Ali Asad Chandia
Encyclopedia
Ali Asad Chandia was a third-grade teacher at the Al-Huda School, of Dar-us-Salaam mosque
, in College Park, Maryland
in the USA.
Chandia provided material support
to Lashkar-e-Taiba
, a Pakistan
i terrorist organization, and assisted the Virginia Jihad Network
. On June 6, 2006, a jury unanimously found Chandia guilty. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with three years of supervised release at the end of his incarceration, on three counts of conspiracy and providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba on August 30, 2006. Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Laufman and Department of Justice Trial Attorney John T. Gibbs, who prosecuted the case, had sought a sentence of 30 years to life.
to the U.S. in 1994 at the age of seventeen. He attended Watkins Mill High School
in Gaithersburg, Maryland
. The mother of one of his high school friends said he moved toward Muslims, who had a similar culture. She spoke anonymously because some of Chandia's supporters were against interaction with the media. The mother said Dar al-Arqam mosque
"became a community center" for Chandia and his friends "because they're not really comfortable with the opposite sex. That's a cultural thing." He attended Montgomery College
from fall 1995 through spring 2000, becoming increasingly religious, and serving as the president of the Muslim Students' Association
from 1998 to 1999. Chandia has a son, born in 2004, and a stepdaughter, born in 2000. Chandia taught Arabic
at Al-Salik Institute in College Park sometime before working at Al Huda.
, and helped Ali al-Tamimi
, the spiritual leader of the Virginia Jihad Network
, by scheduling speaking engagements, providing 50,000 paintballs to assist in training terrorists, and introducing Tamimi's Network to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Special Agent Christopher Mamula led the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore field offices of the FBI, in conjunction with the Anti-Terrorist Branch of New Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom, in investigating the case.
and recordings in Chandia's home and car glorifying terrorism, an audiotape by al-Timimi justifying the Taliban's destruction of ancient Buddhist statues, and a recording that asked God to "grant safety to Osama bin Laden
." FBI agents found a CD on the front seat of Chandia's Dodge Neon showing the September 11 attacks with voices dubbed in shouting "God is Great
" in Arabic
. Marvin Miller, Chandia's attorney, claims that 97% of what was found in Chandia's home was harmless and parts of Chandia's library were taken out of context. U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg released a statement saying the findings "manifested his commitment to commit violent jihad... Terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba rely on a network of individuals to carry out their deadly operations. Ali Asad Chandia was a member of that network for Lashkar-e-Taiba, and he will now spend a very long period of time in prison for providing material support in furtherance of its violent agenda."
. He was tracked by a GPS bracelet and U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan decided his mother's house would serve as collateral
. Miller accused prosecutors' of unfairly considering Chandia a flight risk. "The federal government decided suddenly and miraculously overnight he became a flight risk."
between September and November 2001, giving a handwritten explanation to his boss that said, "I have to leave now due to some family emergency." Chandia visited Lashkar-e-Taiba's headquarters in Lahore
, Pakistan
, after Tamimi urged him, in November 2001 to February 2002. Miller claimed Chandia only flew to Pakistan to organize his brother's wedding. In February 2002, Chandia picked up Mohammed Ajmal Khan, a Lashkar-e-Taiba official now serving nine years in prison in Britain
, at Reagan National Airport. In March 2003 Chandia helped Khan deliver 21 boxes of paintballs and unknown goods from Chandia's house to a shipping company in Sterling, Virginia
, which mailed them to Pakistan
for $761.84, which Chandia paid. Chandia allowed Khan to use his computer to buy unmanned aerial vehicle
s, night vision equipment, wireless video camera
s and $17,000 of Kevlar
anti-ballistic material.
Minhaj Hason, a spokesperson for Dar-Us-Salaam, the umbrella organization for Al-Huda, said Chandia was "one of our best teachers" in the boys section of the Muslim school. "This is just one in a huge slew of cases like this. We feel the juries are making their decisions based on paranoia. From our perspective as a community... we're basically feeling besieged by overzealous prosecution." McNulty said in an interview in 2005, when he was the U.S.' attorney in Alexandria, "These individuals established strong relationships [and] received ideological and physical training" from Lashkar-e-Taiba. "At the very least, they became a kind of infrastructure of support for international terrorists."
Timimi told the FBI in a voluntary interview prior to his arrest in 2004, that, "In those days, young men [in the D.C. area] were very interested in jihad and martyrdom." Chandia, Timimi said, "used to ask hundreds of questions regarding jihad."
Dar-us-Salaam members helped organize a fundraiser and website for him under the Ali Asad Support Committee.
At his sentencing hearing, Chandia said, "God knows well that I did not support any terrorists. Those who participated in making my children orphans ... should just remember that the day of judgment is on the way. If my parents should die before me, I ask my mother to plead and complain to Allah
that a piece of her heart was taken away because of some toy paintballs."
with a bachelor’s in information systems management in May 2005, but university spokesman Neil Tickner said there were no university records to confirm his enrollment at this university, and that "the name 'Ali Asad Chandia' does not show up anywhere in the database. Either his name was spelled differently or he wasn’t a student here."
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, in College Park, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
in the USA.
Chandia provided material support
Providing material support for terrorism
Providing material support for terrorism is a provision of the USA PATRIOT Act which prohibits material support to groups designated as terrorists. The four types of support described are “training,” “expert advice or assistance,” “service,” and “personnel.” In June 2010 the United States Supreme...
to Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad...
, a Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i terrorist organization, and assisted the Virginia Jihad Network
Virginia Jihad Network
The Virginia jihad network was a network of jihadists centered in Northern Virginia.Ali al-Timimi was convicted in 2005 of exhorting his followers to join the Taliban and fight US troops. The young men played paintball in 2000 and 2001 as a means of training for holy war around the globe...
. On June 6, 2006, a jury unanimously found Chandia guilty. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with three years of supervised release at the end of his incarceration, on three counts of conspiracy and providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba on August 30, 2006. Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Laufman and Department of Justice Trial Attorney John T. Gibbs, who prosecuted the case, had sought a sentence of 30 years to life.
Education
Chandia moved from PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
to the U.S. in 1994 at the age of seventeen. He attended Watkins Mill High School
Watkins Mill High School
Watkins Mill High School is located in Gaithersburg, an incorporated city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States.The school is named after the Watkins family who owned a mill on the property. The school's colors are orange and blue. Watkins Mill is home to such programs as the...
in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
. The mother of one of his high school friends said he moved toward Muslims, who had a similar culture. She spoke anonymously because some of Chandia's supporters were against interaction with the media. The mother said Dar al-Arqam mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
"became a community center" for Chandia and his friends "because they're not really comfortable with the opposite sex. That's a cultural thing." He attended Montgomery College
Montgomery College
Montgomery College is a public, open access community college located in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. in the United States. The college has three campuses, the largest of which is in Rockville; the other campuses are in Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Germantown...
from fall 1995 through spring 2000, becoming increasingly religious, and serving as the president of the Muslim Students' Association
Muslim Students' Association
The Muslim Students Association, or Muslim Student Union, of the U.S. and Canada, also known as MSA National, is a religious organization dedicated to establishing and maintaining Islamic societies on college campuses in Canada and the United States. It serves to provide coordination and support...
from 1998 to 1999. Chandia has a son, born in 2004, and a stepdaughter, born in 2000. Chandia taught Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
at Al-Salik Institute in College Park sometime before working at Al Huda.
Terrorism
Chandia was alleged to have provided material support to Lashkar-e-TaibaLashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad...
, and helped Ali al-Tamimi
Ali al-Tamimi
Ali Al-Tamimi is a former Fairfax County resident, biologist, and Islamic teacher...
, the spiritual leader of the Virginia Jihad Network
Virginia Jihad Network
The Virginia jihad network was a network of jihadists centered in Northern Virginia.Ali al-Timimi was convicted in 2005 of exhorting his followers to join the Taliban and fight US troops. The young men played paintball in 2000 and 2001 as a means of training for holy war around the globe...
, by scheduling speaking engagements, providing 50,000 paintballs to assist in training terrorists, and introducing Tamimi's Network to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Special Agent Christopher Mamula led the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore field offices of the FBI, in conjunction with the Anti-Terrorist Branch of New Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom, in investigating the case.
2003 Gaithersburg raid
Federal authorities raided his home in Gaithersburg on May 8, 2003 after finding evidence of his involvement in terrorist organizations. FBI agents found books about violent jihadJihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
and recordings in Chandia's home and car glorifying terrorism, an audiotape by al-Timimi justifying the Taliban's destruction of ancient Buddhist statues, and a recording that asked God to "grant safety to Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
." FBI agents found a CD on the front seat of Chandia's Dodge Neon showing the September 11 attacks with voices dubbed in shouting "God is Great
Takbir
The Takbīr or Tekbir is the Arabic term for the phrase ' . It is usually translated "God is [the] Greatest," or "God is Great". It is a common Islamic Arabic expression...
" in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. Marvin Miller, Chandia's attorney, claims that 97% of what was found in Chandia's home was harmless and parts of Chandia's library were taken out of context. U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg released a statement saying the findings "manifested his commitment to commit violent jihad... Terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba rely on a network of individuals to carry out their deadly operations. Ali Asad Chandia was a member of that network for Lashkar-e-Taiba, and he will now spend a very long period of time in prison for providing material support in furtherance of its violent agenda."
Release on bond
He was released on bond on September 20, 2005, despite the prosecutor's objections, and ordered not to leave the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was tracked by a GPS bracelet and U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan decided his mother's house would serve as collateral
Collateral (finance)
In lending agreements, collateral is a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan.The collateral serves as protection for a lender against a borrower's default - that is, any borrower failing to pay the principal and interest under the terms of a loan obligation...
. Miller accused prosecutors' of unfairly considering Chandia a flight risk. "The federal government decided suddenly and miraculously overnight he became a flight risk."
Activities related to Lashkar-e-Taiba
Chandia quit his job at CostcoCostco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
between September and November 2001, giving a handwritten explanation to his boss that said, "I have to leave now due to some family emergency." Chandia visited Lashkar-e-Taiba's headquarters in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, after Tamimi urged him, in November 2001 to February 2002. Miller claimed Chandia only flew to Pakistan to organize his brother's wedding. In February 2002, Chandia picked up Mohammed Ajmal Khan, a Lashkar-e-Taiba official now serving nine years in prison in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, at Reagan National Airport. In March 2003 Chandia helped Khan deliver 21 boxes of paintballs and unknown goods from Chandia's house to a shipping company in Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 27,822.It is located northwest of Herndon, east of Ashburn, and west of Great Falls, and includes part of Dulles International Airport and the former AOL corporate headquarters...
, which mailed them to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
for $761.84, which Chandia paid. Chandia allowed Khan to use his computer to buy unmanned aerial vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s, night vision equipment, wireless video camera
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
s and $17,000 of Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
anti-ballistic material.
Sentencing
Federal prosecutor David Laufman told U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton at sentencing on August 25, 2006 that "the defendant portrays himself as a mild-mannered, kind individual." Laufman concluded the tape recordings glorifying Osama bin Laden's terrorist activities were representative of "who the defendant really is." Muddasar Ahmed, a Beltsville consultant and supporter of Chandia, said, "If this is how you deliver justice, you lose your trust in the justice system." According to Mary Beth Sheridan of the Washington Post, "Ahmed and others have also argued that the prosecutions show a fundamental misunderstanding of Muslims in America: The local men wanted to help oppressed Muslims overseas, which isn't the same as backing bin Laden."Minhaj Hason, a spokesperson for Dar-Us-Salaam, the umbrella organization for Al-Huda, said Chandia was "one of our best teachers" in the boys section of the Muslim school. "This is just one in a huge slew of cases like this. We feel the juries are making their decisions based on paranoia. From our perspective as a community... we're basically feeling besieged by overzealous prosecution." McNulty said in an interview in 2005, when he was the U.S.' attorney in Alexandria, "These individuals established strong relationships [and] received ideological and physical training" from Lashkar-e-Taiba. "At the very least, they became a kind of infrastructure of support for international terrorists."
Timimi told the FBI in a voluntary interview prior to his arrest in 2004, that, "In those days, young men [in the D.C. area] were very interested in jihad and martyrdom." Chandia, Timimi said, "used to ask hundreds of questions regarding jihad."
Dar-us-Salaam members helped organize a fundraiser and website for him under the Ali Asad Support Committee.
At his sentencing hearing, Chandia said, "God knows well that I did not support any terrorists. Those who participated in making my children orphans ... should just remember that the day of judgment is on the way. If my parents should die before me, I ask my mother to plead and complain to Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
that a piece of her heart was taken away because of some toy paintballs."
University of Maryland
The Washington Post reported that Chandia graduated from the University of Maryland University CollegeUniversity of Maryland University College
The University of Maryland University College is located in the unincorporated community of Adelphi in Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States. Serving over 90,000 students worldwide, UMUC is the largest 4-year public university in Maryland and one of the largest distance learning...
with a bachelor’s in information systems management in May 2005, but university spokesman Neil Tickner said there were no university records to confirm his enrollment at this university, and that "the name 'Ali Asad Chandia' does not show up anywhere in the database. Either his name was spelled differently or he wasn’t a student here."