Saifur Rahman Halimi
Saifur Rahman Halimi | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Known for | Chief representative of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in the USA |
Saifur Rahman Halimi was born in Afghanistan, and became a legal resident of the United States.[1] Following the arrest of bombing suspect Najibullah Zazi, and his father Mohammed Wali Zazi, the Associated Press characterized Saifur Rahman Halimi as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's "chief representative".
In 1996, Halimi was an expert witness in a sexual abuse case.[2][3] Mohammad Kargar, a man from Afghanistan who was living in Maine was tried for kissing his 18-month-old son's penis. Halimi testified about the cultural background of Kargar's act when he appealed his conviction. Kargar's conviction was overturned.
Newsday reported on October 14, 2001, five weeks after Al Qaeda's attacks on September 11, 2001, Halimi was a leader of one faction who were disputing control over New York City's largest mosque.[4]
Najibullah Zazi was a 24-year-old Afghan who had triggered suspicion that he had planned to explode a bomb or bombs in New York City on the eighth anniversary of Al Qaeda's attacks on September 11, 2001.[1] On October 4, 2009, the Associated Press offered a further trigger for suspicion—when Najibullah Zazi was a teenager in Queens, New York, his family lived in the same family as Saifur Rahman Halimi, and had attended the same mosque.
References
- ^ a b
Samantha Gross, David Caruso, Michael Rubinkam (2009-10-04). "Radical influences all around NYC terror suspect". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2009-10-04.
In Queens, Halimi became a trusted voice for Hekmatyar's cause and a vocal supporter of the global jihad. A video from one of Halimi's speeches in 1992 captures his zeal for a "pure Islamic system" in Afghanistan and denunciations of Western intervention. "In the very near future, we will liberate all human beings from these devils," he said then. "They know the power of Islam.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Steven G. Vegh (1996-06-21). "COURT REVERSES AFGHAN'S SEX CONVICTION MOHAMMAD KARGAR ACKNOWLEDGED KISSING HIS SON'S PENIS, BUT SAID IT WAS A CULTURAL GESTURE OF AFFECTION". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 2009-10-04.
- ^ "DEFENSE CITES CUSTOM, SEX CASE VOIDED". Philadelphia Inquirer. 1996-06-22. p. D07. Archived from the original on 2009-10-04.
- ^ Ron Howell (2001-10-14). "In Queens, a Mosque Divided / Afghan worshipers struggling for control over house of prayer". Newsday. Archived from the original on 2009-10-04.