Local Muslim Leader Barred From Leaving U.S.
San Diego Muslims Face Scrutiny, Harrassment Since Attacks
POSTED: 12:27 p.m. PDT October 5, 2001
UPDATED: 4:47 p.m. PDT October 5, 2001
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego's Muslim residents, estimated to number 100,000, may face particularly intense scrutiny as FBI agents probe the movements and associations of three men linked to the area and to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Federal officials have identified Nawaf Alhazmi, Khalid Almihdhar and Hani Hanjour as hijackers aboard the passenger jet that crashed into the Pentagon.
The three may have lived here off and on for as long as two years before the attacks, according to 10News.
Two of the suicide hijackers -- and four others being detained as material witnesses in New York City in the federal investigation -- lived at various times in the Lemon Grove home of retired college professor Abdussattar Shaikh, 10News reported.
Shaikh's position as a Muslim leader and co-founder of the San Diego Islamic Center (pictured, left) have led local Muslims to protest that the investigation is becoming an indictment of their culture.
Though authorities have said that Shaikh is not a suspect, he and other Muslims have been questioned repeatedly during the investigation.
Shaikh, who has denounced the East Coast attacks and those who carried them out, has been added to an FBI list of people who investigators want to see barred from leaving the country, along with members of his family, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. FBI officials won't say why.
The community also has become the target of alleged hate crimes. The Islamic Center was vandalized twice, first with paint balls and later with a cherry bomb.
San Diego police are investigating a total of 36 suspected hate crimes in the aftermath of the attacks, including the stabbing of a Sikh woman last weekend, the San Diego Police Department's Dave Cohen said.
Swaran Kaur Bhullar, 51, was stopped in her car at a red light in the Miramar area when two men on a motorcycle pulled up next to her, opened her door and slashed her on the head with a knife, according to 10News.
One of the assailants reportedly shouted, "This is what you get for what you've done to us!"
Bhullar was treated at a hospital and released later that day.
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Federal officials have identified Nawaf Alhazmi, Khalid Almihdhar and Hani Hanjour as hijackers aboard the passenger jet that crashed into the Pentagon.
The three may have lived here off and on for as long as two years before the attacks, according to 10News.
Two of the suicide hijackers -- and four others being detained as material witnesses in New York City in the federal investigation -- lived at various times in the Lemon Grove home of retired college professor Abdussattar Shaikh, 10News reported.
Shaikh's position as a Muslim leader and co-founder of the San Diego Islamic Center (pictured, left) have led local Muslims to protest that the investigation is becoming an indictment of their culture.
Though authorities have said that Shaikh is not a suspect, he and other Muslims have been questioned repeatedly during the investigation.
Shaikh, who has denounced the East Coast attacks and those who carried them out, has been added to an FBI list of people who investigators want to see barred from leaving the country, along with members of his family, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. FBI officials won't say why.
The community also has become the target of alleged hate crimes. The Islamic Center was vandalized twice, first with paint balls and later with a cherry bomb.
San Diego police are investigating a total of 36 suspected hate crimes in the aftermath of the attacks, including the stabbing of a Sikh woman last weekend, the San Diego Police Department's Dave Cohen said.
Swaran Kaur Bhullar, 51, was stopped in her car at a red light in the Miramar area when two men on a motorcycle pulled up next to her, opened her door and slashed her on the head with a knife, according to 10News.
One of the assailants reportedly shouted, "This is what you get for what you've done to us!"
Bhullar was treated at a hospital and released later that day.
Previous Stories:
- October 5, 2001: Sikh Woman Stabbed During Hate Attack
- September 24, 2001: Local Islamic Center Reopens Amid Threats
- September 19, 2001: Muslims Hope To Create Better Understanding
- September 18, 2001: San Diego Muslims Face Intimidation
- September 15, 2001: San Diego Arab-Americans Display Patriotism
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