DDCOM report: Dr. Afrasheem faced major threats at mosques

The report by the Presidential Commission on Deaths and Disappearances on the murder of prominent religious scholar Dr. Afrasheem has shown that the scholar requested for security the most when he attended the mosques for prayers.

Dr. Afrasheem was found cruelly murdered on October 2, 2012, near the stairs inside his residence in H. Funviluge.

The report showed that Dr. Afrasheem requested for security from Police from September 5 to September 22, 2012. Dr. Afrasheem requested for security to escort him from the mosque after the Fajr and Asr prayers on two or three occasions during that time.

“The fact that Dr. Afrasheem requested security to return from the mosque and to go to the mosque shows that Dr. Afrasheem faced serious dangers and harassment at mosques from the people targeting him.” stated the report.

The report also included the details of the 28 text messages exchanged between Dr. Afrasheem and his security detail from Police. Dr. Afrasheem requested the officers to escort him back home from the mosque after the Fajr and Asr prayers.

“Salam Waheed. Please come to the mosque at 3 o’clock. No need to come to Parliament. Regards”

Read a text message sent by Dr. Afrasheem to an officer in his security detail on September 16, 2012.

“Salam Waheed. I would be grateful if you could come to the mosque at 4:30 AM today. Thank you so much. Afrasheem.”

Read another text message sent by Dr. Afrasheem.

The report stated that Dr. Afrasheem did not request security from Police at any time before September 5, 2012, and that the fact that he did so indicated that he realized the threat against him.

Hassan Thaufeeg from MA. Shady cabin, who was a close friend and spent a great deal of time with Dr. Afrasheem, gave a statement to the DDCOM citing death threats against Dr. Afrasheem.

Thaufeeg spoke of threats made at Dr. Afrasheem from people with extremist ideologies when the two attended the Masjid Sultan Mohamed Imaaduddine near the Parliament. He also stated that these people would face Dr. Afrasheem and harass the scholar when he entered or left the mosque.

“He did not care much about that (harassment from the people with extremist ideology) and told me not to worry about it.” read the statement by Thaufeeg.

"Bearded people targeted Dr. Afrasheem"

The last person that Dr. Afrasheem spoke with before his death said that the scholar and MP stated that he was being targeted and harassed by people with beards. However, the scholar did not elaborate on who these bearded people were.

The report’s statements that Dr. Afrasheem faced the most dangers from mosques, corroborated and confirmed the stories and videos of Dr. Afrasheem being assaulted and confronted at mosques.

One such video showed Dr. Afrasheem being assaulted and harassed by a group of people at a mosque after Dr. Afrasheem led the Friday prayers. Dr. Afrasheem had his son beside him when the group of people yelled and threw sandals at the scholar.

DDCOM’s report stated that the murder of Dr. Afrasheem was carried out by people with ideological differences with him. The report stated that the murder was carried out by Hussain Humaam from H. Lobby, and was planned and masterminded by Azlif Raoof from H. Hilton.