Masjid Omar Ibn El Khattab
Columbus, OH
According to court documents Christopher Paul, an attendee of this masjid who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, specifically bombing European tourist resorts where Americans frequent[1], "instructed individuals in martial arts at a mosque in Columbus, Ohio" after returning to the United States from Afghanistan where he received military style training from an al Qaeda training camp.[2] Nuradin Abdi, convicted in 2007 of planning to blow up an Ohio mall[3] and Iyman Faris, convicted in 2003[4] of providing material support to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge, also frequented this Columbus mosque.[5]
Abdulhakim Muhammad, who shot and killed one soldier in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2009 is said to have attended this mosque.[6] Muhammad, in a January 2010 letter to Judge Wright Jr., wrote "I'm affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. This was a Jihadi attack on infidel forces that didn't go as plan. Flat out truth. I plead to capital murder, attempt capital murder and the other 10 counts without compulsion without deals."[7] Muhammad's links to this mosque prompted an FBI probe of the religious center in June of 2009.[8]
[1] USA v. Christopher Paul, 2:07-CR-87, "Judgment," (E.D. Ohio February 26, 2009).
[2] USA v. Christopher Paul, 2:07-CR-87, "Indictment," (E.D. Ohio April 11, 2007).; Richard Esposito, Pierre Thomas, Jack Date, "Exclusive: FBI Probes Muhammad's Ties to Ohio Mosque: FBI Wants to Know If Ohio Mosque Has Link to Terror," ABC News, June 4, 2009, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Blotter/story?id=7758485&page=1.
[3] USA v. Nuradin M. Abdi, 2:04-CR-88, "Plea Agreement," (S.D. Ohio July 31, 2007).
[4] USA v. Iyman Faris, 03-189-A, "Plea Agreement," (E.D. Va. May 1, 2003).
[5]Richard Esposito, Pierre Thomas, Jack Date, "Exclusive: FBI Probes Muhammad's Ties to Ohio Mosque: FBI Wants to Know If Ohio Mosque Has Link to Terror," ABC News, June 4, 2009, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Blotter/story?id=7758485&page=1.
[6]Richard Esposito, Pierre Thomas, Jack Date, "Exclusive: FBI Probes Muhammad's Ties to Ohio Mosque: FBI Wants to Know If Ohio Mosque Has Link to Terror," ABC News, June 4, 2009, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Blotter/story?id=7758485&page=1.
[7] State of Arkansas vs. Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, CR 2009-2626, "Letter from Abdulhakim Muhammad," (6th Cir. 4th Div. January 14, 2010).
[8] Richard Esposito, Pierre Thomas, Jack Date, "Exclusive: FBI Probes Muhammad's Ties to Ohio Mosque: FBI Wants to Know If Ohio Mosque Has Link to Terror," ABC News, June 4, 2009, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Blotter/story?id=7758485&page=1.
