The defense has begun to present its case this week on behalf of Ramadan Abdullah, a member of Muslims of the Americas with skilled weapons training, now on trial for killing a Deputy Sheriff. His father, Mahdi Abdullah, took the stand on behalf of his son, among others. Ramadan Abdullah faces the death penalty if convicted, but the defense is pleading insanity.
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Last Friday, following emotional testimony from the partner of the late Deputy Sheriff Erik Telen, the prosecution concluded its arguments against Ramadan Abdullah, on trial for Telen's murder. The defense will begin to present its case today. We will be monitoring further news surrounding this case.
Finally facing justice for his crime, Ramadan Abdur-Rauf Abdullah, now 26, went on trial this week in Fresno County, California for killing Deputy Sheriff Erik Telen in 2001. He is pleading insanity in his defense.
Abdullah is originally from Binghamton, NY and was a member of the Muslims of the Americas (MOA). Spread throughout the country, the MOA, made up of primarily African-
Americans, are a cult-like offshoot sect of Sufi Muslims who follow Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani of Pakistan. The organization serves as a religious front for a radical militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a secretive network also headed by Gilani. For all practical purposes, the groups are one and the same, though members' knowledge of and/or involvement in illicit activity varies.
We contacted a former follower of Sheikh Gilani with a very extensive knowledge of the group for comment on Abdullah's case. They remembered him from years ago and seemed to confirm the defense's assertion that he did have mental problems calling him "MAD". They continued with some additional background:
He terrorized the land [Islamberg in Hancock, NY]...Yes, he went insane...studying Sufiism. He could not be controlled on the compounds. Shaykh [Gilani] could not heal him with his healing powers, so [the men] were told to drop him off in the nearest township. Ramadan would chase us, jump us, tackle us...very dangerous. He said that he was Jesus, son of Mary, and...that he was the 7th Sultan [successor to Gilani].So, according to our source, the boy did have some issues, but this certainly does not excuse what he has done. We mentioned that police noted during the shootout that Abdullah, because of the way he defended himself, seemed to them to have had some sort of training. To this, our source offered a very interesting anecdote:
But, he's not the first to go crazy. A few have, trying to practise the shaykh's form of Sufiism. He was sick for a year or so in Islamberg. He was sent to the California compound [Baladullah] from New York due to the inability to treat him through the shaykh's method. So, that resulted in him injuring others outside of the community. Well, MURDER isn't exactly an injury. Ramadan was only in California for less than two months. Then [there was] the Gateway scam...then the shaykh shut the village down. The shaykh didn't want Ramadan's name in association with him so much that he allowed 30 odd families w/little funds to go without housing. Even before the Gateway scam, California was already in the process of moving to other states because we were told we couldn't reside in the State of California.
No matter what, he still had enough of JF teachings in him so at some point he was sane. As a younger teenager he used to teach the younger boys...the basic training all members have. I do know he had excellent rifle training because I would hear his name in reference to that matter.In fact, the prosecutor said in court of Abdullah's accuracy, "This was a very well-aimed and well-timed shot that was fatal to Deputy Erik Telen hitting him directly in the head." Telen died instantly.
Late last week, someone posted a comment on three separate threads here on the site that caught my attention...
I AM NEW TO THIS BLOG THING BUT I CANNOT KEEP QUIET ABOUT THIS..I HAVE SOME VERY INTERESTING INFO ABOUT THIS "HOLY ISLAMVILLE" THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED.. THEY CLAIM THAT THEY LIVE "HOLY" LIVES AND DETEST VIOLENCE..DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A REGISTERED 3RD DEGREE CRIMINAL SEX OFFENDER WHO WAS FOUND GUILTY OF 2 COUNTS, LIVING IN THEIR COMPOUND!!!IF YOU LOOK ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WEBSITE AND DO A SEARCH BY YORK CITY OR YOU CAN USE HIS NAME "NATHAN SCOTT KENNEDY"AND CAN GET ALL HIS INFO AND PICTURE..(PRETTY SCARY LOOKING)I SURE HOPE SOMEONE IS KEEPING AN EYE ON THESE PEOPLE.IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT THEY CAN BE ALLOWED TO FUNCTION AS A SOCIETY WITHOUT HEAVY SURVELLIANCE...I followed up on the tip and sure enough, a man named Nathan Scott Kennedy does reside at an address within the Muslim village known as Holy Islamville near York, SC - a compound that is linked to the terrorist group Al Fuqra (aka Jamaat ul-Fuqra) and its front group Muslims of the Americas.
***Exclusive Report***
Criminal Enterprise Has Ties to Muslims of the Americas
Last Wednesday, the FBI arrested eight individuals and raided businesses as part of an investigation into a counterfeiting ring that was involved in the sale of falsely-branded clothing, pirated DVDs and other merchandise. Individuals from Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York were apprehended and businesses in Lynchburg, Richmond, and New York City were searched. Proceeds from the ring originating with a wholesaler in NYC had yielded at least $19 million over the course of the last two years.
According to my sources, at least some of the individuals who were arrested are believed to be members of the Muslims of the Americas, an Islamist organization operating throughout the US and founded by a Pakistani named Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani. The organization is made up of mostly religious followers, but serves as a front organization for the activities of a covert militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. The organization is partly funded via tribute from MOA members. Most members are generally required to send a percentage of their income, which may be gained through legal or, in a number of cases illegal means, to the sheikh in Pakistan. Research indicates the suspected MOA members in this ring may include:
> Ronald Roundtree of Lynchburg who, according to a source, is aka Muhammad Talib and has a history of drug abuse. News reports say he operated a booth outside the Z Market in Lynchburg selling some of the bootlegged items. Authorities searched not only the Z Market, but also Roundtree's home at 11th and Polk Streets in Lynchburg, although research indicates he has been a previous resident at the MOA compound in Red House, VA. An additional address history search links him to several other Virginia locales as well as Williamsport, PA and California, both areas where MOA has previously operated.Any further connections or possible associations of the others who were arrested are unclear at this time. Whatever the case, kudos to law enforcement for rounding up these guys. They have obviously put alot of work into this investigation.
> Eric Harmon, owner of the Big EZ store in Richmond who according to a source is possibly aka Abdus-Sabur. His business was also involved in the sale of counterfeit goods and I have been told he may have been involved in illegal drug activity as well.
> Ismail Haqq, of Meherrin, VA. Little additional information was available, but a reverse address search of the location in Meherrin where MOA operates another residential settlement turned up a similar name - Isiah Haqq, which could possibly be a relative or an alias. [UPDATE: An additional search via whitepages.com, thanks to a contact of mine, did match Ismail Haqq to the MOA location in Meherrin. In fact, the address and phone number for Ismail Haqq is the same as Isiah Haqq. The relation is unconfirmed - it could be a relative, though MOA members are often known to use aliases].
> Ishoc Uthman Ibn-Abdus Salaam, of Pamplin, VA. I am told he is the son of an elder MOA member.
> Cherubin Pierre of Richmond, VA. I am unsure of any familial relationship at this point, but it is possible he is a relative of an MOA member of the same last name - Vincent Rafael Pierre. Vincent Pierre was part of a Fuqra cell in Colorado during the '90s and was involved in various white collar criminal schemes. He later joined the MOA community at Red House, VA. He and his wife were arrested for illegally purchasing guns in 2001.
Al-Fuqra: Organized crime. Jihadi style.