FBI searches Islamic leader's home By DEREK KRAVITZ and ANNA SCIANNA September 19, 2006
FBI agents searched the home of a prominent Islamic community leader Monday, three days after FBI officials met with community members at the Columbia mosque to improve the bureau's often frosty relations with Muslims. A dozen agents searched the home of Shakir Abdul-Kaf Hamoodi and his wife, Lamya Mukhlef Najem, on Monday, said FBI spokesman Jeff Lanza. Agents showed up at Hamoodi's southwest Columbia home about 8 a.m. Monday, seizing boxes and computer equipment throughout the day, neighbors said, before leaving the quiet residential neighborhood about 4 p.m. Lanza said agents only searched Hamoodi's home, located at 2701 Woodberry Court, in The Pines subdivision, in connection with the search warrant. The reason for the raid has not been disclosed because details of the warrant are sealed. On Monday, federal agents also raided the offices of a Southfield, Mich., Muslim charity organization, Life for Relief and Development. Lanza would neither confirm nor deny whether the two searches were connected. Last February, Stephens College held a tsunami relief concert and gave all the proceeds to the Life for Relief and Development. Muslim leaders said that the timing of the two searches raised suspicions. "After learning about the Columbia raid, I have to say the timings are odd," said Ibrahim Hooper, the national communications director for the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. Reached at his home by phone Monday afternoon, Hamoodi said he cooperated fully with federal investigators. "They came in, asked questions, I told them the answers and they left," he said. He declined to discuss the nature of the questions he was asked. Hamoodi, 54, grew up in Anah, a town in central Iraq, and studied in Iraq, Scotland and France. After he immigrated to Columbia in 1985 with his wife, Lamya, 40. Hamoodi studied at MU and worked as an assistant research professor for the school's College of Engineering, before leaving that position. According to an article published in the Missourian in March 2003, Hamoodi has hundreds of relatives still in Iraq, including his parents and several brothers and sisters. Hamoodi and Najem have five American-born children. Hamoodi has owned and operated a grocery store, World Harvest International and Gourmet Foods, on Nifong Boulevard, since 2004. Najem is a teacher at the Islamic School of Columbia Missouri. Hamoodi was the former outreach coordinator for the Islamic Center of Central Missouri, organizing interfaith meetings with community leaders and peace demonstrations. Corey Brand, the center's president, described Hamoodi as a prominent and well-respected member of Columbia's Muslim community. "I've known him for a number of years, and to think he'd be capable of anything criminal. ... I just can't possibly believe that," Brand said. Brand said Hamoodi actively spoke out against the war in Iraq and was involved with several charitable organizations. "I've been opposed to sanctions, and I'm opposed to the United States' current foreign policy in the region," Hamoodi said in the 2003 Missourian article following the U.S. invasion of Iraq. "I sincerely do not find any justification for this." Monday's raid came three days after FBI agents met with Muslim community members at the Islamic Center of Central Missouri. At the meeting, community members raised concerns about being racially profiled following the October 2004 federal raid of the Islamic American Relief Agency's U.S. headquarters in Columbia. Hamoodi attended the meeting, organizers said. The U.S. Treasury Department has linked the IARA charity to the Sudan-based Islamic African Relief Agency, which they say has ties to Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaida and Hamas. No one has been charged in connection with that case. Brand said he did not know if Hamoodi donated any of his time or money to the IARA, which housed its U.S. headquarters in offices at 201 E. Cherry St. Several Columbia Muslim leaders said they felt personally targeted after the raid, which they said caused lasting damage within the Muslim community. Brand said he hopes the ongoing federal investigation doesn't undo the progress made at the last week's forum. "I think it has the danger of erasing the whole purpose of Friday - to reassure the Muslim community," Brand said. Related story <http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=21701> http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=21701 -- Raided charity aided by Columbian 9-20-2006 back to the top _____ FAIR USE NOTICE: All original content and/or articles and graphics in this message are copyrighted, unless specifically noted otherwise. All rights to these copyrighted items are reserved. 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