[wvns] IMAM'S LEGAL WOES LEAVE HIS FOLLOWERS FRUSTRATED
IMAM'S LEGAL WOES LEAVE HIS FOLLOWERS FRUSTRATED
By Erin Conroy
Globe Correspondent
June 7, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/06/07/imams_legal_woes_leave_his_followers_frustrated_1181154091?mode=PF
Just weeks after their imam, or spiritual leader, was arrested last
fall by federal agents and stripped of his work authorization, members
of the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon found themselves
standing around a body in the mosque, wondering who would lead the
prayers for the deceased.
"Many members said Imam Masood should lead the prayer; half said he
shouldn't," said Omar Abdala, who attends the center. "At the end of
the day, he took someone aside and reminded him how to do a funeral
prayer, and that person did it. But that whole issue is just an
example of the type of resentment that is fostering."
It has been half a year since Hafiz Muhammed Masood was arrested on
visa fraud charges. The most serious charges against him have been
dropped. But he is still not allowed to work, leaving the Islamic
Center struggling to find ways to continue without its leader.
The situation poses daily difficulty and frustration not only for the
mosque, say those familiar with the situation, but also for Masood, a
Pakistan-born father of eight .
"The effect on the community has been terrible, especially for Friday
prayer and social gatherings. We are missing him," said Khaled Attia,
who is on the board of directors for the Islamic Center of New England.
"He's a very honorable man, and it's not easy for a man like him to be
put in a position where he can't support his family," said Hossam
AlJabri, Boston chapter president of the Muslim American Society and a
member of the mosque. His children attend the adjacent school , where
Masood taught before his arrest. Community members and local
organizations have been providing financial assistance.
Masood was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents
in November during a nationwide sweep of an alleged scheme to provide
religious-worker visas for immigrants working secular jobs. The
charges stirred rallies of support for him outside of the courthouse
in Boston during a bond hearing, and criticism from leaders of
churches and temples in Sharon.
Although the immigration fraud charges were eventually dropped, Masood
still faces a lesser charge: that he overstayed his visa in the early
1990s -- which he denies. Last month, a hearing date was set for Oct.
11 to determine whether he, and possibly his family, should be deported.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials declined to comment on
the case.
For now, Masood, who was released on $7,500 bond, is finding his role
at the mosque in a state of uncertainty. Duties of the imam, including
weddings and family counseling, have been put off until Masood's legal
troubles are resolved.
"The mosque is very conscious about following all of the laws," said
AlJabri , so it has to follow the order that Masood not work. But, he
said, it was "very difficult for them to . . . ask him not to be the
imam. It was not an easy decision for them to make."
Masood, who has been an imam in Sharon since 1998, could not be
reached for comment.
Attia, the Islamic Center of New England board member, said Masood
still leads sermons and prayers occasionally because they are services
that can be performed by anyone in the community. But he said that
Masood and officials at the center are cautious about whether what he
does could be perceived as work -- especially considering that his
family lives on Islamic Center of New England property.
"We can't allow him to perform the regular duties as imam because we
are afraid he will get in trouble, and we will get in trouble," he said.
Because the role of imam is so vital, and the process to select one is
extensive, the center has decided to wait until his court date before
considering replacing him.
"There is tension, but anticipation that this will be resolved as fast
as possible so that we can get back to being a community," Attia said.
"We have fasted and had prayers at night. We are 100 percent behind him."
The original charges against Masood stemmed from an alleged link to
Muhammad Khalil , who was convicted in 2004 for a Brooklyn-based visa
fraud scheme in which he collected cash payments in exchange for
falsely stating that certain immigrants were religious leaders at his
mosque.
Officials have since dropped those charges against Masood, but allege
that he did not leave the country for two years in the early 1990s as
part of the conditions of his student visa, according to his lawyer,
William Joyce. Masood's son, Hassan, was also arrested in November in
connection with his father's visa.
Abdala, who heads the Boston chapter of the Muslim American Society's
Freedom Foundation , said the charges against the imam have left some
somber and others bitter.
"The primary feeling is of resentment, particularly that so many
resources are going into prosecuting such a frivolous case," Abdala
said. "The secondary feeling is a little bit of fear. To take Imam
Masood, who is very actively presenting a peaceful voice, isn't right."
Attia said he was most upset to hear about the October court date,
which falls almost a year after Masood's arrest. He said he was hoping
the imam would be back in time for Ramadan, a period of fasting which
falls in September.
"We were hoping this would be resolved before then," Attia said. "We
need him."
Erin Conroy can be reached at econroy @ globe.com.
===
To support Imam Masood, please visit
http://www.masboston.org/index.php?section=72
Muslim American Society Boston Chapter
MAS Boston
10 Garfield Avenue
Somerville MA 02145
Phone 617.623.3004
Fax 617.623.3004
www.masboston.org; info@masboston.org
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