Muslim cleric and former U.S. chaplain’s home raided

[sonz]

The United Press International reported on Sunday that the Albany, N.Y., home of a Muslim cleric who’s also a former U.S. chaplain has been raided by members of a New York City-based counterterrorism task force.

Warith Deen Umar, a 61-year old and retired chaplain of the New York state prison system complained that his family`s computers were carted away by investigators.

"This is part of a continuous harassment. This is part of an attempt at intimidation. Frighten the Muslims, terrorize the Muslims in their homes, and they violated my civil rights," said Umar.

"They pushed their way in and they pushed my daughter, my wife, and said they had a warrant and then they cut off my communications," he added.

It’s noteworthy that no charges have been filed in connection with the Friday raid. But Umar said he was arrested on a misdemeanor gun charge following a scuffle with a tenant at the New York City building he owns.

"I didn't menace him, he menaced me. When I grabbed my shotgun he ran out the door. I had no intention of hurting anybody. If I wanted to, I could have followed him out there, I didn't," said Umar.

Umar said the gun wasn't loaded, and insists he should have the right to keep guns at home.

He said he was arrested for not registering the weapon with police, adding that investigators found a poem he wrote titled 'IED,' he called a satire about so-called improvised explosive devices used to attack U.S. occupying forces and others in Iraq.

'I’m a writer. I write satire,' Umar said. 'They took much of my writing.'

"So we hope the Muslim community will rise up and contend with this. This is unacceptable. They don't frighten me, they don't frighten me. They make me angry. They make me hate them more," said Umar.

Umar plans to consult a lawyer to take action against all of the agencies involved in the raid and the arrest.

Source: United Press International