FBI continues questioning U students

The disappearances of young Somali men from Minneapolis, including two students from the University of Minnesota, have resulted in numerous students being questioned by the FBI, both on and off campus.

The federal agents have been visiting students in high schools, colleges and the University for information about the missing Somali men.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on colleges to provide more legal help for students and also says students have been approached by the FBI while walking to class and in the library. Students have also received calls from investigators.

Political science, public health and global studies junior Ruqia Mohamed, who went to high school with some of the disappeared, spoke about her experience with the FBI.

Earlier this year, officials came to Mohamed’s house in Minneapolis. She described them as “random and at the same time spooky.”

Mohamed said the FBI agents were “two young girls dressed casual, unlike those I see on TV.” They came into her house with pictures of missing men and local mosques in the Twin Cities.

During the interview, they asked about the Abubakar As-Saddiq mosque and “showed me pictures of the mosque leaders.”

Mohamed was calm during an interview with the Daily until she started talking about the questions she was asked about the disappeared men.

“They asked me about how [one of the two missing men from the University] used to dress and the mosques he attended,” she said.

Her smiling face suddenly changed as she asked if such questions are “relevant.”

“Mosques were built for prayers,” Mohamed said she told the investigators, “and every Muslim goes to mosques.”

Mohamed said she was not surprised the FBI met her since her friend was also questioned.

The federal agents knocked at her door during President Barack Obama’s inauguration. They said they were curious if anybody was planning attacks in Washington.

“We are Americans and we voted for Obama,” Mohamed said. “Why would we bomb his inauguration?”

Mohamed said she asked the authorities to call her or meet her somewhere else.

“They are terrorizing the whole family. My brother is only 11,” she said. He asks her if she did something wrong or if she was a bad person, Mohamed added.

Difficulties finding a lawyer

Mohamed first called the Council on American-Islamic Relations to get a lawyer. CAIR couldn’t help Mohamed because their lawyers were busy, she said.

She then called the University’s Student Legal Service . Mohamed said the person who answered her call sounded like they knew all about the story and did not bother explaining what the issue was. The person immediately said they’d get back to them, Mohamed said.

“They didn’t get back to me until now,” she said Tuesday.

Luis Bartolomei, staff attorney for Student Legal Service, declined to talk about the issue because of confidentiality.

“I don’t know why they did not help me,” Mohamed said. “I’m a full-time student,” she said about being eligible for help.

“Maybe I’m not important to them,” she added.

But Bartolomei said the Student Legal Service is prepared to help all students and to empower them with as much information as possible.

“The students need to understand they have the rights to not speak to the law enforcement,” he added.

Mohamed eventually found a public defender, she said, who at first didn’t know the details of her case.

FBI hunts at the U

Reports from the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Somali students have reported finding authorities waiting on campus.

The council claims the students have been approached by the FBI while walking to classes and have received calls from investigators.

“We are not in a position to keep any law enforcement from the campus,” said legal service’s Bartolomei. They can teach what the student’s rights are, he added.

The president of the Somali Student Association, Fathi Gelle , said a “friend” from the University Police Department asked her to talk to a federal agent.

“It was a friendly request,” she said.

University Police Deputy Chief Chuck Miner confirmed Gelle’s account of the meeting.

She said he reminded her it was my right not to talk to them.

“But since I’m leader of the association, I felt I should educate them about SSA,” she said.

The association holds educational, cultural and religious events.

Gelle said the meeting had nothing to do with if she knew the men.

“It was all about the SSA and its activities,” she said.

But they asked if the disappeared were involved in the association.

“I told them they were members,” she said. “Of course, they are Somalis.”

Speaking of her perspective, Gelle said it is “wrong that the FBI is approaching the students in the campus.” But she said students should not talk to them if they think they might say something that will haunt them later.

At first, she said many people first volunteered information to the FBI, but only some have been repeatedly questioned.

The FBI did not return a call for comment on this story.