Muslim American Warned FBI About Orlando Shooter, Says Trump Is Wrong About Muslims

Mohammad A. Malik, a Muslim American who warned the FBI about the Oakland shooter, says Donald Trump is wrong about Muslims.

June 20, 2016

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Complex Original

Donald Trump claimed Muslim Americans don't do their part to prevent terrorism in the wake of the tragic shooting at Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. last week, but one Muslim man has spoken up to say that Trump couldn't be more wrong. Mohammad A. Malik, a Muslim American who knew Omar Mateen, has written an article explaining that he was the one who tipped off the FBI about Mateen in 2014.

In a story for the Washington Post, Malik, an entrepreneur from Port St. Lucie, Florida, wrote that he and Mateen knew one another from their mosque, the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce. Malik said that after 22 year-old Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha—another member of the Islamic Center—became the first American-born suicide bomber, he conversed with Mateen about radicalization:

Malik had already spoken with the FBI once, saying he didn't know of anyone in their community who showed signs of also being radicalized, but he got in touch again after speaking with Mateen:

As has been reported in the investigation into Mateen and the Orlando shooting, the FBI did indeed look into Mateen in 2014 and ultimately determined that he was not a threat.

Malik went on in his piece to call out Donald Trump specifically, calling his accusations about Muslim Americans "tragic, ugly and wrong":

Malik's statement that Muslim Americans speak up about potential threats from extremists is supported by law enforcement officials, according to Reuters. After Trump accused Muslim Americans of remaining silent, FBI director James Comey said during a press conference that:

Deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department also told Reuters his department works closely with members of the Muslim community and that Muslim Americans have come forward with significant information in the past:

While the LAPD is encouraging people to profile behavior and not people, Trump stated on Sunday that it is "common sense" to profile Muslims based on their religious affiliation alone, according to the Los Angeles Times.