January 26, 2010, - 3:56 am

Abu Ratib: Thousands More Like Him in Our Midst; UPDATED: Indictment – Ran HAMAS Charity Out Detroit Home

By Debbie Schlussel

**** UPDATE: Read the Masfaka/Abu Ratib indictment, which, at this point, is a DebbieSchlussel.com web exclusive. Note that he ran the Holy Land Foundation HAMAS fundraising out of his Farmington Hills, Michigan home. ****

I’ve long known about Mohamad Mustapha Ali Masfaka a/k/a Abu Ratib.  That’s because a lot of Christian and Druze Arab singers, whom I know, lost out on gigs to him because they weren’t Islamic extremists like he is.  I’ve always wondered about his immigration status and how he got citizenship, given his extremist views.

aburatib2

Now, I know why.  He lied on his immigration forms to cover up his ties to the HAMAS-finance arm in the U.S., the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. The scary thing is that this terrorist singer has been traveling North America (and Australia) spreading his jihadist singing baloney, to places like Kansas and throughout Canada for the anti-Israel, extremist Muslim Sabeel group.  He’s known as a “Munshid,” a singer of Islamic religious songs, all of them extremist and many of them anti-Semitic.  Ironically, in his bio, Masfaka brags about being in a play called, “Prophetic Immigration,” and about his presence at a conference where Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf Al-Qaradawi was the keynote speaker.

Abu Ratib, HAMAS/HLF Employee, Sings His Extremist Muslim Crap . . . .

And now he’s being prosecuted, fortunately, by the skilled ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) litigator, Mark Jebson, the same prosecutor who got terrorism convictions against both top Al-Qaeda official, Mohammed Al-Churbaji (whose son was an Obama fundraiser) and Islamic terrorist Ibrahim Parlak.

There are many, many Mohamad Masfakas in our midst–Muslims who lied on immigration forms to get green cards and citizenship and who are involved with financing Islamic terrorism. Just a few are like Masfaka in that they get caught and the government actually wants to pursue them. That’s not the case with, for example, Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi, who lied about his ties to Hezbollah, the Government of Iran, and Ayatollah Khomeini on federal immigration forms, and yet he’s still a citizen, spreading his hate everywhere.

And Masfaka/Abu Ratib is an example of yet another thing we see a ton of: to the non-Muslim world he preached the false message of “Islam’s tolerance,” while at the same time he was fund-raising for Islamic mass murder. They are almost always as two-faced as he is when it comes to “peace” and “tolerance.”

From a Justice Department press release, Friday:

Mohamad Mustapha Ali Masfaka, a 47-year-old native of Syria, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when he attempted to enter the United States from Canada via the Ambassador Bridge. Mr. Masfaka made his initial appearance in federal court in Detroit on an Indictment charging him with Attempted Naturalization Fraud, False Statements, and Perjury. . . .

The Indictment charges Mohamad Masfaka with lying to federal officials about his involvement with the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), an organization that was designated by the U.S. Department of Treasury on December 4, 2001, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. HLF was created in 1988 as a non-profit tax exempt charitable organization purportedly to assist needy individuals in the West Bank and Gaza. In addition to its main office in Richardson, Texas, HLF maintained offices in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and in other cities throughout the United States, including Detroit, Michigan. On November 24, 2008, a federal jury in Dallas, Texas convicted the HLF and five of its employees of 21 charges, including providing millions of dollars in material support to the designated terrorist organization, Hamas.

Masfaka’s Indictment alleges that he was employed by HLF in 1997 and 1998 and ran the HLF operations in the Detroit area to include organizing and participating in fund raising events for the HLF. The Indictment charges Masfaka with lying to both the FBI and U.S. immigration officials about his involvement with the HLF while the FBI was investigating that organization on criminal terrorism charges and in an attempt to gain U.S. citizenship. If convicted, Masfaka faces up to 23 years’ imprisonment and $750,000 in fines.

More:

Mohamad Mustapha Ali Masfaka, 47, often known as Abu Ratib, sings frequently to Muslim and Arab audiences in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, his attorney Doraid Elder said today. Local Muslims say that Ratib is well known for his singing, especially for Islamic religious songs known as nasheed. . . .

Born in Syria, Ratib was arrested by federal agents last week. An indictment was unsealed Friday that charges him with attempted naturalization fraud, making false statements to FBI investigators and immigration officials, and perjury. Federal officials say he misled investigators who were probing the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, a Muslim charity based in Texas that was convicted in 2008 of helping to fund Hamas.

The U.S. government contends that Ratib sang at Holy Land events and received a check from the charity for his help. They also say he referenced Hamas in some of his performances.

Yes, that’s what I heard, too.  But isn’t the the kind of meaningful “diversity” we’re supposed to celebrate (like you’d celebrate the diversity of pedophilia and multi-colored toe fungus)?

According to federal investigators, Masfaka was employed by Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development in 1997 and 1998 and ran the group’s operations in the Detroit area including organizing and participating in fund-raising events.

The group gave money to the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, investigators said. The U.S. government considers it a terrorist group.

But American Muslims, including Niraj Warikoo–the resident Detroit Free Press extremist Muslim who wrote this article–don’t.

In 2002, Masfaka failed to mention his employment with the Holy Land Foundation in an application for naturalization with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

In 2003, he told FBI agents he only worked for the group as a singer for fund-raising events but never received compensation.

However, investigators uncovered cashed checks showing that Masfaka’s role was more extensive than he admitted and that he had been paid for his work. . . .

Ratib has been written about in Muslim publications. In an April 2006 article in IslamOnline.net, Ratib is described as a Muslim singer who uses his “talent to promote the tolerant message of Islam and tune down the noise of misconceptions and stereotypes.” . . . .

The negative image of Islam after the Sept. 11 attacks, he said, “makes it incumbent upon us Muslims to craft out new ideas and tools to introduce the merciful, tolerant teachings of our religion.”

Yeah, tell a girl who lost her father to a HAMAS homicide bomb or a man who lost his legs about the “merciful, tolerant teachings of [his] religion.”

The article said Ratib was a member of the Canton-based Crescent Academy International, a school.

Canton is fast becoming the next city to be completely overtaken by Muslims, with a fast-growing Islamic population.

Elder said the government’s case against Ratib “is a stretch.”

He said that Ratib never worked for the Holy Land Foundation, and was not aware of any terrorist support.

“If I thought he was a terrorist, or a terrorist supporter, I would in no way be representing him,” Elder said.

Ha! That’s hilarious. Elder is an extremist Palestinian Muslim, whose sister-in-law, Judge Charlene Elder, now wears a hijab, as do most women in his radical family. He would jump at the chance to represent an Islamic terrorist, especially a Palestinian one. He just doesn’t believe anyone Muslim is a terrorist. They are, in his mind, legitimate resistance.

Kinda like the murderer football players Elder represented.




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32 Responses

You can’t believe anything a muzzie says. Muzzies invented the game of chess and they are always three moves ahead of us.

You only win by not playing with them.

Follower of Messiah on January 26, 2010 at 9:16 am

    I hate to break it to you but Chess was created in India around 400 AD, a few hundred years before islam started.

    Fay Fay on January 26, 2010 at 8:50 pm

Yes, the Sabeel group — I believe they have been a major player in getting the Christians up here in Canada (through the United Church, the Anglicans, etc.) to become supporters of Islamic extremism…(along with the requisite hate-filled screeds demonizing the State of Israel).

Lots of them in Canada. The only difference is that we don’t have an ICE agency to go after them and deport the ones who’ve entered the country on fraudulent claims. Instead we have their supporters by the thousands enabling them in every way imaginable. (Just lately, btw, the government here in Canada has been de-funding these terrorist supporting NGOs and others — and it has been shocking to discover just how many millions and millions of taxpayers’ monies have been funneled to these bastards through their so-called “human rights” organizations (which are really just front groups for Hezbollah and HAMAS)…and that original funding of millions and millions of dollars has been done, largely by the Liberal governments of the past — the Liberals allowed, organized and funded (with zero accountability and zero transparency) these groups — but Harper (Conservative Prime Minister) is attempting to put a stop to it.)

J.S. on January 26, 2010 at 10:34 am

Hi I just wanted to say I was a student in crescent academy a school that abu ratib taught at for almost 10 years.

He is the most gentle friendly compassinonate person you will ever meet. He has a heart of gold and is a very good person. He has never been violent or bitter or even displayed any sort of negative views of any sort.

The allegations held against him are a lie and he has never been an extremist at all if you understand arabic which I gaurentee you the writer of this article does not, you would see that the words in his song are entirely about peace and hope that the islamic community will be understood for the peaceful religon it is. Calling him an extremist is absolutly and completly ridiculous the writer of this article is an extremist in my eyes for even saying the things he/she does. The words you say are without knowledge and w/o proper understanding of the person or the situation.

O: Makes no difference how “compassinonate (sic)” or “gentle” to Muslims this immigration defrauder is. He committed naturalization fraud, lied to federal authorities investigating him, and ran a HAMAS front group out of his home. DS

Odeh on January 26, 2010 at 11:29 am

You do understand that all this man did was sing a song about a charity organization right thats all he did.

Abu ratib has sung for thousands of charitys he is the most acclaimed muslim singer in the world and has lent his support to so many charities and made the lives of so many poor people possible.

This is so low of you I cannot believe you even wrote this article its absolutly disgusting

O: What this man did is lie on his immigration, green card, and citizenship forms and then he lied to federal agents, and he ran a HAMAS front group out of his home, which is also illegal. Since you think it’s “low” and “absolutely disgusting” to point out that he committed naturalization fraud and lied to immigration agents, one wonders if you’ve done the same? Should we alert ICE? DS

Odeh on January 26, 2010 at 11:32 am

Odeh – which mosque, I mean Terrorist Indoctrination and Training Facility, do you currently go to? They obviously don’t teach you about the laws of the U.S. Don’t you see that enabling terrorists is a bad thing? If you don’t, leave my country now. Go blow yourself up in some other country.

Jarhead on January 26, 2010 at 11:48 am

    Interesting use of “my country” there. What exactly makes the U.S any more your country than anyone else born in it and living in it. The only people i can see claiming this would be the native americans. So i guess the proper response to your comment would be, “which tribe do you belong to?”

    Fay Fay on January 26, 2010 at 8:54 pm

    Okay, that must have been the funniest shit I have ever heard. Not to mention, that it just might be the most ignorant shit I have ever read. What the fuck? Like seriously Eminems crazy ass lyrics might just make more sense than this(love you Em!).
    Statisticly speaking the average American has an average education level of the fifth grade. You my child are exhibit A!

    Sarah on July 4, 2010 at 3:36 pm

It wouldn’t matter if they were versed in US laws. They still would not abide by them. They are suckling on the teet of US’s naivete about the Muslim culture and will eventually suck it dry if things do not change to make them accountable to the same laws everyone else is held to. I’ve seen it in action and it nauseates me!

Musiccgirl on January 26, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Since when have Muslims not been held accountable when breaking the law? To me its seems like they are scrutinized more than others because of their religious subscribtion. I was with my friend post 9-11 and he was pulled over for speeding (5mph over speed limit) by 4 cops. If he was white I don’t think that would have happend. I seriously don’t think it takes 4 cops to write one guy a ticket. But I mean hey he could have been a terrorist. Right? Damn Muslim Arab terrorist (can you sense the sarcasm?).
    Oh snaps you know what would have been really bad- if he was half Arab and half Black and to top that off he was Muslim-take that for an unlucky person living in the United States (sarcasm-I need to point it out for any dumbasses reading). I think those cops would have shot my friend for “speeding”. Anywho, I guess I’m going to make sure to stay away from people with that ethnic combination. Too riskay for a girl like me (sarcasms what I do best, yo). It aint cool to be a fool musicgirl.

    -Sarah Nunez

    Sarah on July 4, 2010 at 4:04 pm

As if things weren’t bad enough, here’s word that the US, working with its “partner” the UNHCR, intends to settle another 6.000 Somalis from a refugee camp in Uganda into the US.

http://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/are-you-sitting-down-un-sending-6000-more-somalis-to-us-this-year/

And here’s a bit of irony from the piece: “Explaining the reason of resettling Somalis to the US, Katura said Somali refugees have failed to integrate with other refugee groups living in Nakivale and with the local communities because of their unique language and culture.” Yep. They’re sure to fit right in with us in the US. I mean, don’t we share their language and culture?

Raymond in DC on January 26, 2010 at 1:23 pm

wow…do you see monsters around every corner? Seriously your point that you keep mentioning over and over again in response to responses about this man lying on his visa applications and running a terrorist organization out of his home is so PLAYED OUT. If you respond to me please use something else for gods sake. You do realize IF and that is a big IF (because things have yet to be proven in a court of law)this man did anything it would be to GIVE to a charity organization to help the poor…ie widows, orphans, build schools, etc. Whats so bad about this. Also remember these so called groups you say are terrorist organizations were only deemed terrorist organizations within the last few years by the US….before that the US were SUPPORTERS of Hamas! YES…SUPPORTERS of Hamas….should the US be indited too!

Sarah on January 26, 2010 at 2:31 pm

What this man did is lie on his immigration, green card, and citizenship forms and then he lied to federal agents, and he ran a HAMAS front group out of his home, which is also illegal. Since you think it’s “low” and “absolutely disgusting” to point out that he committed naturalization fraud and lied to immigration agents, one wonders if you’ve done the same? Should we alert ICE? DS

Cool it, first off lol go ahead and alert ICE, lol i think she just accused me of terrorism for stating my opinion.

Let me make this clear to you and I will respond to you respectfully something you seem incapable of doing. I am an american citizen born in Michigan and raised american. I love this country as much as any other person terrorism is disgusting and furthermore against islam.

Second danielle odds are he didnt lie about any of these things, rather, the FBI is concerned because he sang a song regarding palestine, the united states feels threatened due to the recent problems in the middle east and needs a way to ensure Abu Ratib is not a person who could do our country harm which knowing that our system is just and fair it will see that he is a peaceful person and let him go. As for his running a hamas front from his home…… I want to know your sources,where in the world you heard that, because the only thing he did was sing a song for a hamas charity, hamas is the current government of palestine branching from it are extremists who are in fact probably terrorists, the charity however would end up going towards sick kids and the needy.

@Jarhead

A Mosque to muslims is a place of worship, very similar to a church. Usually no one actually converses or talks to each other in a mosque u just pray and leave except on fridays where its like a sunday where an imam goes up and he talks to muslims about our religon about how its a religon of peace about how terrorism is wrong about how suicide bombing is wrong about how our youth shouldnt follow these paths as it can only lead to bad things.

I dont support terrorism at all… but i knew this man for 10 years he’s a very good and peaceful person. He’s not a terrorist, a terrist is a killer, he only sang for a charity. The naturalization charge fraud doesnt have much backing it.

Odeh on January 26, 2010 at 7:54 pm

I notice you took a shot at his attorney too, so his attorney is now an extremist due to the fact that his sister wears a hijab, infallible logic.

Odeh on January 26, 2010 at 7:56 pm

    I must say the real extremist on these forums is the author of this article. The logic does seem infallible /sarcasm

    Fay Fay on January 26, 2010 at 8:29 pm

Debbie, what exactly has caused your bitterness with the Muslims living in America? Was it your failed political career when you lost to Barbara Dobb and later Mr. Shulman? How exactly are we supposed to believe your articles when you have been exposed for spreading misinformation multiple times? How about the time where you claimed that our president Barack Obama was a Muslim after quoting an article that claimed he went to a Muslim school. In the article you wrote you clearly ignored several pertinent facts such as when he transferred to Catholic school and spent a few years at a CATHOLIC school.

It also seems as though you are claiming that Abu Ratib was a terrorist because he was associated with a group that may or may not be a charity for a terrorist group. In fact, the first trial for the Holy Land Foundation was brought to a mistrial and the second trial is still under appeal. By your logic guilt by association is perfectly acceptable. Bear in mind however, that just because one knows someone that does something illegal doesnt mean that they themselves are doing something illegal. This would be like saying that if one’s friends smoke Marjuana, then that one person should be tried for drug possession and usage just for knowing the person who does drugs.

Also, have you ever heard of the saying, “innocent until proven guilty” this is the foundation upon which America’s Judicial system is based upon. You cannot claim that Abu Ratib is in fact guilty of lying until it is proven in a court of law.

Fay Fay on January 26, 2010 at 8:26 pm

Re: “bitterness with the Muslims living in America”: Islam is an intolerant religion. Give them the majority vote and power and you will see a demand for sharia law. Look at London (aka Londonistan) where Muslims wear T-shirts with 2040 on it, indicating that is when they will have enough population and voting power to call shots for everyone. Think of the Christian church in Pakistan that was burned with people in it, just as in Nigeria. We should all be aware of this cancer among us.

fairdonald on January 27, 2010 at 5:28 pm

    I found it interesting that your brought up Nigeria in your previous argument. Perhaps you are not aware that in that country their were several Christian pastors who had several children murdered because of them being “witches”.

    You also may want to check your sources on “Londonistan” because as of the latest census Muslims barely make up of 3% of the entire population, no where near having a majority in the votes.

    I will not deny that there are some cases where Sharia law is incorrectly applied. However, it must be noted that whenever this occurs the media jumps upon the opportunity to mock the Islamic Law. In most cases however, Sharia law is very fair and Islamic law is what paved the way for equality in other religions. Islam was the first religion that allowed general freedom for all, including women.

    Fay Fay on January 27, 2010 at 11:42 pm

Wow, I have visited Ms. Schlussel’s website before and have always left shaking my head, and have never responded to her outrageous claims.

I have met Mr. Abu Ratib and he seems like a very lovely man with a heart of gold. I found him to be a person with very strong ethics, and would have no desire to lie.

As far as Canton, well I live there. I have been to the mosque you mention. You see, recently that mosque was part of a clothing drive for people of all religions. People who were Christian, Jews, Hindu, Atheist and all thsoe between went to the mosque to pick clothing that was freshly laundered in good condition because the community saw a need to help it’s fellow citizens out regardless of their creed.

Taht mosque has also allowed local christian schools to come tour, non Muslim girl scouts to attend scouting events and many other things.

It’s also a polling location for elections.

There was no attachment to any of those things other than to open it’s doors to fellow citizens of Canton. If it was extremist as you suggest then none of those things would happen.

American Girl on January 28, 2010 at 7:56 am

    According to your logic American Girl, all one has to do is give money, time or stuff to the poor and everything is fine and dandy. With that, then you would support the KKK because they used to do lots of charitable stuff for the poor back in the day, but does that mean that they are exempt from punishment when they commit crimes against non-members whom they despise?
    Are you saying the Hamas is NOT an organization that preaches Hate just like the KKK does? So why don’t you send the KKK a donation and ask that they send it to the poor so everybody will look the other way and not call them out for who they really are?
    & Yes Debbie did post about that, and she also posted about the Death threats that hero got from other Muslim who were not so happy about his peaceful protest. Go back to IRAN or where-ever you came from.

    Who cares? on February 3, 2010 at 9:28 am

      Somehow I missed the reply to me from “Who cares.” My sincere apologies.

      I’m not a student of the KKK, nor are they an organization I’ve spent a lot of time investigating, other than the fact that when I was in high school they put leaflets on the cars at my school.

      I didn’t say anything about Hamas in my post, and I fail to see where I alluded to them at all, could you please point that out to me Captain Genius?

      As far as Iran, that’s not a country I’ve ever been to, but I’m sure they’d probably welcome me more than you would. But FWIW if you’d like to know, my family has been in the US since 1786 (came from the Isle of Mann). Would you like a map to look that up? My mother’s family a bit less, they came in the early 1900’s from Sweden.

      Not that any of that should matter to you.

      My comments still stand.

      American Girl on February 4, 2010 at 9:17 pm

exactly 🙂

odeh on January 28, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Yes, but that doesn’t fit Ms. Schlussel’s agenda, now does it. I think people like Ms. Schlussel do far more harm to this great nation than someone like Mr. Abu Ratib. She seems to have forgotten that he is innocent until proven guilty and does deserve a fair trial. I hope someday that she can see past her blindness, and embrace all people regardless of creed as brothers and sisters of this earth. I wonder, did Ms. Schlussel post about the Muslims of South East Michigan who protested terrorism and extremism at the Nigerian undies bomber hearing a few weeks ago?

American Girl on January 28, 2010 at 9:29 pm

Oh and finally I wonder, is it only Muslims who cover that are extremist or radical? There is a church here where many ladies cover all the time, are they extreme or radical? One of them is my friend, and she is pretty radical (totally cool lol).

How exactly does that work?

American Girl on January 28, 2010 at 9:33 pm

“But American Muslims, including Niraj Warikoo…” you wrote in the article is 100% incorrect and wrong. Niraj Warikoo is a hindu originally from India. Get you facts right about different religions and ethnic groups before writing such statements.

N: He told me he’s Muslim. DS

nom-muslim indian on January 29, 2010 at 11:42 am

I am a member of the local community to the singer. He is a man with an artists soul. His “frowned upon” songs were from times where it was applicable. We the community know, he has left behind those roster of songs and has recognized them for the damage they do.
Even so, singing is not a crime.
As for the allegations of him running a Hammas supporting organization is ridiculous. He was just a lowly member, pro-actively motivating his local people to donate money for the kids of Israel. What the HLF became recognized to be was beyond his influence or perception. If anything he was/is a victim of the organization HLF. This is a ridiculous exploit of blue-collar level workers as scapegoats.

I would like to take notice that the account of dubbing HLF as an terrorist organization is a controversy of its own. It came around by a bias case from the Israel government. The same people interested in border lock-downs to help control the areas of the West Bank and the Gaza strip. While turning the eyes away from whom they are really starving.

Tareq on January 31, 2010 at 9:28 pm

I meant the “the kids of Palestine”. Please don’t mind the typo.

Tareq on January 31, 2010 at 9:29 pm

WHY DONT YOU WRITE ABOUT ALL THE AMERICAN MURDERERS AND TRASHY JEWS IN THE WORLD??

leave the muslims alone
just cos ur jealous of them, doesnt give you the right to write watever you want

you americans grovel in the mud to get the muslim peope’s money
just look at dubai
you are all TRASH AND FILTH

anon on February 9, 2010 at 2:11 pm

    I feel like im missing the point being made here.This post hurts my damn feelings. Im loosing faith in humanity one person at a time-or shall I say one post [i read] at a time. To stand up for one’s own beliefs doesnt require belittling another’s. It’s shit like this reply and shit posted on this site that spreads hate. Why can’t we all just fucking love each other and appreciate the diversity on this beautiful place we call earth?

    Sarah on July 4, 2010 at 4:22 pm

Please, Debbie, do not lower yourself to generalizations. Canton is not being overtaken by Muslims. Our Mosque is in the outskirts and out of the way of site to most who visit Canton. Please support such statements with concrete facts (i.e. has the increased sub-population of Muslims done anything to negatively impact non-Muslims? If so, how? What data do you have?)

Unfortunately, you are another example of an uneducated person who has diarrhea of the mouth (or fingers as this is typing) and it’s sad that anyone reads such ignorance.

O on February 28, 2010 at 12:26 pm

It is normal and natural to forget to mention that you sang to collect money for charity for a short period of time. This does not make him neither a fraudster nor a terrorist. Intent is important. If you collected money as a volunteer for charity and years later the government designates it as a terrorist organization, this would not mean that you contributed to terror.
I’m a Syrian in Europe, I see real serios lies daily in Europe by christians, jews and brain-washed Americans (including everybody irrespective of religions). This article, to my understanding is the pen-war of religions. Shame on you!
Thnaks God, Abu Ratib freed.

Adbul-Mohsen on November 7, 2013 at 1:44 am

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