RenewAmerica

October 16, 2008

Welcome to Islamberg: the terrorists of Middle America?

By Wes Vernon

The enemy is here?

Investigative reporter Paul Williams has located at least 13 of these facilities in America. They are generally located in remote, rural, or outskirt suburban communities — possibly in an effort to draw as little attention to themselves as possible.

These compounds — at least one of which is about 70 acres — have been described by investigators as having unmarked walls of "gated" structures, with guard shacks where armed men stand ready to ward off any strangers.

 They are home to members of Jamaat al-Fuqra ("Community of the Impoverished"). Williams traces the origins of this group to Palestinian cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani.

In his book The Day of Islam, the Annihilation of America and the Western World, Williams quotes Gilani as stating that the purpose of his group is to "purify Islam through violence." The gated communities "were set up to serve as havens where young Muslims — primarily inner-city black men who became [Muslim] converts in prison — could begin a new life." The sheikh describes the compounds as "Hamaats."

Anywhere near you?

As of the book's publication (last year), the "communities" were located in Hancock, N.Y.; Deposit, N.Y.; Hyattsville, Md.; Red House, Va.; Falls Church, Va.; Macon, Ga.; York, S.C.; Dover, Tenn.; Buena Vista, Colo.; Talihina, Okla.; Tulane County, Calif.; Commerce, Calif.; and Onalaska, Wash.

All — as you will notice — are located away from densely populated urban centers — the better to avoid curious strangers.

Military-style discipline

The findings of Williams and of Douglas Hagmann, chief investigative officer of the Northeast Intelligence Network (NIN) — focus mainly on the facility at Hancock, N.Y. It is described as a "boot camp with trailers for recruits, a firing range, and a military training area replete with obstacle courses." It also contains "two central structures for religious training, education, and community gatherings."

Its own university

Sheikh Gilani has even ventured into academia to further his cause. Every year, his International Quranic Open University sends scores of American Muslims to Pakistan "reportedly for guerilla training." They are granted a degree in higher education on the condition that they return to the "Hamaats" (encampments) back in their home countries. Gilani has written that the highest duty of the university students is to wage jihad against "the oppressors of Muslims."

Citizens of what is called "Islamberg" and the other Fuqra communes are required to sign an oath saying, "I shall always hear and obey and whenever given the command, I shall readily fight for Allah's sake."

Terrorists in your neighborhood?

 The aforementioned Douglas Hagmann — whose NIN agency is a multi-state licensed private investigative company with many Fortune 500 clients, and a member of the International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association — has submitted the following among the results of his probe in Hancock, much of it from people living near the compound:

1. "We hear bursts of gunfire all the time, and we know that there is military-like training going on there. Those people are armed and dangerous."
2. "We don't even slow down when we drive by. They own this mountain and they know it, and there is nothing we can do but move, and we can't even do that. Who wants to buy a property next to that?"

For obvious reasons, Hagmann said, the residents did not want to be identified. They are easy targets, as it is.

Small explosions and automatic and large caliber weaponry are heard. No one not affiliated with their organization is allowed to enter. No marked law enforcement vehicle is ever seen entering there. Most visitors to the compound — numerous and frequent — use late model SUVs, many with license plates from Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Unmarked box trucks deliver unknown items, many drivers appearing to be of Middle Eastern origin. Many guests are in Middle Eastern attire.

Crime

Over the years, writes Williams, "Numerous members of Jamaat al-Fuqra have been convicted in courts of such crimes as conspiracy to commit murder, firebombing, smuggling, and workers compensation fraud." Others are leading suspects in ten unsolved assassinations and seventeen fire bombings.

 In 2001, a resident of the Red House, Va., community was charged in the murder of a sheriff's deputy. And by 2004, investigators had evidence purportedly linking the group to D.C. Beltway "sniper killer" John Allen Muhammad and London "shoe bomber" Richard Reid. Also, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl — according to news dispatches — was killed while trying to secure an interview with Sheikh Gilani in Pakistan.

Different tactics in different locations?

Not all of the thirteen Islamic compounds are exactly alike. Some are more overtly troubling than others. Locals who have reported back to their home news media and in web postings leave the impression in the composite that some of the camps have a better sense of public relations with the neighboring community.

As noted above, the Hancock, N.Y., and Red House, Va., facilities have caused deep concern about the issue of militarism. In York, S.C., on the other hand, Gilani's operation is — on its face — not seen as necessarily militarist. But reports of the more militant operations elsewhere have circulated — mostly by word of mouth — and locals there tend to believe the facility's "open community events" are for show — public relations — or as one suspicious York resident has put it — "a clever PR effort to put a friendly face on an organization that has a much darker history."

Reports not pretty

 On a PBS news program, reporter Deborah Amos featured findings by investigator Susan Fenger, who had probed the group in Colorado. She says there are numerous links between Al-Fuqra and al-Qaeda.

Law enforcement, anyone?

The authorities, local and federal, appear very reluctant to deal with what are obviously training sites for jihad. What does it take to galvanize them into action? Are they afraid? Afraid of harassment accusations from the ACLU? Afraid of being demagogued by politicians who argue that we can't take preventive action until millions are killed? What do we do then? Read them their Miranda rights? What does it take?

What we need on Capitol Hill is a revival of the House and Senate committees that used to investigate subversion on our soil. Don't hold your breath for that to happen. Any chance the major presidential candidates might say something about this? Now we're really dreaming over the top.

© Wes Vernon

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/vernon/081016