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Michigan Muslim man arrested in line at sacred site during pilgrimage
A Michigan Islamic man was arrested on Nov. 1 during a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia while waiting in line for a sacred site.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - An Islamic father of ten men was arrested more than a week ago during his pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia after comments he made to two undercover officers.
Mohamad Salem of Melvindale was arrested on November 1 during his Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia when he was taken into custody as he waited in line to visit a sacred site.
"We've been left in the dark. We don’t know if he’s been charged with anything we don’t know when his next court date is going to be. None of these records are public in Saudi Arabia like they are here in America," his attorney Abdallah Moughni said.
Moughni is working from the states to try to figure out more about the detainment of the 63-year-old father of ten. According to Moughni, Salem got upset when security guards in Saudi Arabia separated Salem from his two sons as they waited in line to visit a sacred site.
"At some point, two gentlemen approached Mohamed dressed in Hajj attire. They went up to him and say 'hey what happened?' Muhammad out of rage was very upset, looked at them and said 'if it wasn’t for Mecca and Medina we would burn this place to the ground'," Moughni said.
Those guards turned out to be undercover Saudi agents - who arrested Salem and imprisoned him.
Salem is disabled and has serious health issues is said to have been denied medication and an attorney.
"It is completely unreasonable for someone to be detained over a week for making a contingent statement that will never happen," Moughni said.
Moughni said the U.S. government is looking into the situation, but efforts have been fruitless, thus far.
"It sort of seems like these foreign governments no longer respect America’s power and greatness. It’s getting to the point we’re not even just our enemies are taking our citizens and arresting them but also our allies now in Saudi Arabia," Moughni said.
Salem is one of the latest Americans to be held overseas.
Novi resident Paul Whelan has been in a Russian prison since 2018 after being convicted of espionage and WNBA star Brittney Griner is also in a Russian penal camp after being sentenced to nine years in prison for having vape pens with cannabis oil.