Arizona: Trial opens in 1990 murder of Muslim who changed Qur'an and declared himself a new prophet

Rashad Khalifa was one of the first people murdered on U.S. soil for departing from Islamic orthodoxy. There will be many more. "Trial opens in 1990 slaying of teacher at Tucson mosque," by Kim Smith for the Arizona Daily Star, December 12:

Soad Rayan Khalifa cried softly Tuesday afternoon as she recalled the long ago day she found her brother dead on the floor of the mosque where he studied and taught.
He was on his back with "many, many stab wounds" evident from his neck down. His fingers were slashed horribly.

She remembered grabbing his hand and finding it cold.

Tuesday was the first day in the trial of Glen Francis, who is charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 31, 1990, death of Rashad Khalifa, 54.

During opening statements, Deputy Pima County Attorney Casey McGinley told jurors Khalifa's religious beliefs and teachings brought about his demise. He had received death threats from all over the world, in part because he believed two verses did not belong in the Quran.

"This is a case about many suspects, but the evidence only points to one killer," McGinley said.

In the months after Khalifa's death, McGinley said, many potential suspects were ruled out, but one remained intriguing because he disappeared the day of the slaying.

Benjamin Phillips had come to the mosque saying he wanted to learn more about Islam, but he sometimes seemed to know more than he let on, McGinley said. In addition, he sometimes spoke with a Jamaican accent and sometimes did not.

Phillips couldn't be located, however, and the case went cold.

At least until 1994, McGinley said.

That year the FBI in Dallas received a tip that a resident named J.Q. Wall might be Phillips, McGinley said.

Wall denied ever having been in Arizona, but he told agents he was aware of Khalifa's teachings and, as a Muslim, he "deserved what he got," McGinley said.

He provided agents a hair sample and fingerprints but disappeared the next day.

Although agents weren't able to track him down, they were able to confirm Wall and Phillips were the same person.

Twelve years later, Phillips was linked to blood evidence found at the murder scene through DNA analysis, McGinley said.

Eventually, Phillips was arrested in Canada and his real name, Glen Francis, was discovered....

Soad Khalifa explained to jurors that her brother believed in the "beautification" of their religion. After studying the Quran for years, he found a mathematical code and came to believe two verses were satanic. In his English translation of the Quran, he removed those verses, she said.

Her brother also came to believe he was a messenger of God, although most Muslims believe Muhammad was God's last messenger, she testified. He also taught that people should follow the word of God and not that of human beings.

"Not only did they not like it, they hated it," she said of her brother's detractors. "They were outraged. 'How dare he!' "

Although her brother was concerned about the death threats, he took few precautions, she testified....

« Previous Entry | Home Page | Next Entry »

11 Comments

| Leave a comment

duh_swami | December 12, 2012 6:41 AM | Reply

His fingers were slashed horribly.

Shades of Quran 8:12...It is a serious violation of sharia to add or take out anything in Quran...It is Allah's book and may not be altered...To do so is apostasy, which carries the death penalty...When there is no Caliph to order it or carry it out, it becomes the duty of the pious to kill the apostate, because he does not deserve to live...Francis did the right thing according to Allah...Another instance where sharia and US law conflict...

https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawn83mDBpmIe7iCBoUTgmARPwwT18ZFn2Yo | December 12, 2012 7:02 AM | Reply

Khalifa's discovery has to do with the cryptic verse 74:30 "On it is nineteen." Using a computer, he analyzed the numerical significance of verses in the Quran as well as the frequency of certain words, and using the data he created this theory of "satanic" verses. Today there is still a cultish group that believes in this concept, and you can read about them at www.19.org. Edip Yuksel has published "Quran - A Reformist Translation" relying heavily on Khalifa's theories. The translation is a joke. Surah 47:4 about striking necks of unbelievers is rendered "strike the control center."

sheik yer'mami | December 12, 2012 7:49 AM | Reply

Farraklown would qualify for "departing from Islamic orthodoxy".

Malcolm X departed the same way.

miriam rove | December 12, 2012 8:57 AM | Reply

and he said he was the messenger of god.....
My fellow JW readers/bloggers: prophet Muhammad may SBUP his face said: I am the last messenger of god and noone else will be coming after me. Since as well all know his words indisputable my Muslims they did this guy in as well. In Iran the Bahia are persecuted and killed simply because 200 years their leader proclaimed that he was a prophet.
M

salah | December 12, 2012 10:14 AM | Reply

"Two verses were satanic"

And guess what?
Muhammad and his followers bowed down in honor of receiving this satanic revelation.
(Ibn Ishaq, p. 165-166, The Life of Muhammad)

http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2011/10/muhammad-and-satan_24.html

minoria | December 12, 2012 10:27 AM | Reply

Guys check out:

"Check out “The Jinn and Tonic Show” and also the Videos of the Show in Youtube(Here is “Was Muhammad a Fraud?”)"

http://www.antisharia.com/2012/12/12/check-out-the-jinn-and-tonic-show-and-also-the-videos-of-the-show-in-youtubehere-is-was-muhammad-a-fraud/

AND ALSO

"A Real Genetic Disaster:the Statistics on 1st and 2nd Cousin Marriage among Muslims"

http://www.antisharia.com/2012/01/17/a-real-disasterthe-statistics-on-1st-and-2nd-cousin-marriage-among-muslims/

LemonLime | December 12, 2012 1:16 PM | Reply

What kind of name is "Glen Francis" for a Muslim fanatic who murders another Muslim for takfir?

It reminds me of the culprits in the New Jersey Armanious family slayings -- "Edward McDonald" and "Hamilton Sanchez" ("Hamilton"...? what kind of Hispanic names their child "Hamilton"? -- perhaps fans of the Federalist Papers...).

One little fact that nobody seems to have brought to public light sufficiently about that New Jersey massacre in 2005. Even if McDonald and Sanchez were not Muslim and were merely murderous thugs (and those two categories -- of Muslim and murderout thug -- are all too often indistinct), McDonald, years prior to the massacre, had been housed in a prison in New Jersey in which an extra-ordinary quantity of Muslims were being detained in the aftermath of 911 (when law enforcement was still rational and deemed it prudent to round up Muslims and detain them). Imagine a low-life scumbag career criminal always looking for a way to make a good score, suddenly surrounded by Muslims in a prison situation. Is it inconceivable that Muslims hired him to do a "hit"?

Anyway, if "Glen Francis" can be a murderous Muslim, then so too can "Edward McDonald". Did anyone at the time even bother to determine if McDonald was a convert?

Kepha | December 12, 2012 1:36 PM | Reply

Well, America just lost its chance to have its very own Bab or Baha'ullah.

gravenimage | December 12, 2012 1:40 PM | Reply

Arizona: Trial opens in 1990 murder of Muslim who changed Qur'an and declared himself a new prophet

Rashad Khalifa was one of the first people murdered on U.S. soil for departing from Islamic orthodoxy. There will be many more.
................................

There will, indeed. God knows this is rife all over Dar-al-Islam, where both minority-sect Muslims—Shi'ites, Ahmadis, Alawites—are slaughtered, but also individual "blasphemers", as well.

Soad Rayan Khalifa cried softly Tuesday afternoon as she recalled the long ago day she found her brother dead on the floor of the mosque where he studied and taught.

He was on his back with "many, many stab wounds" evident from his neck down. His fingers were slashed horribly.
................................

"His fingers were slashed horribly"—this likely was done in reference to Qur'an (8:12) - "...I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their fingertips off them."

Tuesday was the first day in the trial of Glen Francis, who is charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 31, 1990, death of Rashad Khalifa, 54.
................................

"Glen Francis"—I wonder what his Muslim name is. Anyone reading this casually would assume an American "Islamophobe" had murdered a Muslim—instead, of course, it was a pious Muslim murdering an unorthodox Muslim.

During opening statements, Deputy Pima County Attorney Casey McGinley told jurors Khalifa's religious beliefs and teachings brought about his demise. He had received death threats from all over the world, in part because he believed two verses did not belong in the Quran.
................................

McGinley is not entirely correct. It was *not* Khalifa's religious beliefs that brought about his demise—it *was the religious beliefs of those who threatened and murdered him*.

This is *not* a fine distinction. There are all sorts of people with unorthodox religious beliefs—you can hear them ranting on the subways on a regular basis. You can also, in some cases, buy their books on Amazon.

In the civilized world, most people simply ignore them. The worst that happens is that they get kicked out of their more orthodox churches or temples.

"This is a case about many suspects, but the evidence only points to one killer," McGinley said.
................................

"Many suspects"—so true. Most pious Muslims, indeed, would be suspects in this case. What does that say about Islam? (this is a rhetorical question)

In the months after Khalifa's death, McGinley said, many potential suspects were ruled out, but one remained intriguing because he disappeared the day of the slaying.
................................

Aren't people troubled by the fact that there were a plethora of suspects *in Arizona in 1990*? Most Muslims in America were keeping a pretty low profile then, since they were such a tiny part of the population, and were over ten years away from being emboldened by 9/11.

And yet, many were moved to, at least, the contemplation of savagery when faced with a "blasphemer".

Benjamin Phillips had come to the mosque saying he wanted to learn more about Islam, but he sometimes seemed to know more than he let on, McGinley said. In addition, he sometimes spoke with a Jamaican accent and sometimes did not.
................................

This makes it seem likely that Phillips—Francis—had deliberately come to Khalipha's Mosque with the idea of killing him for his unorthodox beliefs. In that case, this is first degree murder.

Wall denied ever having been in Arizona, but he told agents he was aware of Khalifa's teachings and, as a Muslim, he "deserved what he got," McGinley said.
................................

Even a Muslim murder suspect *intent on throwing off suspicion* cannot help but openly say that this "blasphemer" deserved his bloody murder. *Ugh*.

Eventually, Phillips was arrested in Canada and his real name, Glen Francis, was discovered....
................................

J.Q. Wall, Benjamin Phillips, Glen Francis—I still wonder what his Muslim name is...

Soad Khalifa explained to jurors that her brother believed in the "beautification" of their religion.
................................

Didn't the victim realize that Islam can't be "beautified"? Apparently not. And he died for it...

dumbledoresarmy | December 12, 2012 5:23 PM | Reply

I clicked on the link and read the whole of the report.

It includes this little tidbit - "At the time of the slaying, Francis, 52, was living in the U.S. illegally...".

Yet another good reason for tightening up and enforcing immigration law.

He was arrested in Canada. He sometimes had a Jamaican accent and sometimes not.

Question: **where was he born**?

Canada? Jamaica or another Caribbean country?

Aha! **Thought so**!

I googled his name and got this:

http://tpdinternet.tucsonaz.gov/PDFs/Media/Cold%20Case%20Homicide%20Arrest%20-%20Glen%20C.pdf

which tells me that he is *a citizen of Trinidad*.

Of all the Caribbean countries, Trinidad & Tobago has the single biggest Mohammedan colony, due largely to the fact that during the days of the British Raj people from India - Hindus (including the family who would produce Sir V S Naipaul) and ...MUSLIMS.

Most Muslims in T & T are of Indian ethnicity but there are also black Afro-Caribbean converts to Islam.

'Francis' might be either an Indian-background convert to Islam; or an Afro-Caribbean nominally-Christian-background convert to Islam; or someone whose parents had converted to Islam but not changed their names.

I know of at least one case in which a Muslim from T & T was involved in the hatching of a Jihad plot on US soil, and I also recall that although all Muslims in T & T only add up to about 6 % of the total population, in 1990, specifically on **Friday** 27 July, a group of 114 armed Muslims from the jihad outfit 'Jamaat al Muslimeen' "stormed the country's Parliament and held the then Prime Minister, Arthur N R Robinson and other government ministers hostage at gun point for several days. Robinson was also shot and wounded. At least one government minister died during the insurrection."

(Hm; I wonder whether the Toronto 18 jihad plotters, with their grandiose scheme to attack the Parliament of Canada and behead the then Prime Minister, were thinking of that earlier attack on the T & T parliament?).

LemonLime | December 12, 2012 5:26 PM | Reply

"...he believed two verses did not belong in the Quran..."

Only two? I'd say it's more like about 270. After one deletes all the hateful and violence-inciting verses from the Koran -- the bulk of it -- one is left with a very slim paperback novel, with the remaining content being either 1) abstruse nonsense; 2) tediously arcane irrelevancies; or 3) seemingly unobjectionable, but also unremarkable bromides.

NOTE: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.

FrontPageMag.com

Books by Robert Spencer

The Muslim Brotherhood in America, by Robert Spencer

Islamophobia: Thoughtcrime of the Totalitarian Future

Muslim Persecution of Christians, by Robert Spencer

The Ground Zero Mosque: Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks

“My comrade-in-arms, my pal, my buddy.”
— Oriana Fallaci

“Robert Spencer incarnates intellectual courage when, all over the world, governments, intellectuals, churches, universities and media crawl under a hegemonic Universal Caliphate’s New Order. His achievement in the battle for the survival of free speech and dignity of man will remain as a fundamental monument to the love of, and the self-sacrifice for, liberty.”
— Bat Ye’or

“Robert Spencer is indefatigable. He is keeping up the good fight long after many have already given up. I do not know what we would do without him. I appreciate all the intelligence and courage it takes to keep going despite the appeasement of the West.”
— Ibn Warraq

“America's most informed, fearless, and compelling voice on modern jihadism.”
— Andrew C. McCarthy, Senior Fellow at National Review Institute

“Robert Spencer is the leading voice of scholarship and reason in a world gone mad. If the West is to be saved, we will owe Robert Spencer an incalculable debt.”
— Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs

"The consummate Islam critic and expert." — Bruce Bawer

“Over the years, we have become friends, and I have received his assistance on several pieces of legislation I proposed.”
— Former Congressman Tom Tancredo

“Few people are capable of applying scholarship, analytical reasoning, and objectivity to their topic -- while simultaneously being readable and witty -- as can Robert Spencer.”
— Raymond Ibrahim

“A national treasure...The acclaimed scholar of Islam.”
— Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy

“I am indeed honored to call him my friend.”
— Brad Thor, novelist

“A top American analyst of Islam....A serious scholar...I learn from him.”
— Daniel Pipes

“A brilliant scholar and writer.”
— Douglas Murray

"One of my best teachers."
— Ashraf Ramelah, Voice of the Copts

“Thank God there’s at least one man with balls left in the West.”
— Kathy Shaidle, Five Feet of Fury

“I read people like [Mark Steyn] and Bob Spencer and the rest of them, and I say, ‘Boortz, you’re pretending you’re an author. These people really are. They really write some entertaining, some standup stuff.’”
— Neal Boortz

“Robert Spencer is the Stephen King of Jihad.”
— Chris Gaubatz, Muslim Mafia

“Armed with facts and fearlessness, Spencer stands up for Western civilization.”
— Michelle Malkin

“Widely read in conservative foreign policy circles.”
— New York Times

“Widely read in many quarters in Washington.”
— Washington Post

“A canny operative who likely has the inside track on the State Department’s Middle East affairs desk should the tea party win the White House.”
— New York Magazine

“A hero of the American right.”
— Karen Armstrong

"The leading anti-Islamic intellectual in the United States....The go-to Islam expert for the right wing."
— Salon Magazine

“Robert Spencer is an Edward Said turned upside down.”
— Stephen Suleyman Schwartz

“One of the nation's most notorious Islamophobes.”
— Hamas-linked CAIR

"Geller and Spencer are probably the most important propagandizing Islamophobes in the world. These people's voices speak very loudly — not just here in the United States but overseas."
— Heidi Beirach, Southern Poverty Law Center

“Satanic ignoramus.”
— Khaleel Mohammed

“The Likud anti-Christ.”
— Dar al-Hayat newspaper (Saudi Arabia)

“Zionist Crusader, missionary of hate, counter-Islam consultant.”
— Al-Qaeda’s Adam Gadahn, “Azzam the American”