The HuffPost today posted a piece presenting a side to the late Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah that many in the hood knew, but mainstream news outlets have barely touched upon.  Regurgitating merely what was stated in the FBI’s affidavit is easier and requires less work I suppose.

 

Some of the more interesting quotes in this piece to me are:

 

I catch Toby, 11, and Martin, 8, playing basketball on the street on Holmur Ave. “I remember him coming to our block and giving out bread,” Toby tells me. “No one else did that.” Matt, 57, is raking his neighbor’s lawn on Hazelwood St. when I approach. When I mention the Imam’s name, he scratches his head. “Oh, are you talking about those Muslims?” he asks suddenly, pronouncing the word ‘Moozlum’. “I’ve lived here for twenty years. They were good people – generous people.”

I meet Al, 77, further down Joy Road. He tells me he knew Imam Luqman well. “How do you feel about what happened?” I ask. “They fucking shot someone who fed kids, that’s what they did.” He becomes emotional, as he tells me that “they were afraid of him and they killed him.” When I ask him about his religious affiliation, he tells me that he’s Baptist.

I drive two miles to the local police precinct on Livernois and Elmhurst. The desk attendant refuses to comment and asks me to call the Detroit Police Department’s Public Information office. I ask to see a superior, and eventually a lieutenant agrees to speak to me off the record. I ask if there have been incidents in the past with Imam Luqman and his followers. She shakes her head. “As far as we were concerned, they were good neighbors.”