Is it religion or a gang?

I’ve read a few comments about the shooting death of Detroit Imam Lugman Ameen Abdullah (a.k.a. Christopher Tomas) that suggest he was not really a Muslim. I don’t agree.

The FBI tried to arrest him today. Abdullah resisted violently. The FBI shot and killed him. Abdullah was a thug despite what Dawud Walid of the Michigan Council on American-Islamic Relations said.

I know him as respected imam in the Muslim community.

Besides Walid, I don’t really see anybody singing the praises of Abdullah. He was a thug. a a gangster, and a violent anti-American Muslim. I’m not letting him off the hook because he was a violent felon who converted in prison. He was still a Muslim. This is no movie of the week in his so called redemption.

Abdullah believed he and his followers were soldiers at war against the government and non-Muslims.

"Abdullah told his followers it is their duty to oppose the FBI and the government and it does not matter if they die," FBI agent Gary Leone said in an affidavit unsealed today. "He also told the group that they need to plan to do something."

And for those of you saying Abdullah was not a true Muslim, I can only assert that you don’t get to pick who is and who is not a Muslim based on what they do, or what they are killed for.  They come in all shapes, sized, and creeds. Some are violent, some are peaceful, some live in peace with others, some blow up helpless woman for political causes.  The Muslims who do not fit the ideal mold of a Muslim are still Muslims. This same logic applies to Christians. If you molest a child before preaching a sermon, you are still a Christian.

I will grant that Abdullah ran the equivalent of a cult. I'll also grant that he was a crook, and that his group is dangerous. But religion still played a major role in Abdullah’s life. In this case it appears to function more as a organizing tool for criminal activity than as a way to worship an imaginary and allegedly peaceful god.

Speaking of worshiping an imaginary sky god, I found this Christians versus Muslims YouTube video. It seems Dearborn is a tough place to be a Christian. Don’t touch my video camera bro…

Technorati Tags: Islam,Muslims,FBI