Source: Star Tribune
Judge Donovan Frank said Emily Hari, formerly known as Michael, committed a serious act of domestic terrorism on basis of religion.
By Andy Mannix Star Tribune
A federal judge sentenced a onetime militia leader to 53 years in prison for orchestrating and helping carry out the bombing of Dar Al-Farooq mosque in Bloomington, higher than the mandatory minimum but less than the prosecution’s request for life.
Judge Donovan Frank said Monday that evidence presented in court showed Emily Claire Hari, the 50-year-old White Rabbits militia leader formerly known as Michael Hari, committed a “very violent act” of domestic terrorism in contradiction to the freedom of religion guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Through “premeditated and very sophisticated planning,” Hari enacted an attack designed to “scare, intimidate and terrorize the Islamic place of worship.”
Outside the courthouse, members of the Twin Cities Muslim community praised the sentence as long-awaited justice that will bring some closure to a saga that shattered their sense of security.
“We were looking for life, but this is something we can settle with today,” said Omar Khalid, a community organizer.
Acting Minnesota U.S. Attorney Anders Folk also called the sentence a victory, describing Hari as a “a master manipulator” and “evangelist of hate.”
“Through our system of justice, the Minnesota community has collectively condemend that hatred and upheld every individual’s right to exercise their freedom to practice their religion free from violence and fear,” said Folk.
Last year, a jury convicted Hari on five civil rights and hate crime charges related to bombing the mosque on Aug. 5, 2017, a terror attack that many in the Twin Cities Muslim community say has left a lingering fear.
Suggested Reading by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times
The Root Cause of Terrorism: An Unholy Thought
Kripkean Dogmatism: The Best Metaphor to Understand Religious and Political Debates
Categories: Counter Terrorism