RIYADH, 24 April 2003 — The father of Adnan Al-Shukri Jumah, a pilot who has been accused by the FBI of having links with the Al-Qaeda network, said his son had no connection with Al-Qaeda or any other terrorist organization.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, Gul Shir Muhammad Al-Shukri Jumah contradicted an FBI statement that claimed Adnan was a Saudi. “He is originally from the Caribbean island of Guyana and is now a citizen of Guyana. He was born in Madinah while I was working as preacher there for Dar Al-Ifta,” he said.
A Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed last month that Adnan was not a Saudi citizen. Adnan’s father, Gul Shir, stayed in the Kingdom for 27 years before moving to the United States with his family in 1986 after receiving American citizenship, the spokesman said.
The American agency called for a worldwide search for Adnan, suspected of plotting terrorist attacks against US targets and training Saudi hijackers who attacked the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.
He said FBI agents frequently visited them and asked about Adnan’s whereabouts. “We told them that we don’t know his whereabouts and that contrary to what they think our son is not a terrorist,” he added.
Gul Shir said he had received threats from several quarters. However, their neighbors including Christians and the Muslim community in Florida had been very supportive of the family. “The Amana Islamic Society in Florida arranged for a lawyer to defend our case,” he added.
He said Adnan left Florida in 2001 for Trinidad. “We have not seen him since,” he added. However, he pointed out that Adnan had contacted the family from Morocco about five months ago.
“My son has a gentle and calm personality. He has no connection with terrorism and extremism as they allege. He strictly follows Islamic teachings,” he said.
Adnan’s mother Zuhra, who is originally a Yemeni, insisted that her son was not a terrorist. “All charges against him are false. I believe that it is part of a campaign against Islam and Muslims,” she said.
“When Adnan contacted me from Trinidad after the Sept. 11 attacks, I advised him not to come to the US because I saw that US authorities were questioning a large number of Arabs and putting them in jail without reason,” she said.
When he last contacted the family, Zuhra said Adnan was very happy after marriage and becoming the father of a boy. “He also inquired about the health of his father, brothers and sisters and asked us to pray for him,” she added.
“Adnan is a gentle and respectable person. He never liked extremism but followed a moderate path. He was pious and kind toward both Muslims and non-Muslims,” Adnan’s mother said.
Asked whether his education in Saudi Arabia prompted the FBI agents to suspect terrorist leanings, she said: “His Saudi education only helped my son shape his personality and keep him away from extremist ideas.”
Gul Shir is originally from Guyana. “I worked in Trinidad as an Islamic preacher for six years before moving to New York in 1986 and then to Florida,” he pointed out. He said Adnan is a US green card holder. Gul Shir has three sons and three daughters, most of whom were born and brought up in Saudi Arabia.
The FBI had asked law enforcement agencies and the public to be on the lookout for Adnan, who senior law enforcement officials said has received flight training and possesses a Florida driver’s license.
