Prayers And Criticism In Wake Of Detroit Imam’s Killing By F.B.I.

October 30, 2009

Author: Susan Saulny

Source: The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/us/31dearborn.html?scp=3&sq=religion&st=nyt

Friday prayers were intoned on schedule at the red brick two-story house on the west side that is a makeshift home for the Masjid Al-Haqq mosque.

But leading the prayers was a son of the mosque’s imam, Luqman Ameen Abdullah, who was killed by federal agents in a raid on Wednesday. The son, Omar Regan, 36, a comedian and motivational speaker, flew from Los Angeles to mourn and defend his father, who was described in federal court papers as a separatist Muslim intent on overthrowing the United States government.

“My father was a sharp-tongued individual,” Mr. Regan said. “He would talk about his dislike of the government, about how law enforcement wasn’t protecting and serving the people. But speaking his emotions and acting on his emotions are two different things.”

Mr. Regan’s sentiments were echoed by many Muslims here and across the country on Thursday and Friday, as some leaders portrayed the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s counterterrorism squad of using heavy-handed tactics against Mr. Abdullah, who was not accused of terrorism.