Pakistani Imam Arrested In Florida

CNN is reporting that two South Florida Imams and a third family member were arrested Saturday on charges of providing support to the Pakistani Taliban.

In addition, three others in Pakistan were also indicted on the same charges.
FBI agents arrested Hafiz Khan and his son Izhar Khan in South Florida, the Justice department said. They are expected to make their initial court appearance in federal court on Monday.

Another of Hafiz Khan's sons, Irfan Khan, was arrested in Los Angeles and will appear in court there.

Ali Rehman, Alam Zeb, and Amina Khan. are also charged.
The four-count indictment alleges that all six defendants conspired to provide material support to a conspiracy to kill, injure and kidnap people abroad, and that they provided support to the Pakistani Taliban.

Hafiz Khan is the Imam at Flagler Mosque in Miami. Izhar Khan, is an Imam at the Jamaat Al-Mu'mineen Mosque in Margate, Florida.

"Despite being an imam, or spiritual leader, Hafiz Khan was by no means a man of peace. Instead, as today's charges show, he acted with others to support terrorists to further acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming," U.S. Attorney Wilfredo A. Ferrer said. "But for law enforcement intervention, these defendants would have continued to transfer funds to Pakistan to finance the Pakistani Taliban, including its purchase of guns."

The indictment describes a number of occasions where Hafiz Khan transferred money to Pakistan, and where money was withdrawn once there.

Miami FBI special agent John Gillies said: "Today terrorists have lost another funding source to use against innocent people and US interests. We will not allow this country to be used as a base for funding and recruiting terrorists."

The indictment says that, on hearing seven American soldiers had been killed in Afghanistan, Hafiz Khan said in one recorded conversation that he hoped God would kill 50,000 more.
But Ikram Khan, another son of Hafiz Khan, said his father was too old and unwell to be involved in a plot.

Many Imams have been arrested on the charge of terrorism, for the last few years, instead of preaching peace and solidarity they support terrorism. Muslim who go to mosques need to be vigilant of such teaching and they needs to work together to reject terrorism.