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Friends describe terror suspect as well-known New York musician
The Bronx martial arts expert arrested in an alleged plot to build a secret al-Qaida training camp is a well-known city jazz musician who has backed greats like Abbey Lincoln and Betty Carter, friends said Tuesday.
Tarik Shah, 42, has played bass at local clubs for years, and fellow musicians said they've never heard him espouse an allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
"This man talks about music. That's all he talks about," said pianist Donald Smith, 61, who last month played with Shah at St. Nick's Pub in Harlem.
"The only thing we know is he is a devout Muslim, loves God. He loves his family."
But prosecutors charge Shah, the son of a former aide to Malcolm X, was only using his musical skills as a "cover" for a plan to train his Muslim "brothers" to wage jihad.
Shah and Columbia University-educated doctor Rafiq Sabir, 50, are both U.S. citizens. They appeared in court Tuesday to face charges of conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaida.
Prosecutors said Shah and Sabir were caught expressing their eagerness to help terrorists in secretly taped conversations with an undercover FBI agent posing as an al-Qaida recruiter and a federal informant.
Shah even scouted out a warehouse in Long Island for a possible terrorist training camp, and Sabir vowed to treat wounded jihadists in Saudi Arabia, authorities said.
"I characterize this as desperate prosecution on the part of the government," Shah's attorney, Anthony Ricco, said after Shah's brief appearance Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court.
Shah, who is being held without bail, nodded to fellow musicians and his wife, Zakkiyyah, as he entered the courtroom in handcuffs. He was ordered to return to court June 28.
"He's a wonderful musician and a wonderful person," said friend and jazz saxophone player Salim Washington, 48, noting Shah has recorded albums with Lincoln and Carter. "He is not in any way tied with things that have been alleged."
Ricco suggested the arrests were an attempt by the government to bolster public perception that it is aggressively pursuing terrorists.
"He wouldn't be here if he wasn't a Muslim," Ricco said. "This is an orchestrated prosecution."
Sabir, who was trained in martial arts by Shah, appeared in Federal Court in Fort Pierce, Fla., and informed a magistrate that he was still trying to hire an attorney.
Sabir, arrested at his Boca Raton, Fla., home early Saturday, will be arraigned June 15.
"This anti-American stuff they're accusing him of is absurd," said Dan McBride, spokesman for the Islamic Center of Boca Raton, where Sabir is a member.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/11785476.htm
"This man talks about music. That's all he talks about," said pianist Donald Smith, 61, who last month played with Shah at St. Nick's Pub in Harlem.
"The only thing we know is he is a devout Muslim, loves God. He loves his family."
But prosecutors charge Shah, the son of a former aide to Malcolm X, was only using his musical skills as a "cover" for a plan to train his Muslim "brothers" to wage jihad.
Shah and Columbia University-educated doctor Rafiq Sabir, 50, are both U.S. citizens. They appeared in court Tuesday to face charges of conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaida.
Prosecutors said Shah and Sabir were caught expressing their eagerness to help terrorists in secretly taped conversations with an undercover FBI agent posing as an al-Qaida recruiter and a federal informant.
Shah even scouted out a warehouse in Long Island for a possible terrorist training camp, and Sabir vowed to treat wounded jihadists in Saudi Arabia, authorities said.
"I characterize this as desperate prosecution on the part of the government," Shah's attorney, Anthony Ricco, said after Shah's brief appearance Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court.
Shah, who is being held without bail, nodded to fellow musicians and his wife, Zakkiyyah, as he entered the courtroom in handcuffs. He was ordered to return to court June 28.
"He's a wonderful musician and a wonderful person," said friend and jazz saxophone player Salim Washington, 48, noting Shah has recorded albums with Lincoln and Carter. "He is not in any way tied with things that have been alleged."
Ricco suggested the arrests were an attempt by the government to bolster public perception that it is aggressively pursuing terrorists.
"He wouldn't be here if he wasn't a Muslim," Ricco said. "This is an orchestrated prosecution."
Sabir, who was trained in martial arts by Shah, appeared in Federal Court in Fort Pierce, Fla., and informed a magistrate that he was still trying to hire an attorney.
Sabir, arrested at his Boca Raton, Fla., home early Saturday, will be arraigned June 15.
"This anti-American stuff they're accusing him of is absurd," said Dan McBride, spokesman for the Islamic Center of Boca Raton, where Sabir is a member.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/11785476.htm
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"prosecutors charge Shah, the son of a former aide to Malcolm X, was only using his musical skills as a "cover" for a plan to train his Muslim "brothers" to wage jihad."
So he is charged with being willing to teach music to "terrorists". WHat exactly would the crime be in such a case?
"Prosecutors said Shah and Sabir were caught expressing their eagerness to help terrorists in secretly taped conversations"
Being "eager" doesnt seem like it break any laws....
"Shah even scouted out a warehouse in Long Island for a possible terrorist training camp"
To teach music in? What exactly is a "terrorist training camp"? Do they make you sing campfire songs and roast smores.
" and Sabir vowed to treat wounded jihadists in Saudi Arabia"
So that would make the Red Cross criminals too. No matter who it is you want to treat medically it seems like there is no case where that can be a crime under any law. But Sabir isnt being chrages with giving medical assistance to Muslims(which I geuss is a crime now) he is being chareged with sounding eaqger to treat Musllims medically while talking to an FBI informant.
You're right, he wouldn't be working with Al Queda if he wasn't a Muslim.
RamboIII helped rally Americans behind Islamic fundamentalist in Afghanistan and a good portion of the Stinger surface-to-air missiles sent to Hekmatar are still floating around among fundamentalist Islamic groups.
The Red Cross wastes a lot of money and should speak out more about Human Rights violations by the US but they are definitely not as bad as Rambo III in terms of doing things that promote giving missiles to Islamic extremists.
If you want to blame people for Islamic extremism in the Middle East and Central Asia blame the British for using King Saud during WWI to fight the Ottomans (giving a huge amount of power to Wahabis who previously had only a limited appeal) Truman or Eisenhower for the overthrow of Mossadeq (Which started the trend away from secular nationalism in the Middle East), or Reagan for encouraguing Islamic fundamentalism worldwide (including Wahabi run recruitment centers all over the world for the war in Afghanistan) through the war in Afghanistan to contain Soviet power (which included emptying Saudi prisons and sendin the prisoners over to fight and even setting up Bin Laden as a militant leader).
If you dont like the Taliban or Bin Laden, who is worse a doctor who says he may go to the Middle East to help injured fighters or people like Reagan who actually sent thousands of surface to air missles to terrorist groups who were openly attacking civlians?
Intelligent statement: "If you want to blame people for Islamic extremism in the Middle East and Central Asia, blame islamic extremists in the middle east and central asia"