Philly Lawyer’s Teen Son Convicted in Terrorism Case
Plus, the new Mike Jerrick late-night show is joyfully bad.
Left: 19-year-old Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman, who has been convicted in a terrorism case (government photo) | Right: His father, Philadelphia attorney Qawi Abdul-Rahman, whose home was raided by the FBI in August 2023, resulting in his son’s arrest (image via Rahman for Judge campaign video)
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Philly Lawyer’s Teen Son Convicted In Terrorism Case
More than two years after the FBI raided the West Philadelphia home of Philadelphia lawyer Qawi Abdul-Rahman, a Philadelphia jury has convicted his 19-year-old son Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman in a terrorism case.
On Wednesday, the jury found the son guilty of three felonies — attempted possession of a weapon of mass destruction, possession of explosives or incendiary materials, and risking catastrophe — and recklessly endangering another person, a misdemeanor.
The investigation into Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman started in March 2023 when the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force found social media communications between the son, who was then 17 years old, and the Syrian-based terrorist group Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad. On August 6th, he changed his WhatsApp profile photo to an image of the ISIS banner.
After his arrest in 2023, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said that an FBI surveillance team observed Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman purchasing tactical gear and items needed to build IEDs, and then U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed to the FBI that more than a dozen international shipments of military and tactical gear had been sent to the family home.
Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman’s potential targets allegedly included the Philadelphia Pride Parade, Valley Forge Military Academy, nearby nuclear power plants, and the Army-Navy football game.
“The work of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force potentially thwarted a catastrophic terrorist attack in the name of a perverted ideology that in no way, shape, or form represents the beliefs of the overwhelming majority of peace-seeking people of faith, including Muslims,” Krasner said in a statement just after the arrest, going on to describe the charges as “the most serious alleged terrorist activity prosecuted” in Philadelphia in recent history.
Sentencing has yet to be scheduled. The defendant remains in custody at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Northeast Philadelphia. The next hearing is scheduled for September 29th.
Qawi Abdul-Rahman, the father, unsuccessfully ran twice for Common Pleas Court judge, including once after his son’s arrest. When reached for comment in 2023 about his son’s arrest, Qawi Abdul-Rahman told us: “Text or call me one more time, and you’ll find out what I’m really about.”
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