How did an Islamic cleric, who had dedicated his life to understanding the Koran and the teachings of Islam, come to misunderstand Islam so thoroughly as to get involved in a terror plot? And this guy was a moderate, also — someone who had cooperated with the FBI in the past. You’d think that a case like this would hit some people with a cluebat and get them to rethink what they think they know about the Koran and Islam — but it probably won’t.
“Cleric Indicted In Alleged NYC Terror Plot,” from CNN, October 21 (thanks to Pamela):
NEW YORK (CNN) – A Muslim cleric and funeral director from New York has been indicted on charges that he lied to federal agents about a Colorado man who has been charged with plotting a terrorist attack in the city.
Ahmad Wais Afzali, 37, was indicted late Monday on four counts of making false statements to federal agents, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York….
Afzali was charged in September with lying to the FBI in its investigation of Najibullah Zazi, who has since been charged with plotting a terrorist attack. Afzali pleaded not guilty at that time.
Afzali, who is from the New York borough of Queens, was released a few days after his arrest on $1.5 million bail. He is allowed to travel to work and the mosque for worship, and is under electronic monitoring.
Zazi, 24, and his father, Mohammed Wali Zazi, were arrested in September by federal agents in Denver, Colorado. The elder Zazi also was charged with making false statements to investigators.
Najibullah Zazi was indicted 10 days later by a federal grand jury in New York on one count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction – bombs – against unspecified targets in the the United States.
The Zazis have pleaded not guilty.
Investigators have said that the younger Zazi plotted to make bombs from household chemicals, and planned to be in New York “with the intent of using” a bomb on September 11….