Threats Land Woman in Jail, Charged with Attempted Terrorism

A 29-year-old woman in Nashville has been arrested and charged with attempted terrorism. Metro Police say her crime was a conversation, in which she told a co-worker she was ready to die for Allah.

Amal Ahmed Abdullahi allegedly told a co-worker that the Dell computer plant, where they worked, was full of “unbelievers” who should die, and that she should shoot them. She’s been charged with a felony of attempted terrorism, which David Raybin says may be the first such charge issued in the state.

The prominent Nashville defense attorney does not represent Abdullahi. He says police were right to act, but they may have gone overboard since the case has a religious component.

“I just think the charge of attempted terrorism was way over what was actually done here.”

Police have not discovered weapons or a planned attack. Abdullahi is set to appear in court Wednesday.

Amir Arain is a spokesman for a local Islamic center and condemns what the woman may have said, but worries the situation is being blown out of proportion.

“There is that impression that anything committed by a Muslim member is unfortunately seen in that light of terrorism.”

Police say the terrorism charge is “absolutely not reflective” of the larger Muslim community.

Release from Metro Police late Friday:

Detectives today charged a Nashville woman with attempted terrorism for allegedly making statements intimating bodily injury to coworkers at the Dell facility in South Nashville.

Amal Ahmed Abdullahi, 29, of Zermatt Avenue, is accused of intimidating/coercing a civilian population, that being her coworkers. A representative of her employer, CEVA Logistics, signed the arrest warrant as the prosecutor.

An employee for CEVA alleges that Abdullahi told him at work last Saturday that her people were dying for Allah every day; that she was ready to die for Allah; that this whole country will be Muslim soon; that this country is full of non-believers and that this place (her work place) is full of non-believers; that all unbelievers should die; that her life starts after death; that her life is not here, nobody pays attention to her and she should pick up a gun and shoot all these people.

The employee reported what was said to his superiors at the company. The police department was contacted yesterday and an investigation was begun. During an interview with a detective today, Abdullahi initially denied the conversation. She later acknowledged discussing a topic of a religious nature with her coworker.

“It is important that everyone understand this is a prosecution of one individual, and is absolutely not reflective of Nashville’s Muslim community,” said Captain Paul S. Trickey, who commands the police department’s Specialized Investigations Division. “We believe the allegations as presented to us, and the company’s desire to prosecute, warranted today’s arrest action. At the same time, no other arrests are anticipated.”

Abdullahi is being held in lieu of $50,000 bond.