Mujahid: 'They told me that I was a Jordanian terrorist'
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Jamil Mujahid
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Two American citizens are being expelled on immigration charges, but authorities suspect they may have links to al Qaeda.
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(CNN) -- One of two Americans arrested in the Philippines and accused of having ties to al Qaeda said Tuesday he and his brother are innocent of the allegations and instead are the victims of an overzealous war on terror.
James Stubbs Jr., 56 -- also known by his Muslim name of Jamil Mujahid -- and Michael Ray Stubbs, 55, were arrested December 13 in Tanza, south of Manila, in a joint operation by the Philippine Navy, Philippine Marine Corps and the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.
CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien discussed the case with Jamil Mujahid.
O'BRIEN: I'm told you're in a prison. You're in an undisclosed location somewhere in the Philippines. Give me the circumstances that surround your arrest.
MUJAHID: December the 13th, about 4:30 in the evening, there was a group of men, maybe ... from 12 to maybe 20, surrounded the residence where I was living.
They came in. And they put guns next to my head and to my wife and to my son. And they handcuffed me and blindfolded me and took me to an undisclosed place.
O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you, but I'm curious. During that time, did they ever tell you why you were being arrested, why you were being held?
MUJAHID: No. No. No.
They told -- well, I'll take that back. They told me that -- yes, they told me that I was a Jordanian terrorist. That's what they told me.
O'BRIEN: And, in fact, the Filipino authorities believe that you are linked to terrorists. Are you in any way linked to al Qaeda members?
MUJAHID: No. No. No. They don't even think that. They know better.
This is based upon, I think, politics, because, see, look, they -- when I was arrested, formally or whatever, informally, they thought I was a Jordanian or Yemen. They didn't assume that I was an American. And when they started their little investigation, they found out that I indeed was an American, as I had stated, that me and my brother were Americans.
So this changed the whole complexion of what they had planned. I guess the war on terrorism has created a vacuum all around the world, where now, in order for the Third World countries to get money to combat so-called terrorism, this is what they're doing now to get money from the American government, because they know how enthusiastic the government in America is about fighting terrorism around the world.
So now they have a chance to funnel moneys into the Philippines by showing, OK, look we have got two [Yemenis] there that they are al Qaeda-connected. And so, therefore, I became a victim of my religion.
O'BRIEN: Have you had any meetings, had any contacts, had any discussions, had any phone calls with anyone who could, in any way, be construed as a terrorist?
MUJAHID: Not of my knowledge, no, not of my knowledge, no.
I talked to a few Muslims here. I talked to one Muslim that was in jail. And he asked -- I talked to him over the telephone. And he asked me if I could get him some chairs, table, some pencils and pens, and a blackboard, so he could teach while in jail. And that was -- and that was the closest thing to my conversation with this individual.
O'BRIEN: Have they told you about your situation? And will you be deported out of the country? Where will you go?
MUJAHID: This has a lot to do with the current administration.
There's a lot of money coming in here to this country. And the reason why, like I said, I'm in here, is because of just that. And they feel that this justifies them in locking people -- innocent people up, in order for them to have this so-called -- this terrorist money funneled into this country.
As you know, this country is a Third World and it's a very poor country. It has no economy whatsoever. And what little bit of economy it does have is based upon working in the Middle East and in other countries. So you're talking about a country here that's suffering. People are starving, homeless people, overpopulated, you name it. And corruption is at its highest level.
O'BRIEN: That's the motivation, you think, for why you've been arrested and you're being held?
MUJAHID: Yes.
