By Allan Lengel
For Sphere.com (An AOL News Site)
WASHINGTON — The arrest of five D.C.-area Muslim young men in Pakistan this week may be a step toward improving the rocky relationship between the American Islamic community and the FBI.
The five men, ages 19 to 25, reportedly tried to join radical jihadists and fight Americans in Afghanistan. They left behind a “farewell” video.
Wednesday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced it had assisted the bureau in that Pakistan case after the men’s parents expressed concerns about their children’s whereabouts and activities. CAIR said the parents and members of the Muslim community came to the organization, which contacted the FBI. The young men, who were arrested by Pakistani authorities, have not been charged, but the matter is under FBI investigation.
“I think obviously it’s not a secret there’s been a strained relationship between the American Muslim community and the FBI for a number of reasons including agent provocateurs, mosque surveillance, border profiling and all kinds of things,” Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for CAIR, said on Thursday.
“We hope this case can be a springboard to better relations with the FBI and the American Muslim community.”
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