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Chuck Goudie
December 17, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — It’s been three months since federal agents raided the Jefferson Park residence of a Chicago Muslim community leader. Hatem Abudayyeh had been silent since the FBI searched his home. But, now, he is breaking his silence.
Abudayyeh says he’s not a terrorist and contends the FBI has targeted him merely for having pro-Palestinian views.
The I-Team has been interested in hearing Hatem Abudayyeh’s side of things ever since federal agents executed search warrants on his home and residences and the offices of several other people in Chicago and in Minneapolis.
In this Intelligence Report: For the first time we hear from Abudayyeh, executive director of the Arab American Action Network.
“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason why it’s happening,” said Abudayyeh. “Nobody seems to know why it’s happening.”
The “it” refers to FBI raids last September, carried out in Minnesota and Chicago, including an extensive search of Abudayyeh’s home on Chicago’s Northwest Side, from which the Muslim civil rights leader says FBI agents took away a computer, video tapes and a cell phone.
“They took everything in my home that had the word Palestinian on it,” Abudayyeh said.
Abudayyeh has not been charged, nor have any of the 19 people in three states he says have now received federal grand jury subpoenas.
It’s tough call. You don’t wish to take risks with safety of the masses and at the same time it would be bad to harass an innocent person. There have been cases where innocent people when harassed by the authorities started supporting the terrorists.