Federal immigration agents arrested imams from two Boston-area mosques Wednesday, alleging they were involved in a scheme that provided religious worker visas to immigrants who used them to enter the United States and work instead as gas station attendants, truck drivers, and factory laborers.

Hafiz Abdul Hannan, imam, or leader, of the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell in Chelmsford, and Muhammed Masood, imam, or leader, of the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon, were among 33 people taken into custody nationwide after a multi-year investigation led by agents in Boston and New York, said Paula Grenier, a spokeswoman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"‘This was a nationwide religious worker visa fraud scheme designed to help illegal aliens," said Grenier. "These people had to be solely engaged in religious employment, and in many cases were not."

Under the Religious Worker Program, started in 1990, churches, synagogues, and mosques can ask the government to approve visas for foreigners to fill vacant positions. Each year, several thousand visas are issued each year that permit immigrants to enter the United States exclusively for religious employment. To obtain the visa, immigrants must have religious training and experience in their native country. Once here, they are not allowed to hold secular jobs. The religious worker permits can ultimately lead to green cards, or permanent residency.

Under the scheme, described by federal authorities, the immigrants, who were mostly Pakistani, paid a fee to US religious organizations, which then sponsored them for the visas. Some of those arrested did legitimate religious work, but had filed false paperwork to win their own visas, or once here, to sponsor others, said Grenier. Because the investigation is ongoing, she would not say whether the imams are alleged to have sponsored the visas for others or violated their own visas by working secular jobs.

The Muslim community in Boston is deeply concerned and outraged due to the recent arrests of two leading Imams in the Greater Boston community on alleged administrative violations of immigration policies.

Imam Hafiz Masood has been a long-standing leader and Imam of the Islamic Center of New England (ICNE), based in Sharon, MA. “He has always been a voice of peace and wisdom and I hope that immigration officials will be sensitive to his leadership position in the community, and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to bring a fair and speedy resolution to this issue," said Hossam AlJabri, President of the Muslim American Society, Boston Chapter.

“He is deeply respected in the Muslim community and we stand strongly behind him and his family in this difficult time,” said Mohiudeen Khan, President of the Board of ICNE.

Imam Masoud's lawyer in the past had ensured ICNE that Masood's immigration papers are perfectly in order and that he is legally clear to work in the US. Imam Masoud and his family are applying for residency status in the US.
Imam Abdul Hannan from the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell has also served the Muslim community in Lowell as Imam for several years. His arrest has also drawn concern amongst Muslims as well as immigration and civil rights groups since it is seen as another strike against a community already beleaguered by law enforcement activity.
"On the surface this appears to be yet another action unfairly targeting the local Muslim community" said Nancy Murray, Director of the Boston ACLU's Civil Liberties Task Force. "We're looking forward to getting more information."

Masood's lawyer, the Honorable William Joyce said: I'm extremely troubled by the way this came about, and I believe that Imam Masood and Abdul Hannan will both be vindicated. The way this all came about is a disgrace. They (immigration officials) wouldn't go to the Cardinal's residence and arrest him for an immigration technicality."
The charges against Imam Masood amount basically to an administrative immigration technicality, leading Ibrahim Ramey from MAS Freedom Foundation to comment, “Indiscriminate arrest of Muslim leaders for trivial and non-criminal offenses can only serve to erode the relationship between the Muslim community and law enforcement community. It hurts the cause of civil rights, and further polarizes society.”

MAS Boston president Hossam AlJabri along with community leaders will be meeting with immigration officials tonight to get more information about the case and will demand that charges and evidence be made public to the Boston community and that the issue be resolved in a fair and speedy manner.

Action Requested

1. Pray for the safe and speedy release of both Imams.
2. Contact your local representative and MA Senators, (a) to inform them of the situation, (b) ask them to help ensure the fair, speedy, and respectable treatment of the Imams...