Detroit FBI Raid Nets Teacher

(Detroit, Michigan) A physical education teacher at A.L. Holmes Elementary School, Garry Laverne Porter (aka Mujahid), was arrested by the FBI in this week's roundup of Islamist radicals. Porter is charged with conspiracy to commit federal crimes and possession of firearms or ammunition by a convicted felon.

He was one of eight men taken into custody Wednesday, accused of being part of a group that calls itself Ummah and aims to establish a separate Islamic nation within the United States.

The federal complaint says the group committed crimes, including theft and smuggling. The group’s leader, Luqman Ameen Abdullah, was killed in a shootout during Wednesday’s raids, federal officials said.

Porter has been suspended from his teaching position without pay.

By the way, according to this page, it's not uncommon to find convicted felons in Michigan schools.

[Add.] Interestingly, according to this report, CAIR has weighed in.

Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Affairs, said that members of the Muslim community were "shocked" at Abdullah's death.

"He was well-known and respected. No-one that I have talked has said that he was linked to any sort of extremist groups, overseas or here at home," he told Al Jazeera.

"I do not have any knowledge as to the veracity of the allegations [against Abduallah and his 10 followers] but if the allegations are true, what does that have to do with Islam or Muslims?

"The charges that have been filed against the 11 suspects have no relation or linkage to their religion - they are gun charges. We resent the fact that the FBI has linked religion to these gun charges."

That settles it, I guess. The FBI raid of radical Islamists had nothing to do with religion. It was all about criminal gun offenses.

Funny, eh? When Islamists get popped, it's never about Islam.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.