Earnest James Ujaama

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Earnest J. Ujaama (born 1965) is an American social activist and former entrepreneur trainer.

On July 22, 2002, Ujaama was arrested as a Material Witness warrant, becoming the first American to be detained on U.S. soil while under investigation using the Patriot Act.^[1]

The case against Ujaama has from the very beginning been very "complicated".^[2] There were many charges by the government and in the media that constantly evolved and changed over the period of nearly 13 years. For example, the charge that Ujaama was involved in possibly seeking to poison water supplies with links to the Al-Qaeda network.^[3][4]

Most news stories reported Ujaama as being a well-known and prominent activist in the community which made it harder for the government to simply brand him a terrorist.^[5] BBC world news reported "Al-Qaeda suspect arrested in Denver" but then also cited "Seattle newspapers said Mr. Ujaama was well-known in the black community".^[5] CNN Reported, "For years, James Ujaama was known as a prominent community activist in Seattle, working to help the city's poor and promoting entrepreneurship as a way up the economic ladder".^[6]

Conflicting reports in the Media[]

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, "the lead FBI in the case testified that he did not believe the terrorism conspiracy suspect was sufficiently dangerous that he needed to be locked up pending his trial.." (Skolink, Sam. November 12, 2002. Ujaama isn’t threat, agent says. Seattle Post-Intelligencer.) CNN also reported on September 3, 2002, "A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted a well-known Islamic activist in the Seattle-area on charges of trying to set up an al Qaeda terrorist training camp in rural Oregon in an attempt to further promote "violent jihad" against the United States." (CNN Seattle man indicted on terror charges).

In almost every newspaper report, the government was cited or journalists reported that Ujaama was either a major Al-Qaeda terrorist conspirator or a hustler out to make a buck.^{[citation needed]} On July 24, 2002, The Seattle Times, Winner of Ten Pulitzer Prizes, reported "Ujaama's conversion: A passion for business, then zealotry for Islam." The article went on to describe Ujaama's past efforts to keep kids out of drugs and gangs by teaching them entrepreneurship and as "charismatic young man planted firmly in the mainstream of America's capitalism." The reporters of the article noted Ujaama's "work in Seattle's Central Area earned him the support and admiration of community leaders." But they went on to describe an investigation that "produced a starkly different image of this man a decade later: A zealous Islamic convert sharply critical of the United States [and] a man working in support of the Al-Qaida network." (Bernton, Hal; Heath, David; and Carter, Mike (2002, July 24). Ujaama's conversion: A passion for business, then zealotry for Islam. The Seattle Times.)

On July 17, 2002, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Columnist, Robert Jamieson, Jr. wrote that millions of people would come to know Ujaama as a "possible lackey for bin Laden and Muslim extremist." He cautioned that in a rush for quick conviction what would be lost was Ujaama was a community activist who had received a state proclamation for his work in steering youth away from the lure of drug selling and gang violence, or as a writer who successfully published a "hood novella" and as a man who had an "unbridled passion for helping the underdog and for railing loudly against injustice." His article continued to offer up a description of Ujaama as not much different than who everyone admits he was then and is now, a man with a great gift of persuasion, passion for helping others, and a disdain for war and injustice. (Jamieson, Robert J. July 17, 2002. Real case against Ujaama yet to be made. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.)

In the end, Politico magazine would report "the Terror camp that wasn’t" citing a fax where Ujaama wrote to the Egyptian-born Imam located in London, Abu Hamza al-Masri also known as Mustafa Kamel Mustafa. In the fax, Ujaama wrote "Get away from dunia [earthly matters] and be among Muslims!" Citing a federal official, the magazine reported, "Ujaama basically saw this as a cash cow, [n]o self-respecting international terrorist would have anything to do with Ujaama's plan."

The magazine also reported that he wrote, referring to the Bly training camp, "It is 100% legal, and so are all of our activities." Government prosecutors did admit that much citing in their sentencing memorandum that Ujaama's flyer had advertised survival training, horse riding, archery, combat and martial arts, rifle and handgun handling, hunting and Koran recitation — all things that are actually legal.(Government Sentencing memorandum).

One of the members, Abdur-Rahim Ali Ar-Rashad, told the Seattle P-I, "We did nothing that any other group of white boys wouldn’t do. We shot targets and rode horses and that's it." He continued to charge, "Since we were black and Muslims and young, they figured we were doing something criminal."

Original indictment[]

In the government's original indictment, Ujaama is charged with one count of conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources. This indictment specifically mentions Al-Qaida as the intended receiver of support and resources and was the object of the conspiracy. The indictment also describes the "purpose of the conspiracy" as a plan to "offer and provide facilities in the United States of America for training of persons interested in violent jihad; to provide safe houses in the United States of America for the conspirators; to recruit persons interested in violent jihad and jihad training; to provide actual training of such persons in firearms, military and guerrilla tactics, and related activities; and to sponsor partially trained personnel for further violent jihad training and operations coordinated by Al Qaida, in order to assist such persons and groups to promote violent jihad activities around the world." (Ujaama indictment, 2002)

Additionally, government prosecutors and agents closely involved in the investigation, admitted in both their sentencing memorandum and at the sentencing hearing, that "Ujaama testified at the Kassir trial that he did not intend for the Bly training camp to support al Qaeda. The government is aware of no information to the contrary." (Kassir transcript; US Government sentencing memorandum, US V. Ujaama, 04 CR 356, SDNY 2015).

Final Charges[]

Throughout the trial, Ujaama, maintained his innocence in supporting a terrorist organization. However, Ujaama had admitted his support for the Taliban, whom he believed, as well as the Bush Administration and members of the U.S. Supreme Court, to be the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

President Clinton signed an Executive Order 13129 on July 4, 1999, known as the International Emergencies Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701, AKA "IEEPA") forbidding U.S. citizens from "any transactions or dealings…" with the Taliban. This included "funds, goods, or services to or for the benefit of the Taliban" and includes "services to the territory of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban…" which is why Ujaama would eventually plead guilty to violating the IEEPA for installing software for a friend to use on a computer owned by the Taliban, and "conspiring to take Feroz Abassi to go and fight with the Taliban against the Northern Alliance." However, Ujaama could only be sentenced once for this charge, and he was on April 2003.

Ujaama was charged with four counts:

• (1) Title 18 USC 371 Conspiracy to provide and conceal material support, in relationship to a plan to develop a "jihad" training camp in Bly, Oregon;
• (2) Title 18 USC 2339A Conspiracy to provide and conceal material support, in relationship to an agreement to take Feroz Abassi to Afghanistan to join the Taliban in their fight against Northern Alliance;
• (3) Title 18 USC 2339A and 2 Providing and concealing material support, in relationship to [alleged] conduct of Feroz Abassi; and
• (4) Unlawful Flight to Avoid Testimony in relationship to leaving the country without permission.^[7]

The offense for count one ended on January 1, 2000. Although there had been an investigation in that same year, Ujaama was not charged with a crime until after August 2002. The government agreed that Ujaama had less knowledge of the ultimate purpose of the provision of the material support, because as they also stated, "(he) testified at the Kassir trial that he did not intend for the Bly training camp to support Al-Qaeda",^[8] and "the government is aware of no information to the contrary".^[7]

Selected bibliography[]

• Ujaama, Ej. (1991). Young People's Guide to Starting a Business. Self-published.
• Ujaama, Ej. (1993). Entrepreneur Basics 101. Seattle, WA: Be Your Own Boss Publishing.
• Ujaama, Ej. (1994). How to Be An Entrepreneur. Seattle, WA: Be Your Own Boss Publishing.
• Ujaama, Ej. (1996). Coming Up. Seattle, WA: Inner-City Publishing.
• Strickland, Daryl. (1991, August 1). Young, Gifted and Black -- 'Living Large' The Legal Way – Entrepreneur, 25, Shares Tips on Business with Teen Gangs. The Seattle Times.

References[]