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THREAD: A lot of trolls on here constantly bring up Ali Abdelaziz's alleged ties to terrorism. Their sources have so many discrepancies that anyone who passed a high school research course would find them to be laughable. I'm going to debunk this claim once and for all.
The most commonly referenced source is http://fuqrafiles.com , which is an initiative of a non-profit organization known as the Clarion Project. The website claims to expose the operations of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, which is a violent extremist group based in Pakistan [1].
![The most commonly referenced source is http://fuqrafiles.com , which is an initiative of a non-profit organization known as the Clarion Project. The website claims to expose the operations of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, which is a violent extremist group based in Pakistan [1].](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZZUspLWoAQDIRP.jpg "The most commonly referenced source is http://fuqrafiles.com , which is an initiative of a non-profit organization known as the Clarion Project. The website claims to expose the operations of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, which is a violent extremist group based in Pakistan [1].")
The Clarion Project is not a credible organization. It has a history of falsifying information and is described by the SPLC as an “anti-muslim hate group” that peddles conspiracy theories [2].
Furthermore, the reputable nonprofit and charity assessment organization, Charity Navigator, gave it an overall rating of 1 out of 4 stars with a 52/100 rating for its accountability and transparency [3].
![Furthermore, the reputable nonprofit and charity assessment organization, Charity Navigator, gave it an overall rating of 1 out of 4 stars with a 52/100 rating for its accountability and transparency [3].](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZZVJLZWoAAD6zb.jpg "Furthermore, the reputable nonprofit and charity assessment organization, Charity Navigator, gave it an overall rating of 1 out of 4 stars with a 52/100 rating for its accountability and transparency [3].")
However, despite the unreliability of the source in question, let us examine what they have to say anyways for the sake of argument. After all, an unreliable source doesn’t necessarily mean that all of its information is false; it’s just unreliable.
The source claims that Ali Abdelaziz (who we’ll call AA moving forward) has ties to the Muslims of America (MOA) [4] which is an indigenous American muslim organization based in the US according to its official website. AA’s ties to this organization may or may not be true.
The website claims that MOA is a “terrorism-linked cult” that is associated with Jamaat ul-Fuqra. However, MOA has explicitly denied any association with Jamaat al-Fuqra [5] and law enforcement officials have “dismissed the idea that the group has violent intentions” [6].
![The website claims that MOA is a “terrorism-linked cult” that is associated with Jamaat ul-Fuqra. However, MOA has explicitly denied any association with Jamaat al-Fuqra [5] and law enforcement officials have “dismissed the idea that the group has violent intentions” [6].](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZZVqo9XkAAFKhk.jpg "The website claims that MOA is a “terrorism-linked cult” that is associated with Jamaat ul-Fuqra. However, MOA has explicitly denied any association with Jamaat al-Fuqra [5] and law enforcement officials have “dismissed the idea that the group has violent intentions” [6].")
It should also be noted that the State Department does not officially designate MOA as a Foreign Terrorist Organization [7]. If MOA truly was a “terrorism-linked cult” as the source says it is, this would not have been the case.
So now we know that MOA isn’t associated with Jamaat ul-Fuqra, and in turn, neither is AA. But how did fuqrafiles even make this association? They cited two books which we will examine next.
The 1st book is Twilight in America by Martin Mawyer, published by the Christian Action Network (CAN) which Mawyer is the founder of. CAN has a 0-star rating by Charity Navigator and a 50/100 rating for its accountability and transparency [8]. This book is not reliable.
![The 1st book is Twilight in America by Martin Mawyer, published by the Christian Action Network (CAN) which Mawyer is the founder of. CAN has a 0-star rating by Charity Navigator and a 50/100 rating for its accountability and transparency [8]. This book is not reliable.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZZWUG9WAAIakah.jpg "The 1st book is Twilight in America by Martin Mawyer, published by the Christian Action Network (CAN) which Mawyer is the founder of. CAN has a 0-star rating by Charity Navigator and a 50/100 rating for its accountability and transparency [8]. This book is not reliable.")
The 2nd book is Enemies Within: … by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman [9]. This seems like a reliable book, as it was mentioned (but not validated) by the Washington Post [10], so we will assume everything it says regarding AA and MOA to be true.
The book says that AA was in jail for charges of document forgery related to immigration fraud. Since the NYPD was investigating MOA for possible links to terrorism and AA apparently had ties to MOA, they recruited him as an informant and (probably) dropped his charges for it [9]
Keep in mind that this was right after 9/11, when the NYPD frequently investigated muslims. This investigation of MOA does not imply that they actually had terrorist-links since the NYPD did the same with many ordinary muslims as an intelligence-gathering tactic at the time [11].
![Keep in mind that this was right after 9/11, when the NYPD frequently investigated muslims. This investigation of MOA does not imply that they actually had terrorist-links since the NYPD did the same with many ordinary muslims as an intelligence-gathering tactic at the time [11].](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZZW60fXsAEfav8.jpg "Keep in mind that this was right after 9/11, when the NYPD frequently investigated muslims. This investigation of MOA does not imply that they actually had terrorist-links since the NYPD did the same with many ordinary muslims as an intelligence-gathering tactic at the time [11].")
![Keep in mind that this was right after 9/11, when the NYPD frequently investigated muslims. This investigation of MOA does not imply that they actually had terrorist-links since the NYPD did the same with many ordinary muslims as an intelligence-gathering tactic at the time [11].](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZZW8U1WsAAhmdz.jpg "Keep in mind that this was right after 9/11, when the NYPD frequently investigated muslims. This investigation of MOA does not imply that they actually had terrorist-links since the NYPD did the same with many ordinary muslims as an intelligence-gathering tactic at the time [11].")
The NYPD shared AA with the FBI in order to use him overseas and gave him a green card. After failing a polygraph, the FBI severed their relationship with AA and they unsuccessfully tried to deport him [9]. Note that AA’s charges were related to immigration fraud NOT terrorism.
To sum this all up, fuqrafiles falsely accused AA of being linked to Jamaat ul-Fuqra by creating a fictional association between it and MOA. This accusation isn’t backed by any reliable evidence and some of their claims contradict other more reliable sources.
It's fair to point out that AA was an informant for the NYPD and FBI but this was because of his charges related to immigration fraud. These charges are completely unrelated to terrorism but they are indicative of AA having some criminal background. Make of that what you will.
Another source that these trolls often bring up is the pinned tweet of “investigative journalist” Mike Russell. In it, he implies that AA was somehow involved in the 9/11 attacks by faking his identity with stolen passports.
Let’s first debunk this ludicrous accusation that AA was involved in 9/11. The official 9/11 commission report doesn’t list AA as one of the perpetrators of the attack [12]. If America’s top intelligence agencies couldn’t prove it, neither can some random “journalist” on twitter.
Now even if Mike Russell somehow had access to information about 9/11 that the government doesn't, why hasn’t he brought this damning evidence to the police? Surely AA should be in Guantanamo Bay right now if this was true. Let’s check his profile to see how credible he really is
He was apparently going to reveal the damning evidence in an upcoming podcast that never came. He made a very serious accusation against AA and hasn’t released any verifiable evidence for it in over a year. He’s essentially backing up his claims by saying, “just trust me bro”.
He’s not reputable by any means and multiple different people online say he misreports information, particularly when he allegedly made a false claim in a tweet about Khabib saying the N-word. Link to tweet: https://twitter.com/MIKERUSSELLMMA/status/1046805584631226373
His misrepresentation of Khabib (one of AA's clients), his weird obsession with AA on his twitter page, and the fact that he had communications with Conor McGregor prior to the UFC 229 press conference reveal his lack of impartiality and undermine his journalistic integrity.
In conclusion: the claim that AA has ties to terrorist networks/operations is false. It’s nothing more than a baseless conspiracy theory. There's no reliable evidence supporting it and the only evidence that exists is unreliable itself and contradicts other more reliable sources
Whenever someone calls AA a “terrorist”, it not only shows their reluctance to actually verify sources, but their lack of moral integrity. Falsely accusing someone of any serious crime is WRONG.
Here are all the links to my sources:
