His lawyers say that his case is “a perfect opportunity for the government to make good on its professed commitment to finding another way other than criminal prosecution to address instances of young Muslims being motivated by the humanitarian crisis in Syria to act in some way to alleviate that suffering.”
Why isn’t it a perfect opportunity for Muslims who want to alleviate the suffering in Syria to find another way to do so other than aiding jihad terror groups?
“Fremont man indicted on charges of he tried to aid terrorist group,” by Rick Hurd, Contra Costa Times, December 18, 2015:
SAN FRANCISCO — A Fremont man has been indicted on charges that he tried to provide aid to a foreign terrorist group, authorities said Thursday.
The indictment charges Adam Shafi, 22, with providing material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch and FBI special agent David J. Johnson.
The charges were unsealed during Shafi’s appearance in Superior Court on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim.
According to the indictment, Shafi tried to provide personnel to al-Nusrah Front (ANF), an organization the state department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. He did so despite knowing the organization engaged in terrorist activity, the indictment said.
An FBI affidavit alleges that agents stopped Shafi at San Francisco International Airport on June 30 before he boarded a nonstop flight to Istanbul, Turkey, a common entry point for terrorists hoping to cross the border into Syria. Authorities arrested him three days later.
The FBI affidavit detailed a number of conversations Shafi had with friends in the days and weeks leading up to that trip, authorities said.
Among the messages noted in the FBI affidavit were ones in which Shafi expressed his love of “Jaulani,” the emir of ANF, as well as his willingness to “die with them.” He also expressed a desire to spill “a couple of gallons of blood” for Allah.
AdvertisementOn Thursday, attorney’s representing Shafi said in a statement that Shafi is innocent and “there is no evidence that he was planning to do anything but fly to Istanbul, which is where he had been the year before for two days where he attempted to help the refugees and returned home.”
In a statement, the attorneys, Joshua L. Dratel and Erik B. Levin, denied that there were any statements from Shafi saying he intended to “go to Syria or join any designated terrorist group.”
They said that agents had Shafi under surveillance for almost a year, intercepted his telephone calls, interviewed him and his family, on two occasions searched his belongings at the airport, “all without producing evidence sufficient to arrest him for any offense.”
They claim the case is “a perfect opportunity for the government to make good on its professed commitment to finding another way other than criminal prosecution to address instances of young Muslims being motivated by the humanitarian crisis in Syria to act in some way to alleviate that suffering.”…