Worcester Islamic Center & Connections:
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, Timothy P. Murray, Mayor of the City of Worcester, do hereby proclaim
Saturday, May 6, 2006 to be: WORCESTER ISLAMIC CENTER DAY”
Superintendent of West Boylston Schools (WB Banner 3/12/2007): "Kane predicts an increase in students
who have English as a second language as more housing developments are built in West Boylston."
Tarek Mehanna, of Sudbury, arrested on terrorism charges, is/was a teacher at the Al Huda Academy. That is the
Worcester Islamic Center (WIC) at 248 East Mountain St, Worcester.
It's no secret I have written about town management and used public records as basis for my writings, so it is of no surprise
that I ask the following simple question . . . If you are a principle/ owner of a business - any business, how can you not know
the background of the people you hire or the people you partner with?
Most prospective employees get some sort of background check, so how did Tarek Mehanna slip through the hiring cracks?
More importantly, how did two imams (brothers) get hired despite the well documented livelihood of their brother,
Lashkar-e-Toiba founder, Hafiz Saeed - the terrorist group Mehanna wanted to join?
As an employer, how can you not know these things?
The Worcester Islamic Center (WIC), has two principles: Mr. Mirajuddin Ahmed and Mr. Mohammad Ziad Ramadan.
Aside from Mr. Ahmed's 40B subsidized housing project in Hudson, Simrah Gardens (see Hudson ZBA minutes near bottom
of page), he is also a principle of several other businesses: First Metrowest Realtors, Inc., Metrowest Real Estate Sales, Inc.,
and Al-Noor, Inc.
His Al-Noor business partners are Mr. Iqbal Ali (Crescent Builders, Inc., a West Boylston 40B subsidized housing developer
of Afra Terrace) and Mr. Khalid Naseem, a Worcester area immigration lawyer. Mr. Iqbal Ali, it should be noted, according to
the Registry of Deeds, has his name on the $1.3 million mortgage for the other Worcester area Islamic school - Al Hamra,
located at 435 South St, Shrewsbury.
Miss Kelly reports on Al Hamra's connection to the Worcester Islamic Center, prize winning Social Studies project, and CAIR
connection. Here is a very good informational article from a national columnist regarding CAIR.
photo of Al Hamrah School, by Boston Globe
Mr. Ahmed's businesses and subsequent partners outside the Worcester Islamic Center should not be associated with any news events, however, and again, as with any principle of any business, it is my opinion that an employer should know the basic background of those he employs.
The Worcester Islamic Center has had two primary imams since 1993: Imam Muhammad Masood 1993-1997 and Imam Hamid Mahmood 1999-June 2007. They are brothers. An ‘imam' is the basic equivalent to a priest, minister, pastor, etcetera - a spiritual leader. There is a third brother, Hafiz Muhammed Saeed - a Pakistani terrorist leader that formed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) - the group that Tarek Mehanna wanted to join.
Hamid Mahmood, while under federal investigation, fled the country back to Pakistan in June 2007. On January 12th, 2009, the ‘Times of India' news site wrote this about Worcester imam Mahmood (9th paragraph in link): "The US discovered that he used to run a safe house for LeT terrorists in Moon Chowk, Lahore, and that his imam activities in the US were all about teaching jihad to youngsters there."
Mahmood's brother is Sharon MA imam, and former WIC imam, Muhammad Masood (see United States v Muhammad Masood, p.14). Dailytimes.com.pk reported that imam Masood, while in the country illegally and fraudulently collecting MassHealth, arrested for shoplifting in Norwood, and obtaining illegal drivers licenses in NH, was arrested in November 2006 and detained with 33 other people, including his brother in-law imam Abdul Hannan of Lowell, for being "in connection with an ongoing investigation into a specific visa fraud scheme that was designed to help a large number of illegal aliens, primarily from Pakistan, fraudulently obtain religious worker visas to enter or remain in the United States" under the 'Religious Worker Program'.
Under the program, they could not hold secular jobs. Translation (opinion): they then need "affordable housing", and that means, among other things, 40B. They have to live someplace, and considering the high illegal alien populations of the communities that have attained their 10% 40B plateau - Worcester, Hudson, Springfield, Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn, Chelsea, Boston, Fall River, New Bedford, and Brockton, et al, it seems, in my opinion, based on how 40B is known - "affordable housing", it's a logical fit. Anyway . . .
Imam Masood plead guilty to five counts of visa fraud in February 2008 and was deported back to Pakistan in October 2008.
Also in 'United States v Masood (filed July/23/2007, Case 1:07-mj-00258-JLA, page 13/14) Masood's letter of recommendation for his April 2001 "Special Immigrant Religious Worker" petition (Form I-360) was signed by a person identifying himself as the director of the Islamic Center New England (ICNE), though the name on it was actually Muhammad Khalil, who is currently in prison for fraudulent visa sponsorship from his Dar Ehya Essunnah mosque in Brooklyn NY, located in the basement of a variety/ convenience store. Prosecutors claim he netted more than $600,000.
The third brother of these two Worcester imams is Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. The Patriot Ledger, on January 26th, 2007, reported Saeed as having "organized the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba (Soldiers of the Pure) in 1990 - at Osama bin Laden's urging, by some accounts." LeT is the group Tarek Mehanna wanted to join. LeT is the militant wing of Markaz Dawaatul Irshad (Center for Preaching), which Saeed started in the 1980's. After the banning of LeT, he formed Jammat-ud Daawa (Party of the Calling). Jammat has been reported as a "charitable organization".
The U.S. Department of Treasury issued a press release on May 27th, 2008 stating they froze the assets of Saeed/ LeT (treasury.gov/press/releases/hp996.htm).
Worcester Islamic Center principle Mirajuddin Ahmed's second business partner from Al-Noor, Inc. is Mr. Khalid Naseem. The T&G reported on November 17, 2007, that Mr. Naseem was charged with advising his client, Mr. Emadeddin Muntasser, to omit, therefore falsify, travel records. Mr. Muntasser was charged for making false statements to the FBI regarding travel to other countries, including Pakistan, in 1994-1995. Click here for ICE overview of Care International.
Though Mr. Naseem denied Mr. Muntasser's charges, Muntasser's lawyer noted that Mr. Naseem did the tax returns for Care International, of which Mr. Muntasser is the president. Care International is the "charity" that was charged in federal court for funneling money to jihadist groups in Pakistan. "Care" should not be confused with "Cair".
Storage facility off Cambridge St, Worcester. Phone number tied to Khalid Naseem
On June 9th, 2008, the T&G reported that the Justice Department charged Mr. Muntasser, and others in the group, for having "failed to tell the IRS that it supported Islamic holy war and fighters by publishing a pro-jihad newspaper and fund raising. It also alleged that the charity concealed that it was the successor and outgrowth of Al-Kifah Refugee Center, which had been tied in news accounts to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center."
However, Judge Saylor overturned some jury convictions at the Care trial, and for Mr. Muntasser, the person his lawyer claimed Mr. Naseem did tax returns for, had his charges dropped by the judge, except for "the sole charge against Mr. Muntasser is his conviction for lying to an FBI agent" in 2003 regarding travel records to meet with a US designated terrorist, Gulbiddin Hekmatyar.
Financial records showed that Care International and Al-Kifah sent money to organizations founded by Sheikh Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden.
There are two issues at play. 1: Tarek Mehanna of Sudbury, with dual citizenship, is a Al-Huda/ Worcester Islamic Center teacher that wanted to join the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba, the group the Worcester Islamic Center's imam's brother formed. 2: How can an employer or business partner not know the basic background of those they employ or partner with?
Where is the line between ignorant and complicit?
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, Timothy P. Murray, Mayor of the City of Worcester, do hereby proclaim
Saturday, May 6, 2006 to be: WORCESTER ISLAMIC CENTER DAY”
Superintendent of West Boylston Schools (WB Banner 3/12/2007): "Kane predicts an increase in students
who have English as a second language as more housing developments are built in West Boylston."
Tarek Mehanna, of Sudbury, arrested on terrorism charges, is/was a teacher at the Al Huda Academy. That is the
Worcester Islamic Center (WIC) at 248 East Mountain St, Worcester.
It's no secret I have written about town management and used public records as basis for my writings, so it is of no surprise
that I ask the following simple question . . . If you are a principle/ owner of a business - any business, how can you not know
the background of the people you hire or the people you partner with?
Most prospective employees get some sort of background check, so how did Tarek Mehanna slip through the hiring cracks?
More importantly, how did two imams (brothers) get hired despite the well documented livelihood of their brother,
Lashkar-e-Toiba founder, Hafiz Saeed - the terrorist group Mehanna wanted to join?
As an employer, how can you not know these things?
The Worcester Islamic Center (WIC), has two principles: Mr. Mirajuddin Ahmed and Mr. Mohammad Ziad Ramadan.
Aside from Mr. Ahmed's 40B subsidized housing project in Hudson, Simrah Gardens (see Hudson ZBA minutes near bottom
of page), he is also a principle of several other businesses: First Metrowest Realtors, Inc., Metrowest Real Estate Sales, Inc.,
and Al-Noor, Inc.
His Al-Noor business partners are Mr. Iqbal Ali (Crescent Builders, Inc., a West Boylston 40B subsidized housing developer
of Afra Terrace) and Mr. Khalid Naseem, a Worcester area immigration lawyer. Mr. Iqbal Ali, it should be noted, according to
the Registry of Deeds, has his name on the $1.3 million mortgage for the other Worcester area Islamic school - Al Hamra,
located at 435 South St, Shrewsbury.
Miss Kelly reports on Al Hamra's connection to the Worcester Islamic Center, prize winning Social Studies project, and CAIR
connection. Here is a very good informational article from a national columnist regarding CAIR.
photo of Al Hamrah School, by Boston Globe
Mr. Ahmed's businesses and subsequent partners outside the Worcester Islamic Center should not be associated with any news events, however, and again, as with any principle of any business, it is my opinion that an employer should know the basic background of those he employs.
The Worcester Islamic Center has had two primary imams since 1993: Imam Muhammad Masood 1993-1997 and Imam Hamid Mahmood 1999-June 2007. They are brothers. An ‘imam' is the basic equivalent to a priest, minister, pastor, etcetera - a spiritual leader. There is a third brother, Hafiz Muhammed Saeed - a Pakistani terrorist leader that formed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) - the group that Tarek Mehanna wanted to join.
Hamid Mahmood, while under federal investigation, fled the country back to Pakistan in June 2007. On January 12th, 2009, the ‘Times of India' news site wrote this about Worcester imam Mahmood (9th paragraph in link): "The US discovered that he used to run a safe house for LeT terrorists in Moon Chowk, Lahore, and that his imam activities in the US were all about teaching jihad to youngsters there."
Mahmood's brother is Sharon MA imam, and former WIC imam, Muhammad Masood (see United States v Muhammad Masood, p.14). Dailytimes.com.pk reported that imam Masood, while in the country illegally and fraudulently collecting MassHealth, arrested for shoplifting in Norwood, and obtaining illegal drivers licenses in NH, was arrested in November 2006 and detained with 33 other people, including his brother in-law imam Abdul Hannan of Lowell, for being "in connection with an ongoing investigation into a specific visa fraud scheme that was designed to help a large number of illegal aliens, primarily from Pakistan, fraudulently obtain religious worker visas to enter or remain in the United States" under the 'Religious Worker Program'.
Under the program, they could not hold secular jobs. Translation (opinion): they then need "affordable housing", and that means, among other things, 40B. They have to live someplace, and considering the high illegal alien populations of the communities that have attained their 10% 40B plateau - Worcester, Hudson, Springfield, Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn, Chelsea, Boston, Fall River, New Bedford, and Brockton, et al, it seems, in my opinion, based on how 40B is known - "affordable housing", it's a logical fit. Anyway . . .
Imam Masood plead guilty to five counts of visa fraud in February 2008 and was deported back to Pakistan in October 2008.
Also in 'United States v Masood (filed July/23/2007, Case 1:07-mj-00258-JLA, page 13/14) Masood's letter of recommendation for his April 2001 "Special Immigrant Religious Worker" petition (Form I-360) was signed by a person identifying himself as the director of the Islamic Center New England (ICNE), though the name on it was actually Muhammad Khalil, who is currently in prison for fraudulent visa sponsorship from his Dar Ehya Essunnah mosque in Brooklyn NY, located in the basement of a variety/ convenience store. Prosecutors claim he netted more than $600,000.
The third brother of these two Worcester imams is Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. The Patriot Ledger, on January 26th, 2007, reported Saeed as having "organized the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba (Soldiers of the Pure) in 1990 - at Osama bin Laden's urging, by some accounts." LeT is the group Tarek Mehanna wanted to join. LeT is the militant wing of Markaz Dawaatul Irshad (Center for Preaching), which Saeed started in the 1980's. After the banning of LeT, he formed Jammat-ud Daawa (Party of the Calling). Jammat has been reported as a "charitable organization".
The U.S. Department of Treasury issued a press release on May 27th, 2008 stating they froze the assets of Saeed/ LeT (treasury.gov/press/releases/hp996.htm).
Worcester Islamic Center principle Mirajuddin Ahmed's second business partner from Al-Noor, Inc. is Mr. Khalid Naseem. The T&G reported on November 17, 2007, that Mr. Naseem was charged with advising his client, Mr. Emadeddin Muntasser, to omit, therefore falsify, travel records. Mr. Muntasser was charged for making false statements to the FBI regarding travel to other countries, including Pakistan, in 1994-1995. Click here for ICE overview of Care International.
Though Mr. Naseem denied Mr. Muntasser's charges, Muntasser's lawyer noted that Mr. Naseem did the tax returns for Care International, of which Mr. Muntasser is the president. Care International is the "charity" that was charged in federal court for funneling money to jihadist groups in Pakistan. "Care" should not be confused with "Cair".
Storage facility off Cambridge St, Worcester. Phone number tied to Khalid Naseem
On June 9th, 2008, the T&G reported that the Justice Department charged Mr. Muntasser, and others in the group, for having "failed to tell the IRS that it supported Islamic holy war and fighters by publishing a pro-jihad newspaper and fund raising. It also alleged that the charity concealed that it was the successor and outgrowth of Al-Kifah Refugee Center, which had been tied in news accounts to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center."
However, Judge Saylor overturned some jury convictions at the Care trial, and for Mr. Muntasser, the person his lawyer claimed Mr. Naseem did tax returns for, had his charges dropped by the judge, except for "the sole charge against Mr. Muntasser is his conviction for lying to an FBI agent" in 2003 regarding travel records to meet with a US designated terrorist, Gulbiddin Hekmatyar.
Financial records showed that Care International and Al-Kifah sent money to organizations founded by Sheikh Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden.
There are two issues at play. 1: Tarek Mehanna of Sudbury, with dual citizenship, is a Al-Huda/ Worcester Islamic Center teacher that wanted to join the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba, the group the Worcester Islamic Center's imam's brother formed. 2: How can an employer or business partner not know the basic background of those they employ or partner with?
Where is the line between ignorant and complicit?