MLFA Outreach Director Ayman Taleb (left) seen here with Mufid Abdulqader

Assalamu’alaykum John,

Last Thursday, July 9, 2020, Mr. Charles Swift, Director of the MLFA-funded Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America (CLCMA) filed an Emergency Motion For Compassionate Release on behalf of Br. Mufid Abdulqader, one of the HLF5. This motion is being reviewed by a federal judge, and the government has 14 days to respond from the date the motion was filed. All legal efforts and steps have been explored and we believe the team at CLCMA has taken the best course of action available. Please make du’a’ for the success of this effort.

For the last 6 months, Mr. Swift has been seeking compassionate release for Br. Mufid Abdulqader. Br. Mufid was denied release due to the extreme circumstances of his sentencing. Last week, Mr. Swift filed an emergency motion for compassionate release just as Br. Mufid tested positive for COVID-19. FCI Seagoville, where he is currently incarcerated, has one of the highest number of inmates in the country who have tested positive for COVID-19, so it was only a matter of time before he contracted the virus. Prior to testing positive, Br. Mufid’s health was already deteriorating: he is over 60 years old, chronically ill, has shortness of breath, and has had multiple surgeries, including back surgeries and knee replacement.

Br. Mufid has been a model prisoner and has helped a number of inmates earn their GED. In fact, while in a high security facility, he successfully counseled other inmates away from extremist ideologies. It was for this reason that he was transferred to a low security facility near his family.

His age and his deteriorating health conditions put him at extreme high risk of life-threatening complications, especially now that he has tested positive for COVID-19. The attorneys at CLCMA are doing their best to take legal steps to gain freedom for Br. Mufid. Now that we have tied the camel, we ask you to make du’a’ for a successful outcome for Br. Mufid and his family.

Brothers and sisters, the struggle is not over. We haven’t forgotten about Br. Mufid and the other HLF5 brothers and their families. The work MLFA funds saves lives! Please continue to support the vital work we do, and make du’a’ for our success.

If you would like to follow this story further, please tune in to MLFA’s Facebook Page for a live session where Ayman Taleb, our Outreach Director, will be sitting down with Sarah Abdulqader, Br. Mufid’s daughter, on Tuesday, 7/21 at 5 PM Central to share the story.

In faith and for justice,
Muslim Legal Fund of America