JEDDAH, 11 May 2003 — US authorities have expelled a Saudi consular official and imam who had been living in Southern California, saying he was suspected of having terrorist links.
Fahad Al-Sumairy, 31, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday after arriving from the Kingdom and was deported on Thursday. He may not return to the United States for five years, authorities said. “He was placed on an international flight, destined for Riyadh,” said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security.
An official source at the Saudi Embassy in Washington told Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, that the embassy will seek clarification on the way Al-Sumairy was deported. “The arrest took place in top secrecy. His colleagues at the consulate had tried to appoint a lawyer for him during interrogation but in vain,” the source said.
Al-Sumairy had worked for the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles since 1996 and held a post in the Islamic and cultural affairs section of the consulate. He was also the imam at the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, California, which has one of the largest Muslim congregations in the region.
“He never dealt with politics, in his public comments or in private gatherings,” said Tajuddin Shuaib, who manages the mosque, which is run by a nonprofit group.
“Like the rest of us, he was really shocked about Sept. 11. He felt it was wrong and, in the long term, that it would harm Muslims. His impression was that it would have some bad repercussions,” Shuaib said.
