Pearl the shiekh would not grant an interview. After that, he doesn't know what happened. A contact of mine has met Khawaja personally and says that yes - he is a soft-spoken man, but, don't let him fool you. He is very close to Gilani and supposedly even lives with him. My contact says the two are practically "blood-brothers". Khwaja is an extremist and is very connected (both in Pakistan and Afghanistan) and has given weapons training to many jihadis. He is reportedly very good.To provide some additional background - visitors familiar with this blog know that I have been investigating Gilani and his connections for close to a year and a half now and have also written about his friend Khawaja. Why have I been doing this? Because, likely unknown to most Americans, Gilani has maintained an active network of followers and operatives inside the United States for the last 25 years and to this day continues to do so. This network, called Al-Fuqra, which has operated sleeper cells on US soil and has connections to other terrorist groups, has been responsible for numerous firebombings and assasinations, drug and weapons trafficking, lucrative white collar schemes, and identification fraud. They have even operated terrorist training camps and conducted targeted surveillance of key infrastructure and military installations. They use various front organizations as cover for their activities - most significant among them is one called Muslims of the Americas.Both Gilani and Khawaja have personally responded to my writing. Gilani issued a 14-page diatribe on his organization's website (http://www.iqou-moa.org/editorial/terror_roots.htm) denouncing me and The Northeast Intelligence Network for a report that we issued early last year. He said that we were "the actual perpetrators of international terrorism" because of our "racial and religious bigotry". Khawaja went so far as to leave a comment on this very blog, leaving his personal phone number and email address, saying he would clarify any confusion I might have about the Sheikh. I did not respond, nor would I recommend anyone else doing so. Khawaja is a former ISI agent and also a personal friend of Osama bin Laden.Pearl was playing a dangerous game, but it seems the gap between Gilani's associates and the AQ cell that executed Pearl was not that wide.That said, you should watch the film. Naturally, someone has already uploaded the film to YouTube. It's in eight parts. [UPDATE: The videos have been taken down]=====================Buy the DVD=====================PreviousKhalid KhawajaThe commitment of Sheikh Gilani's followers

Posted on: 12 February 2007 | 2:58 pm

Caption Contest

Here's Ahmadinejad looking like a homeless guy. I knew the Iranian economy was in the tank, but...wow. So, with this I ask, what say his dreams? Have some fun with it in the comments.

Posted on: 25 January 2007 | 8:37 pm

Hezbollah Flamers

Hezbollah goons have set out again to disrupt Beirut. This picture reminds me of a bad kung-fu movie...and this song...

Posted on: 23 January 2007 | 3:02 pm

Muslims of the Americas tied to Muslim Brotherhood?

A while back, some sleuthy readers sent me information about this and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. I’ve looked into it again and am still not sure what is there exactly, if anything, but perhaps someone else might have some additional insight.The readers sent me links to several listings for a non-profit in Hancock, NY called Ikhwanul Muslimun Inc. [Being interpreted, “Ikhwanul Muslimun” = “Muslim Brotherhood”]Ikhwanul Muslimun is, in fact, listed in the IRS online database of “Charities & Non-Profits”. The organization is also listed on two websites listing presumably charitable organizations accepting car donations [here and here]. Interestingly, the address for Ikhwanul Muslimun corresponds to that of the Muslim Parochial School near Hancock [here and here].Records listing contact names for both Ikhwanul Muslimun and the Muslim Parochial School were then matched to the address of Islamberg, the headquarters compound of Muslims of the Americas (MOA). Incidently, another "charity", which isn't listed with the IRS, called Hand-to-Hands Inc. is also based at Islamberg. It purports to be the "humanitarian and social welfare arm" of the MOA. International Quranic Open University is yet another arm of the group based in Hancock. MOA, which owns possibly two-dozen settlements like the one in NY throughout the US and claims several thousand members, is the primary front organization for a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra.MOA has a long history in Brooklyn. An address history search for the individual connected with Ikhwanul Muslimun showed links to addresses in Hancock, Deposit, and Brooklyn, NY among other locales. Another search linked the principal of the Muslim Parochial School to both Brooklyn, NY and Williamsport, PA where an MOA group used to operate.So, dots have been connected. But, what else do we know? Still not sure. Is this a branch of THE Muslim Brotherhood? Is it a funding arm for a Kashmiri militant group? Whatever the case, it appears to represent yet another MOA front organization.==========================================PreviousFuqra Headquarters: Hancock, NY==========================================(Hat tip to Agent99Mom)

Posted on: 23 January 2007 | 4:34 am

Sheikh Gilani: Metaphysical Guru or Islamic Envoy to Aliens?

His Strange Beliefs in the World of JinnI ran a search the other day to see if any recent news stories had cropped up mentioning Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani. Those familiar with this blog know him as the founder of the militant group Jamaat ul-Fuqra and its front organization Muslims of the Americas, among others. A mysterious figure, he is the man Daniel Pearl was investigating when he was kidnapped and subsequently beheaded in Pakistan. Connected to Pakistani intelligence, Gilani maintains a significant network inside the US. In my recent news search, I discovered a story from the Economist (December 23,2006 issue) that was just really, really strange. Aside from its peculiarity, it also goes a good ways toward explaining the off-beat beliefs of this secretive and mystical Sufi "cleric".The special report, entitled "Jinn: Born of Fire", is an account by a correspondent who traveled to Somalia and Afghanistan to explore the depth of a peculiar set of beliefs held in some circles of Islam in metaphysical beings called "jinn". According to the Koran, jinn are parallel beings, created by Allah from smokeless fire. The descriptions of jinn in the article seem to be comparable to how some demonic activity might be described in Christendom, but it also seems to go way beyond that. Gilani only gets a brief mention:Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, a Pakistani cleric connected with a jihadist group, Jamaat al-Fuqra, has given warning to America that its missiles will be misdirected by jinn.And, that's just one theory. The article discusses a number of different views regarding jinn. It really is one of the strangest things I've ever read. You'll have to read the whole thing to really see what I'm talking about.But, keeping with Gilani's thoughts on the matter, he has talked about jinn before. Actually, here is where the Economist mention came from - an excerpt from his interview with CBS featured on 60 Minutes II in 2002:Gilani says that he is used to being a suspect whenever there is a terrorist act against the U.S. He wanted to talk about what he sees as the most serious threat to the world, why bad things happen in America, including acts of terrorism. These bad things, he says, are caused by invisible forces.“There are beings who are not visible to you,” he says. “But they inhabit this earth. And they are damaging, causing psychotic diseases, fits, epilepsies. And controlling the agents, controlling the human beings.”Gilani says he can control those evil forces. He says that he is not a threat to the U.S., but could be its salvation. To understand why, he points to an American television show “The X-Files.” He says the mind control and evil influence that aliens wield over human beings in the program is much like the power of the invisible forces he believes in.“What is an X-file? Most of things - could have happened or will happen,” Gilani said. “Human beings can be made to do things against their will. They can be made to commit crimes. They can made to go and kill people. You know? And all your missiles, all your rockets, space ships go up. And electronics, they can bedamaged, influenced, and misdirected through the agencies of gin [or jinn] beings.”Muslims all over the world also believe in these invisible evil forces that are described in the Koran. The sheik feels that these forces are a much bigger threat to the U.S. than terrorism. He says the United States should thank him for passing on his message about the invisible world instead of accusing him of terrorism.Riiiiiiiight. Sounds like Gilani's been hitting the hookah a little too hard. Gilani's particular brand of Islam is regarded as more of a fringe cult by most mainline Muslims. His claims of metaphysical powers give his Sufism a rather New Age flair. It can be quite entertaining to read his writings. What is dangerous about him is that he actually has quite a few followers, and devoted ones at that, and his friends are what we would call...well, terrorists.As for believing in "jinn" and their dark influence - his followers aren't the only ones. Follow the link below to read the full story on "jinn" and discover a whole 'nother subculture of Islam you probably never knew existed.=======================================================LINK Economist - Jinn: Born of FireThe Economist article was also reprinted online by a Somali news outlet called GaroweOnline.com.========================================================Additional references:CBS - 60 Minutes II - Sheik GilaniDr. Sanity - Quranic Psychiatry[Hat tip to Pajamas Media for the link!]

Posted on: 9 January 2007 | 2:01 am

Notorious Fuqra Cell Member Denied Parole

***EXCLUSIVE***The Incarceration of Edward Flinton, Part IIBack in April of 2006, I wrote a post about Edward Flinton, one of the most notorious members of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, who is now incarcerated in Colorado. Flinton is in prison for conspiracy to murder Phoenix imam Dr. Rashad Khalifa. Flinton had been a member of a terrorist cell called "the Muhammad Commandos of Sector 5" and was based at Fuqra's Trout Creek Pass compound near Buena Vista, CO. The cell had been involved in multiple bombing plots, some of which were actually carried out, along with surveillance of infrastructure and military targets, white collar criminal activities, and terrorist training. The investigation of this cell involved over 50 investigative and law enforcement entities. The discovery of their storage locker, which included plans, bombmaking materials, weapons and other related items broke the case wide open.Flinton and others went on the lam for several years, hiding out at Fuqra safehouses in other states. He fled to VA and SC, where he was eventually arrested. Fuqra leaders had hoped to smuggle him to Pakistan, but alas, they were unsuccessful.As I noted in my previous post, Flinton became eligible for parole just last month, December 18th, actually. Through a search on the CO Department of Corrections website, I found that the Parole Board was scheduled for a visit to Flinton's facility, the Delta Correctional Center, on Thursday, the 21st. I contacted the prison and was informed that Flinton indeed met with the parole board and was denied. He will meet with them again in December 2007, but it is unlikely he will be granted parole then either.The facility in which Flinton is serving is a Level 1, or minimum security, facility. The atmosphere is not unlike a college campus and his accomodations similar to a dorm room. There is a mixture of inmates from various religions, including Islam, at the facility and they are free to practice their faith. However, there is no Muslim chaplain or imam located at the facility. An inmate is usually designated by the state's corrections imam to lead activities there.Flinton, now 61, had previously been in a more secure prison, but through "good behavior" earned his way into this one. Flinton does have a job that he reports to, but it is onsite at the facility. Inmates can earn 10 days per month off their sentence on "good behavior", but are required to serve at least 75% of their sentence. As it currently stands, his current estimated release date is June 2015.========================================Related Links: Colorado DOC - Inmate No. 94445The Incarceration of Edward FlintonFuqra Compound: Colorado

Posted on: 4 January 2007 | 2:06 am