Munir Awad
Encyclopedia
Munir Awad is a Lebanon
-born citizen of Sweden
who has fallen under suspicion of an association with terrorism.
Munir Awad, and his fiancee, Safia Benaouda
(daughter to Helena Benaouda, head of Muslim Council of Sweden
), were captured when Kenya
forces, with United States
support, invaded Somalia
.
The pair describe being held in extrajudicial detention following the invasion, together with a large number of foreigners. They were eventually released.
They told reporters that the soldiers who captured them were led by Americans and that Americans ran their interrogations.
According to an interview his fiancee gave to Raymond Bonner
of the International Herald Tribune
her interrogators kept asking her questions about a trip they said her boyfriend took to Denmark
to recruit jihadists.
Benaouda told her interviewer that she told her interrogators that Awad had never been to Denmark, and that he did not convert to Islam until after 2004.
Benaouda said she and her boyfriend had traveled to Dubai
, on vacation, but were disappointed at how commercialized facilities for tourists were.
So they traveled to Somalia
to see a more traditional Muslim culture.
They arrived in Somalia shortly before it was invaded by Kenya
.
On August 20, 2009 the pair and their young child were apprehended in Pakistan
, together with fellow Swede Mehdi Ghezali
, and nine other non-Pakistanis.
Ghezali is reported to have told authorities that they were traveling to Lahore
to participate in a Tablighi Jamaat
conference.
Mohammad Rizwan
, the chief of police of Dera Ghazi Khan
, who captured the individuals, has told the press that their luggage included a laptop computer, $10,000 USD and a suicide belt.
In November 2010, two Muslim organisations Cageprisoners
and The Muslim Human Rights Committee (MMRK) published a report asserting Munir Awads innocence.
The paper was co-authoured by the spokesman for the MMRK, Kitimbwa Sabuni, who is related to Swedish Minister Nyamko Sabuni
.
On December 29, 2010 he was once again arrested in Denmark, this time for the Copenhagen terror plot
that was allegedly planning a "Mumbai-style" attack
in revenge for the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.
In addition to Awad the suspects include 30-year-old Swede Omar Abdalla Aboelazm, 44-year-old Tunisia
n national Mounir Dhahri, and 37-year-old Swede of Tunisian descent, Sahbi Zalouti.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
-born citizen of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
who has fallen under suspicion of an association with terrorism.
Munir Awad, and his fiancee, Safia Benaouda
Safia Benaouda
Safie Benaouda is a citizen of Sweden who had fallen under suspicion of an association with terrorism.Safie is the daughter of the head of Muslim Council of Sweden Helena Benaouda....
(daughter to Helena Benaouda, head of Muslim Council of Sweden
Muslim Council of Sweden
The Muslim Council of Sweden is an umbrella organisation of Islamic organisations in Sweden. It was founded in 1990 by representatives of the United Islamic Parishes in Sweden and the Muslim Association of Sweden ....
), were captured when Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
forces, with United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
support, invaded Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
The pair describe being held in extrajudicial detention following the invasion, together with a large number of foreigners. They were eventually released.
They told reporters that the soldiers who captured them were led by Americans and that Americans ran their interrogations.
According to an interview his fiancee gave to Raymond Bonner
Raymond Bonner
Raymond Bonner has been an investigative reporter and foreign correspondent for The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. He has also been a staff writer at The New Yorker and contributed to The New York Review of Books...
of the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
her interrogators kept asking her questions about a trip they said her boyfriend took to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
to recruit jihadists.
Benaouda told her interviewer that she told her interrogators that Awad had never been to Denmark, and that he did not convert to Islam until after 2004.
Benaouda said she and her boyfriend had traveled to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, on vacation, but were disappointed at how commercialized facilities for tourists were.
So they traveled to Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
to see a more traditional Muslim culture.
They arrived in Somalia shortly before it was invaded by Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
On August 20, 2009 the pair and their young child were apprehended in 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...
, together with fellow Swede Mehdi Ghezali
Mehdi Ghezali
Mehdi Muhammed Ghezali , in media previously known as the Cuba-Swede , is a Swedish citizen of Algerian and Finnish descent who was held as what the United States termed an unlawful combatant at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp on Cuba between January 2002 and July 2004...
, and nine other non-Pakistanis.
Ghezali is reported to have told authorities that they were traveling to 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...
to participate in a Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat is a religious movement which was founded in 1926 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi in India. The movement primarily aims at Tablighi spiritual reformation by working at the grass roots level, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra to bring them closer to...
conference.
Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan is a field hockey player from Pakistan.-2010:Rizwan took part in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India where the team placed 6th. In November, he was chosen as a member of the team for the Asian Games in China later that month, which went on to win the gold...
, the chief of police of Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan is a city located in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan is one of the most populous cities in Southern Punjab, and it is the largest district in Punjab in terms of area, being approximately in extent....
, who captured the individuals, has told the press that their luggage included a laptop computer, $10,000 USD and a suicide belt.
In November 2010, two Muslim organisations Cageprisoners
Cageprisoners
Cageprisoners Ltd is a London-based human rights organization with an Islamic focus, whose stated aim is "to raise awareness of the plight of the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the War on Terror." It campaigns on behalf of Muslim prisoners, including convicted...
and The Muslim Human Rights Committee (MMRK) published a report asserting Munir Awads innocence.
The paper was co-authoured by the spokesman for the MMRK, Kitimbwa Sabuni, who is related to Swedish Minister Nyamko Sabuni
Nyamko Sabuni
Nyamko Ana Sabuni is a politician, currently serving as Minister for Integration and Gender Equality in the Swedish government. She is a member of the Liberal People's Party...
.
On December 29, 2010 he was once again arrested in Denmark, this time for the Copenhagen terror plot
December 2010 Copenhagen terror plot
The December 2010 Copenhagen terror plot was a terrorist plot against Jyllands-Posten, the controversial publisher of the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in 2005.-Background:...
that was allegedly planning a "Mumbai-style" attack
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
in revenge for the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.
In addition to Awad the suspects include 30-year-old Swede Omar Abdalla Aboelazm, 44-year-old Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n national Mounir Dhahri, and 37-year-old Swede of Tunisian descent, Sahbi Zalouti.