A suspect linked to a potential Halloween terrorist attack in Michigan reportedly “sought guidance” from the father of a local Islamic preacher known for advocating jihad among U.S. Muslims.
Muhammad Ali, 20, and an unnamed juvenile reached out to the father of this Islamic ideologue last week, asking for advice regarding the timing of their intended violent act, as stated in an FBI criminal complaint.
While authorities did not name the preacher outright, court documents mentioned a research paper on radicalization identifying him as Ahmad Moussa Jibril, an ISIS supporter. Jibril’s father, Sheikh Musa Abdullah Jibril, whose name does not appear in the filings, founded a mosque in Dearborn, Michigan.
According to the court records, the juvenile contacted his preacher father on October 29, expressing a desire to perform a “good deed” but uncertain about when to proceed.
The preacher allegedly encouraged him not to delay and to go ahead with the plans. There’s no indication that the preacher’s father was aware of the alleged conspiracy.
Nevertheless, the FBI claims the duo continued to seek “guidance” while formulating their attack, as noted in the complaint. During a conversation, Ali mentioned that if the preacher’s father had agreed to their plans, he wouldn’t have given the advice he did. They discussed the timing of their so-called “good deeds.”
The younger Jibril has a documented history of delivering incendiary sermons, with one reportedly inspiring a terrorist attack in London. He has called for American Muslims to wage jihad against what he identifies as the “infidel West,” rejecting any diluted form of Islam that doesn’t embrace the concept of jihad.
Meanwhile, Ali is among several individuals indicted this week on various terrorism-related charges. Along with two other Michigan residents, Ayoub Nasser, 19, and Majed Mahmoud, 20, he faces charges of conspiracy to provide material support and supplies to a designated terrorist organization, as well as charges related to the transfer of firearms and ammunition for terrorist purposes.
Additionally, two juveniles, referenced in court documents as “Person 1” and “Person 2,” are also implicated in the alleged conspiracy. Authorities in New Jersey subsequently arrested two more youths, Tomas Jimenez-Guzell and Said Mille, both 19, for their roles in the plot. Jimenez-Guzel, a student-athlete from Montclair, was charged while attempting to board a flight to Turkey and faces an extra charge for trying to provide material support.
