Join Our E-mail List
Click Here
Christian Action Network
Finally facing justice for his crime, Ramadan Abdur-Rauf Abdullah, now 26, went on trial April 3 in Fresno County, California for killing Deputy Sheriff Erik Telen in 2001. He is pleading insanity in his defense.
Abdullah
is originally from Binghamton, NY and was a member of the Muslims of
the Americas (MOA).
Spread throughout the country, the MOA,
made up of primarily African-Americans, are a cult-like offshoot
sect of Sufi Muslims who follow Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani of
Pakistan. The organization serves as a religious front for a radical
militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a secretive network also
headed by Gilani. For all practical purposes, the groups are one and
the same, though members' knowledge of and/or involvement in illicit
activity varies.
We contacted a former follower of Sheikh Gilani with a very
extensive knowledge of the group for comment on Abdullah's case.
They remembered him from years ago and seemed to confirm the
defense's assertion that he did have mental problems calling him
"MAD". They continued with some additional background:
He terrorized the land [Islamberg in Hancock,
NY]...Yes, he went insane...studying Sufiism. He could not be
controlled on the compounds. Shaykh [Gilani] could not heal him with
his healing powers, so [the men] were told to drop him off in the
nearest township. Ramadan would chase us, jump us, tackle us...very
dangerous. He said that he was Jesus, son of Mary, and...that he was
the 7th Sultan [successor to Gilani].
But, he's not the first to go crazy. A few have, trying to practise
the shaykh's form of Sufiism. He was sick for a year or so in
Islamberg. He was sent to the California compound [Baladullah] from
New York due to the inability to treat him through the shaykh's
method. So, that resulted in him injuring others outside of the
community. Well, MURDER isn't exactly an injury. Ramadan was only in
California for less than two months. Then [there was] the Gateway
scam...then the shaykh shut the village down. The shaykh didn't want
Ramadan's name in association with him so much that he allowed 30
odd families w/little funds to go without housing. Even before the
Gateway scam, California was already in the process of moving to
other states because we were told we couldn't reside in the State of
California.
So, according to our source, the boy did have some issues, but this certainly does not excuse what he has done. We mentioned that police noted during the shootout that Abdullah, because of the way he defended himself, seemed to them to have had some sort of training. To this, our source offered a very interesting anecdote:
No matter what, he still had enough of JF teachings in him so at some point he was sane. As a younger teenager he used to teach the younger boys...the basic training all members have. I do know he had excellent rifle training because I would hear his name in reference to that matter.
In fact, the prosecutor said in court of Abdullah's accuracy, "This was a very well-aimed and well-timed shot that was fatal to Deputy Erik Telen hitting him directly in the head." Telen died instantly.
| Add Comments | Join Our E-Mail list | Original Article |