2 local imams arrested in alleged visa scheme (at least 1 is anti-gay activist)

[Ian David]

2 local imams arrested in alleged visa scheme
33 suspects in all held nationwide

By Yvonne Abraham and Raja Mishra, Globe Staff | November 16, 2006

Federal immigration agents arrested imams from two Boston-area mosques yesterday on charges they were involved in a scheme that provided religious worker visas to immigrants who used them to enter the United States and work instead as gas station attendants, truck drivers, and factory laborers.

Hafiz Abdul Hannan , imam , or leader, of the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell in Chelmsford, and Muhammed Masood , imam of the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon, were among 33 people taken into custody nationwide after a multi-year investigation led by agents in Boston and New York, said Paula Grenier , a spokeswoman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"This was a nationwide religious worker visa fraud scheme designed to help illegal aliens," said Grenier. "These people had to be solely engaged in religious employment, and in many cases were not."

Under the Religious Worker Program, started in 1990, churches, synagogues, and mosques can ask the government to approve visas for foreigners to fill vacant positions. Several thousand visas are issued each year that permit immigrants to enter the United States exclusively for religious employment. To obtain the visa, immigrants must have religious training and experience in their native country. Once here, they are not allowed to hold secular jobs. The religious worker permits can ultimately lead to green cards, or permanent residency.

Under the scheme, described by federal authorities yesterday, the immigrants, who were mostly Pakistani, paid a fee to US religious organizations, which then sponsored them for the visas. Federal immigration officials believe that abuse of the program is widespread: an August 2005 audit found signs of fraud in more than 30 percent of applications.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/11/16/2_local_imams_arrested_in_alleged_visa_scheme/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+City%2FRegion+News


Hey, wouldn't you know that at least one of these guys was "Pro-Family"?


Brown and Yellow, Black and White-All Join Together to Protect Marriage From Homosexual Incursions

Homosexual activists have worked mightily to portray their movement in a positive light, and one of their most important strategies in this regard has been to drum into the public mind the proposition that the push for homosexual rights in the 1990s is on a par with the push for civil rights for blacks in the 1960s.

<snip>

Literally brown and yellow, black and white, these good folks included Iman Talil Eid, from the Islamic Center of New England; Steve Chin, the Asian-American pastor of the largest Asian Church in New England; Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr.; several black pastors, including the Rev. Gilbert Thompson, pastor of the largest African-American church in New England; and Roman Catholic Bishop John McNamara. The event also included a statement read by Brian Camenker, representing Grand Rabbi Y. A. Korff, head of the Hasidic Rabbinical Court for New England.

This diverse group assembled to participate in a news conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Coalition for Marriage, held prior to hearings the same day on the Massachusetts Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. As coalition organizer and President of the Massachusetts Family Institute Matt Daniels said at the beginning of the press conference, the "act is modeled on a federal law, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, and is similar to legislation passed in 29 other states around the country."

More:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_199906/ai_n8876578

See also:


Queer allies
The little-noticed alliance between gay marriage opponents and alleged terrorist sympathizers
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1203/marriage_terrorists.php3

Edited to add:
I do not mean to imply that this person is necessarily connected with terrorism.

[AlamoDemoc]

1. They weren't arrested because they were "Anti-gay", as your headline alleged, BTW (n/t)

[Vorta]

2. Isn't "anti-gay imam" redundant and repetitive?

For what imaginable reason does this visa program even exist? What the hell is a "religious worker"?

[Ian David]

3. There are actually liberal and even pro-gay (and gay) Imams

I'm not sure what their average life-expectancy is, but they exist:

See:

Welcome to Progressive Muslims (PM), a hub site for people who seek to live their life according to the focus on ‘GOD Alone’ and are seeking ACTION.
http://progressivemuslims.org/


Al-Fatiha Foundation is dedicated to Muslims who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning, those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity, and their allies, families and friends. Al-Fatiha promotes the progressive Islamic notions of peace, equality and justice. We envision a world that is free from prejudice, injustice and discrimination, where all people are fully embraced and accepted into their faith, their families and their communities. Founded in 1998, Al-Fatiha Foundation is a registered US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization.
http://www.al-fatiha.org/

I've corresponded with the head of Al-Faitha, and he's not a big fan of the Jews, by the way. Sorry, you can't win them all.


See also:


Muslims step out at Gay Pride
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1405460.stm

[Vorta]

5. sigh

I've corresponded with the head of Al-Faitha, and he's not a big fan of the Jews, by the way. Sorry, you can't win them all.

I'm so tired.

[Ian David]

4. Amazing, isn't it, how the "Religious Class" gets preferential treatment in our country? n/t

[smirkymonkey]

6. Friends of Mitt Romney?

Anti-Gay Religious Whackjobs have to stick together.