* A dollar for every Muhammedan who commits Immigration Fraud:
Masood Was Leader Of Islamic Center Of New England
BOSTON – A local imam who pleaded guilty to immigration fraud charges faces sentencing in federal court.
Muhammad Masood is the former spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of New England’s mosque in Sharon.
The arrest of Masood and another local imam in November 2006 prompted an outcry from local Muslims who accused the government of charging the men simply because they are Muslim.
* Surely Australian resident Islamist lawyer Yusuf Irfan would come down like a ton of bricks on this criminal, since he is so concerned about immigration fraud. Ayaan Ali Hirsi seems to bother him especially…
Masood is a citizen of Pakistan and has lived in the United States for about 20 years. He admitted lying to immigration officials after he applied to become a permanent U.S. resident in 2002.
Federal prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of three years probation, with no prison time, when Masood is sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court.
Masood’s guilty plea could lead to his deportation.
A family with a history of immigration fraud:
Hafiz Saeed Lashkar-e-Taiba: Brother deported from US
Hafiz Saeed’s brother in US immigration trouble
WASHINGTON: A controversial imam at a Massachusetts mosque, with his visa status already in question, has been given notice to leave his residence on the grounds of the Sharon mosque, headquarters of the Islamic Centre of New England. Imam Muhammad Masood is the brother of Hafiz Saeed, founder of the Pakistan-based Markaz Dawaatul Irshad and Jammatud Daawa.
Attorney George Garfinkle has said that the Pakistani cleric has been asked to leave “sometime soon”, though not by a specific date. “The government is leaning on them, and they’re trying to do the right thing legally,” Garfinkle told the newspaper Patriot Ledger. Garfinkle also confirmed that some former Islamic Centre board members have been called before a federal grand jury in Boston over the past month in connection with the investigation of Imam Masood’s alleged visa violations. He did not identify who was called. Board president Rashid Noor has declined comment about the grand jury appearances. Imam Masood is expected to have a visa hearing within the next few months. He could be deported at that time. Imam Masood, his son, Hassan, and a Chelmsford imam were picked up by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents on November 15 as part of a multi-state sweep of 33 mostly Pakistani immigrants. Most of those in other states were charged with having fraudulent religious-worker visas. Imam Masood has led the Sharon mosque since 1998. He and his family have continued to live on the mosque property since his release on bail, but he hasn’t led prayer services or performed other duties since then. khalid hasan
Continued:
Hafiz Saeed’s brother and family deported
WASHINGTON: Imam Hafiz Muhammad Hamid, brother of Hafiz Saeed of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was deported along with his family from the United States on Sunday. He is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday morning. Hafiz Hamid was imam at the Islamic Centre of Greater Worcester, Massachusetts, and had been fighting immigration regulation infringements for the last several months. His other brother, Hafiz Muhammad Masood, is also fighting deportation and is now waiting for the next hearing of a US federal immigration court on October 11 this year. On Friday, June 1, his friends and supporters arranged a fundraiser to Hamid and his family. In 2000, the deported imam came to the US to attend a finance conference organised by the Harvard Programme for Islamic Finance. He stayed on to become the imam of the Worcester mosque. He worked closely with the Islamic Society of Boston. Before coming to the US, he is believed to have been in charge of the Lashkar-e-Taiba safe house at Moon Chowk, Lahore, a “facility” that no longer exists. khalid hasan
Also Clickhttp://misskelly.typepad.com/miss_kelly_/2006/12/the_two_boston_.html
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