Basit confided in an undercover FBI informant whom he befriended on Facebook that he had traveled to Turkey in October 2012 “to help his Syrian brother’s suffering.” He said he had met with members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), but they “were only interested in money.” Basit said “he would return to Syria if he knew the brothers were true because he didn’t know who to trust right now and every group had its own agenda.”
How does this make Abdul Basit a 'terrorist'? What crime can he be charged with other than wanting to help his Syrian brothers and sisters??
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Hypocrisy of the U.S.
A North Carolina father said Tuesday that federal prosecutors have falsely accused his son of planning to join an al-Qaida-linked militant group that was trying to topple Syria's Bashar Assad in that country's civil war.
Javed Sheikh of Cary rejected FBI statements that his 29-year-old son Basit Javed Sheikh was on his way to Lebanon, where he'd connect with members of the group Jabhat al-Nusra, when he was arrested at Raleigh's airport. The U.S. government considers the radical Islamic group a foreign terrorist organization
"These are false allegations," Javed Sheikh said in a brief telephone interview. "It's in the court and I hope they will justify the position and all these are false accusations. No reality in that."
Javed Sheikh says he has confidence that U.S. courts will handle the case fairly.
"Court documents describe Basit Sheikh as a Pakistan native with permanent, legal residency in the U.S.
Basit Sheikh was assigned two federal public defenders to represent him. They are unable to comment on Sheikh's behalf due to a rule established by local federal judges prohibiting them from discussing active cases, said Elizabeth Luck, a spokeswoman for the federal public defender's office in Raleigh.
Sheikh's case is at least the third this year in which the U.S. government has charged U.S. residents with providing material support to a terrorist group based on their alleged efforts to join Jabhat al-Nusrah.
Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, an 18-year-old from suburban Chicago, was arrested in April at O'Hare International Airport as he prepared for the first leg of a trip to join the group, authorities say. The American-born Tounisi pleaded not guilty.
In September, federal authorities in northern Virginia released a U.S. Army veteran accused of fighting alongside the jihadi group after a secret plea deal. Eric Harroun, 31, had faced up to life in prison. But defense lawyers argued there was confusion about which rebel group Harroun had joined, that Harroun traveled to Syria planning to fight with the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, and that fighting with the FSA was not a crime.
The Sheikh case points out the "hypocrisy" of prosecuting people who support an anti-Assad group the government judged as terrorists while the Obama administration favors other fighters in the same bloody conflict, said Jeff Addicott, director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio.
The anti-Assad forces include some "that are out-and-out terrorist groups, that are designated by our state department as linked to al-Qaida. Some of them aren't," Addicott said. "The hypocrisy is that you're going to prosecute someone for taking up arms against the Assad regime that may simply be caught up and labeled as a member of one of these Islamic groups."
If convicted, Sheikh could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison and fined $250,000."
Javed Sheikh of Cary rejected FBI statements that his 29-year-old son Basit Javed Sheikh was on his way to Lebanon, where he'd connect with members of the group Jabhat al-Nusra, when he was arrested at Raleigh's airport. The U.S. government considers the radical Islamic group a foreign terrorist organization
"These are false allegations," Javed Sheikh said in a brief telephone interview. "It's in the court and I hope they will justify the position and all these are false accusations. No reality in that."
Javed Sheikh says he has confidence that U.S. courts will handle the case fairly.
"Court documents describe Basit Sheikh as a Pakistan native with permanent, legal residency in the U.S.
Basit Sheikh was assigned two federal public defenders to represent him. They are unable to comment on Sheikh's behalf due to a rule established by local federal judges prohibiting them from discussing active cases, said Elizabeth Luck, a spokeswoman for the federal public defender's office in Raleigh.
Sheikh's case is at least the third this year in which the U.S. government has charged U.S. residents with providing material support to a terrorist group based on their alleged efforts to join Jabhat al-Nusrah.
Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, an 18-year-old from suburban Chicago, was arrested in April at O'Hare International Airport as he prepared for the first leg of a trip to join the group, authorities say. The American-born Tounisi pleaded not guilty.
In September, federal authorities in northern Virginia released a U.S. Army veteran accused of fighting alongside the jihadi group after a secret plea deal. Eric Harroun, 31, had faced up to life in prison. But defense lawyers argued there was confusion about which rebel group Harroun had joined, that Harroun traveled to Syria planning to fight with the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, and that fighting with the FSA was not a crime.
The Sheikh case points out the "hypocrisy" of prosecuting people who support an anti-Assad group the government judged as terrorists while the Obama administration favors other fighters in the same bloody conflict, said Jeff Addicott, director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio.
The anti-Assad forces include some "that are out-and-out terrorist groups, that are designated by our state department as linked to al-Qaida. Some of them aren't," Addicott said. "The hypocrisy is that you're going to prosecute someone for taking up arms against the Assad regime that may simply be caught up and labeled as a member of one of these Islamic groups."
If convicted, Sheikh could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison and fined $250,000."
Friday, November 15, 2013
Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Abdul-Basit-Javed-Sheikh/611955802173364
This is the link to our Facebook page. We have been unable to locate any members of his family or friends. We hope that the news of this page reaches the them because we would like to pay our condolences and offer to help in any way we can. Brother Abdul Basit is the best of us; he is one of the nicest and sweetest people ever. We all pray that he is released as soon as possible since he doesn’t deserve to be in jail and is a victim of entrapment.
This is the link to our Facebook page. We have been unable to locate any members of his family or friends. We hope that the news of this page reaches the them because we would like to pay our condolences and offer to help in any way we can. Brother Abdul Basit is the best of us; he is one of the nicest and sweetest people ever. We all pray that he is released as soon as possible since he doesn’t deserve to be in jail and is a victim of entrapment.
Abdul Basit Javed Shaikh
A 29 year old Muslim, an American citizen, a beloved son and brother, Abdul Basit Shaikh, has been arrested by the United States of America. He faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. His only crime was believing in Allah and a strong will to help the suffering Muslims of Syria. He refused to sit back and watch while the Syrian's suffered on the hands of its dictator. He has nothing nothing wrong but follow the footsteps of the brave and noble.
Brother Abdul Basit deserves to be set free. He was never a threat to America. He is an example of how the U.S entraps any Muslim they want.
It is an obligation on all of us that we do everything in our limit to help free brother Abdul Basit. If we can't do anything else make sure you remember him in your dua's. Please raise some awareness on his case before he stands trial in court.
Brother Abdul Basit deserves to be set free. He was never a threat to America. He is an example of how the U.S entraps any Muslim they want.
It is an obligation on all of us that we do everything in our limit to help free brother Abdul Basit. If we can't do anything else make sure you remember him in your dua's. Please raise some awareness on his case before he stands trial in court.
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