A local Muslim elementary school teacher and University of Maryland, University College graduate accused of aiding two terrorist groups was released on bond yesterday and will return to home on the condition that he won’t leave the country.
Prosecutors in a U.S. district court in Alexandria, Va., objected yesterday in a detention hearing to releasing Ali Asad Chandia, a 28-year-old College Park resident, fearing he would obtain a passport and flee the country.
Chandia will stay with his wife at the home and will be electronically tracked by a GPS bracelet. His mother will put up her home in Gaithersburg as collateral, U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan decided. Chandia’s arraignment is scheduled for Friday in Alexandria.
Chandia graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a bachelor’s in information systems management in May. He also attended Montgomery College from fall 1995 to spring 2000. There, he served as the president of the Muslim Students Association from 1998 to 1999, according to the MSA national organization’s website.
Chandia is accused of providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, and serving as the personal assistant to Ali al-Timimi, the convicted spiritual leader of another terrorist group dubbed the “Virginia Jihad network” by federal prosecutors.
Chandia’s attorney, Marvin Miller, said prosecutors rushed to indict Chandia because they thought he would depart the country. Federal authorities searched Chandia’s Gaithersburg home in May 2003 after finding evidence of his involvement with these groups in previous years.
“The federal government decided suddenly and miraculously overnight he became a flight risk,” Miller said.
Chandia is a third-grade teacher at Al-Huda School in College Park, a leading Muslim institution that instructs students from kindergarten through eighth grade in Arabic and the Quran. The Washington Post reported Saturday that Chandia attended the University of Maryland. There are no university records to confirm his enrollment at this university.
“The name ‘Ali Asad Chandia’ does not show up anywhere in the database,” said university spokesman Neil Tickner. “Either his name was spelled differently or he wasn’t a student here.”
Beginning in 2000, Chandia conducted research on Islamic subjects and scheduled appearances and speaking engagements for al-Timimi, who was sentenced to life in prison in July, according to court documents.
Chandia submitted a handwritten resignation letter to his boss at Costco that said, “I have to leave now due to some family emergency,” sometime between September and November 2001, according to the documents. In November of that year, Chandia went to the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba located in Lahore, Pakistan.
Prosecutors also presented evidence that Chandia communicated with convicted members of the Virginia Jihad network to supply them with 50,000 paint balls. Terrorist groups have used paint balls in training exercises.
In the 2003 search of Chandia’s home, federal authorities found books related to violent jihad, including a audiotape by al-Timimi that justified the Taliban’s destruction of ancient Buddhist statues, the indictment papers say.
However, Miller said 97 percent of the items found in Chandia’s home were harmless and prosecutors took parts of Chandia’s library out of context to use as evidence.
The U.S. Patriot Act states people can be arrested for conspiring to provide materials to terrorist groups, but it depends on what the materials are used for, said Lee Strickland, a visiting professor in the College of Information Studies and terrorism expert.
“The First Amendment provides free speech and association,” Strickland said. “But not when it crosses into activities which is in support of terrorism.”
Before Chandia is convicted, the court will have to examine what the group was doing with the paint balls, Strickland said.
Terrorism has grown into a bigger problem since the government’s crackdown on terrorist groups and leaders. Al-Qaeda, which took responsibility for the Sept. 11 attacks, has lost much of its power since then, with three-quarters of its leaders removed from power, Strickland said. However, their influence has strengthened new groups emerging in al-Qaeda’s shadow, Strickland said.
“In a way, this is a much more dangerous situation for the United States,” Strickland said. “Instead of facing the single enemy, we are now faced with a threat that is very much diffused.”
Terrorism expert and criminology and criminal justice professor Gary LaFree said there is a lot of new activity among smaller terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“It’s interesting trying to identify these new groups as they emerge,” LaFree said. “Some become successful and lethal and others disappear.”
In a constant battle against terrorism, every citizen can contribute by being aware of their surroundings, Strickland.
“Unfortunately, the terrorist has to be lucky once,” Strickland said. “We have to be successful and vigilant every day.”
The Associated Press and staff writer Kevin Litten contributed to this report. Contact reporters Laurie Au and Megha Rajagopalan at lauriedbk@gmail.com and rajagopalandbk@gmail.com..
