How One Black Man Stood Up Against The FBI, Refusing To Entrap Fellow Muslims, Blacks and Latinos In His Community… and Lost Everything For Doing So

Springfield, MA — Ayyub Abdul-Alim, the son of Qasim Abdul-Alim (Robert Smith, deceased) and Nasiba AbdulAlim (Brunilda Rivera), was born in Harlem, New York. In 1988, Ayyub moved with his family to Amherst, Massachussetts. He moved back and forth between N.Y. and Amherst much of his teenage life. In November 2006 as an adult he moved to Springfield, Massachussetts with the mission to help build a visible, influential, Muslim Community there.

Springfield is where Malcolm X opened his Masque #13. The exact building still stands today and is now called Masjid Tawheed and it is under the leadership of Dr. Imam Ishmeal Ali. Ayyub focused his efforts in the Black and Latino communities. For employment, he contacted owners of three commercial buildings and landed a job of building manager of one of them. It had 23 apartments and three store fronts. He used one of them for a Islamic Center for the Muslim Community, another one for a health food store and the third as a counseling, job assistance and housing referral office. He also started a transportation service for family and friends of inmates to visit their loved ones in Massachusetts state prisons. Ayyub became known as an influential community leader. He fought for jobs for Blacks and Latinos in construction in one of the largest construction projects in Springfield “The State Street Corridor”.

In August of 2010, Ayyub was introduced to Siham Nafai from Worchesterm Massachusetts. She is a immigrant from Morocco (Ayyub had no clue that she was actually a paid FBI Agent). They married shortly after meeting each other. In the summer of 2011, Ayyub was contacted by Special Agent James Hisgin (FBI) on Ayyub’s personal cell phone. Agent Hisgin asked Ayyub to become an informant for the FBI in the Springfield Black and Latino community’s in the Mason Square area and in the Muslim communities (West Springfield Masjid, Masjid Al Baqi, The Somali Community, U-Mass Muslim Students Association, The Hampshire Masjid in Amherst, MA and his Parents Masjid in New York City).

Special Agent Hisgin told Ayyub that he wanted him to have anti-government conversations with the use of violence for entrapment purposes. Agent Hisgin said he would give Ayyub the names of special people they wanted him to target, Ayyub refused. He immediately reported the interaction he had with the FBI to his State Rep. Benjamin Swan and Secretary Marvina Johnson.

On December 9, 2011, Ayyub was arrested next to his business on a fabricated gun charge by deputized FBI Agent Ronald Sheehan, and Police Officers Anthony Sowers and Angel Barrios. While Ayyub was at the Police Station, FBI Agent James Hisgin came to him and offered him his freedom if he became an informant, or risk spending 15 years in jail, Ayyub refused again.

While waiting for trial Ayyub discovered his wife Siham Nafai was paid $11,949. in cash payments from the FBI, there are receipts of which officer Sheehan and FBI Agent Hisgen had signed. Siham Nafai was also awarded Full Citizen for herself as well as her family members for the role as an informant and testimony against Ayyub in Court.

In April 2014, Ayyub went to trial, FBI Agent Ronald Sheehan testified that the FBI was interested in Ayyub as an FBI informant and that Ayyub was offered his freedom if he agreed to it. Agent Sheehan also testified that he never ran the serial numbers on the gun. Police Officer Anthony Sowers testified that he searched Ayyub twice and cleared him of any weapons both times. There were no fingerprints or any DNA that tied Ayyub to the gun even though they said that they found it in his underwear. The building that Ayyub Managed and got arrested in front of had 24 hour surveillance video which would have proved that he did not have a gun, but neither the police, FBI, nor Siham Nafi would get it before it was destroyed.

State Rep. Ben Swan was not allowed to testify, Dr. Imam Ishmeal Ali was not allowed to testify about the FBI visiting his Masjid while Ayyub was present and Nancy Flahive was shut down for speaking about being contacted by FBI Agents when she was representing Ayyub. All of the Prosecution’s Witnesses had conflicting testimony and most were impeached including FBI Agent Ronald Sheehan, Officer Anthony Sowers, Officer Angel Barrios and Siham Nafai she was able to testify against her (X-Husband), Husband at the time of his arrest, because she was a Paid FBI Agent. Every kind word or soft touch that came from Siham Nafai was orchestrated by the FBI. The most ultimate case of betrayal, deception, violation of privacy and entrapment from a woman who was a Secret Agent working for the FBI.

Ayyub Abdul-Alim was found guilty and is now serving a 4-6 year prison sentence in Shirley, MA. But he has a new trial; He says as a punishment for not taking a plea deal in the first case, the police and FBI say they found (two years after Ayyub had been arrested and had been sitting in jail) a bag of guns and again those guns have no fingerprints nor any DNA tieing Ayyub to them.

Outraged, he says reached out to many different groups, community leaders and organizations he thought could help him with his situation – the NAACP of Amherst MA., Arise for Social Justice and American Civil Liberties.

Ayyub is now asking the public for financial and legal support to continue his fight for justice and freedom.

Those interested in helping can write Ayyub directly at:
Ayyub Abdul-Alim #W1044449
P.O. Box 1218
Shirley, MA 01464

Or contact his sister:
Shakura Abdul-Alim
646-337-9756
bizzybee121@yahoo.com

For more details about Ayyub Abdul-Ali and his case, visit www.justiceforayyub.org