Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A Mosque Comes to Rock Hill, South Carolina



Rock Hill, South Carolina is going to have a mosque. The Carolinas have attracted a sizable Islamic community; some of its members are undesirable. Just recently, a jihadist blogger from Charlotte, North Carolina spirited to Yemen. Sabir Khan was on the FBI’s radar, but allowed him to escape:


Intelligence sources told national news organizations Monday that they believe Khan is the top editor of "Inspire," an online magazine designed as a recruiting tool for the group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.


Myrick, a Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee, told the Observer she's frustrated.


"It becomes clear to me that he had contacts with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula while he was in the U.S.," she said. "And if that's the case, the intelligence community should have been able to discover that. And if they knew it and didn't do something, that raises more red flags."

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/21/1574224/myrick-us-failed-to-halt-area.html#ixzz0xfRc3fX8

Khan is not the only Muslim in the area who’s had ties to terrorist organizations. The Holy Land Foundation – a front group for Hezbollah – was operating in the Carolinas:

One of the fund-raising groups that had connections to North Carolina was the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which formerly was based in Richardson, Texas. The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets named the charity a specially designated terrorist organization and shut it down in 2001.


The foundation was a front organization for Hezbollah and sponsored offices and fund-raisers nationwide, including in Charlotte. The foundation was one of the largest Islamic charities in the United States, raising about $13 million annually

Many in the Charlotte area will remember their cigarette running operation to Michigan:

In July 2000, the FBI charged 18 people with smuggling contraband cigarettes from North Carolina to Michigan and money laundering. According to authorities, author Steve Emerson says in his book American Jihad, what the smugglers were really doing was “providing currency, financial services, training, false documentation and identification, communications equipment, explosives, and other physical assets to Hezbollah, in order to facilitate its violent attacks.”

York, South Carolina has an Islamic enclave. The community calls itself Islamville, South Carolina. All residents are obliged to swear allegiance to Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani:

Gilani says on (one) tape, “Life is becoming more hard for Muslims; therefore, every Muslim man or woman should learn to defend himself or herself. We are establishing training camps. You can reach us in South Carolina or Pakistan, wherever we are.”


It’s not known for sure where or when the tape was made, but it does show someone teaching guerilla warfare including weapons training. Sheriff Bryant says neighbors often report hearing gunfire coming from the York County compound.


At least once a month anywhere from 500 to 1,000 Muslims converge on Islamville. The sheriff says his office is always told in advance and there are few if any problems. Nevertheless, his deputies patrol the area on a regular basis.


Ali Rashid an Islamville elder. He was recruited by Gilani 25 years ago in Pakistan. He told us that Islamville is “an open community and we don’t hide anything.”


After seeing our camera, Rashid said, “I’m sure you just photographed and what you just photographed is all there is.”

Notice how the neighbors reported gun shots and other suspicious activity.

Considering the track record of Muslims in the Carolinas, I hope that the citizens of Rock Hill cast a suspect eye on this mosque; that means an account of its members and particularly who is funding it.

Source:  http://www.carolinajournal.com/articles/display_story.html?id=3816
http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/05/08/welcome-to-islamville-sc/

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