Pieces of uncooked bacon were scattered at a New York field where Muslims gathered to celebrate the end of Ramadan – an incident police are investigating it as a hate crime, authorities said Monday.

Organizers found the bacon on a section of the John D'Amato Field, in New Dorp, Staten Island, where about 1,500 people gathered Sunday to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of dawn-to-sunset fasting during Ramadan.

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The celebration was not marred by the crime because organizers did not inform those gathered until after the celebration had concluded, said Mohamed Sadeia, president of the Muslim American Society on Staten Island, which organized the gathering, according to the Staten Island Advance. Police investigated the crime before the Eid services began.

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Three packages of uncooked bacon were left behind along with a note, which was signed by someone who used a code name and referenced a web site, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters Monday.  The web site mentioned in the note contained references to the raw bacon, Kelly said.

Observant Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan, and are forbidden to eat pork.

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Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of carrying out the November 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood in Texas, sought to plead guilty Wednesday to 13 counts of premeditated murder but the judge said he could not accept the plea, the Temple Daily Telegram reported.

Under military law, Hasan is not allowed to plead guilty because the premeditated murder charges carry death as the maximum sentence and the government is pursuing the death penalty in Hasan's case.

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The Telegram, providing live updates from the courtroom, reported that military judge Col. Gregory Gross said Hasan wanted to plead guilty to the capital counts. (Gross) "explained he is prohibited from accepting such a plea," according to Telegram reporter Paul Romer.

"The motion apparently indicated Hasan wished to plead guilty to take responsibility for his actions."

"There is no right to plead guilty...The accused could still take responsibility for his actions — Judge Gross."

"Judge Gross said he would enter not guilty pleas in behalf of Hasan, if necessary."

"Hasan apparently claimed not being allowed to plead guilty violated his religious beliefs, which Gross disagreed with."

Military law would allow Hasan to plead guilty to lesser murder charges that do not carry the death penalty, the AP reported. But that scenario was unlikely because efforts to reach a plea deal failed over a year ago, it reported, citing John Galligan, a civilian attorney who represented Hasan before leaving the defense team in 2011.

It's been nearly three years since Hasan allegedly opened fire on personnel at a medical facility on the Texas Army post, leaving 13 dead and 32 wounded.

The trial for Hasan — scheduled to start on Monday — was put on hold because of another dispute in the military court. Hasan has appealed the court's orders to shave his face to comply with military law, saying his beard is a requirement of his Muslim faith, the Associated Press reported.

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On Tuesday, Gross also denied a motion by the defense to exclude testimony by Evan Kohlman, a specialist on "homegrown terrorism," who was on the list of prosecution witnesses.

On Wednesday, for the fifth time, the judge started the hearing with a contempt charge against Hasan and fined him $1,000, for showing up unshaven.

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Updated at 8 p.m. ET: A former Disney employee on Monday sued the California-based entertainment giant, charging harassment and religious discrimination against her based on her Muslim religion and ethnic origins in North Africa.

A Disney spokesman said the company tried to accommodate the religious beliefs of Imane Boudlal, but that the restaurant hostess rejected their efforts at compromise and quit coming to work. 

Boudlal, a 28-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Morocco, started working at the Storytellers Café, a restaurant at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa in the Disneyland Resort, in April of 2008. She alleges in a lawsuit filed in federal court that management failed to address persistent racial and religious harassment from fellow workers and that it refused to accommodate her wish to wear a traditional Muslim headscarf or "hijab" at work, a dispute that ultimately led to her departure in 2010.

"Disneyland calls itself the happiest place on Earth, but I faced harassment as soon as I started working there," said Boudlal in the complaint filed in California Central District Court in Los Angeles. "It only got worse when I decided to wear a hijab. My journey towards wearing it couldn’t have been more American; it began at my naturalization ceremony. I realized that I had the freedom to be who I want and freely practice my religion."

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In Islam, the hijab is an expression of a commitment to modesty and virtue by women, and those who choose to wear it typically do so at all times outside the home.

Boudlal worked as a hostess in the Disney restaurant — greeting and seating patrons.

Like other front-line employees and Disney cast members, she wore a uniform specifically designed for that position at Disney — in this case a long sleeved white shirt and western-style vest that are intended to evoke America at the turn of the 19th century.

In 2010, after two years working at the restaurant, she requested permission to also wear her headscarf, a function of her growing religious conviction.

However, managers argued that the headscarf violated the restaurant's "look" policy, and could negatively affect the experience of diners, according to the complaint, drafted with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

Suzi Brown, director of media relations for Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, released a statement on the allegations:  

"Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has a history of accommodating religious requests from cast members of all faiths.  We presented Ms. Boudlal with multiple options to accommodate her religious beliefs, as well as offered her several roles that would have allowed her to wear her own hijab.  Unfortunately, she rejected all of our efforts and has since refused to come to work."

The lawsuit alleges that her managers did not address her complaints of harassment by other employees, who she says taunted her with names including "camel," "terrorist" and "Kunta Kinte," a reference to the slave in the 1976 book "Roots," by Alex Haley, that later became a television miniseries.

"In fact, the 'look' policy was loosely enforced in the restaurant, withseveral employees sporting tattoos, jewelry or hairstyles in violation. Christian employees were allowed to work with marked foreheads on Ash Wednesday, in spite of the fact that this, too, goes against the stated policy," the complaint says.

Boudlal said Disney refused her efforts to compromise, such as offering to wear a scarf to match the work uniform.

Among the proposals that Disney made were several different specially designed headcoverings for Boudlal.

Disney's Brown sent an image of one of these proposed garments — which she said was the third effort to meet the employee's religious needs and the company's 'look' policy before Boudlal "refused to come to work."

The other option for Boudlal was to work in behind-the-scenes positions, out of sight of diners.

Boudlal refused these options, considering them unfair and humiliating, according to the complaint.

"This is modern day Jim Crow," said Anne Richardson, a Los Angeles attorney who represents Boudlal. "Muslims who want to express their religion by wearing a headscarf have to work in the back, out of sight."

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Speaking to NBC News by phone on Monday, Boudlal said that after leaving Disney she was fired from another job after her manager learned of her dispute with Anaheim-based Disney through an Internet search.

Thus, she has suffered loss of income, as well as depression and anxiety, said ACLU-SC attorney Mark Rosenbaum in the complaint calling for a jury trial.  

"There has been real emotional suffering here," he said Monday. Rosenbaum declined to specify damages sought on Boudlal’s behalf.

In addition, Rosenbaum said the suit aims to force a change in Disney’s policies.

"You never see anyone working there wear a hijab," he said. "We want those practices changed, and want training for employees and managers. It’s about getting Disney to change its policies and practices."

In a separate case in 2010, American Muslim Noor Abdullah was told she could not wear the hijab while working as a vacation planner at a Disney Resort Esplanade ticket booth, and she declined to take a job out of view of the public where the hijab was allowed, according to a report by NBC San Diego.

Ultimately, Disney worked with Abdullah to create a head covering that met her religious needs and the requirements of the public position, the report said.

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A man was charged over the weekend with shooting at a Chicago-area mosque, in what an Islamic group described as a disturbing act of violence, according to a local report.

The man, David Conrad, 51, lives near the mosque in suburban Morton Grove, according to authorities, The Chicago Tribune reported. 

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Police charged Conrad with three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one count of criminal damage to property, the Tribune reported.  Police, have confiscated a" high-velocity air rifle" from Conrad's home, the newspaper added.

Officers earlier went to the Muslim Education Center to investigate a complaint that a projectile hit the building in the Chicago suburb of Morton Grove on Friday night, Morton Grove police Chief Mark Erickson told Reuters in a phone interview.

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A security guard heard a projectile hit the outside wall of the mosque and police who responded were told pellets had previously been fired through the windows of the center, Erickson said.

"It's important to note that no injuries were reported from any of these incidents," he said.

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The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said on Saturday that worshippers had heard shots fired at the building on Friday night.

"We are gravely concerned that we are seeing the rising level of Islamophobic rhetoric in our society translate into violent behavior," CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab said in a statement.

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Islamic institutions seeking to open in some parts of the United States in recent years have faced local opposition that Muslim groups and civil rights advocates have decried as dangerous examples of religious intolerance.

In Tennessee on Friday, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro opened to prayer services after a two-year fight that saw opposition to the mosque become a surprise issue in a Tennessee Republican Congressional primary.

Reuters contributed to this report.  

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Donations to help rebuild a Missouri mosque after it burned to the ground Monday in a suspicious fire hit $291,000 on Friday — soaring past the $250,000 goal, according to the mosque’s fundraising web site.

The contributions have come from mosques and individuals around the country and from overseas to rebuild the mosque of the Islamic Society of Joplin, said a report in the Joplin Globe citing Kimberly Kester, a member and spokeswoman for the mosque.

"I’m glad to see that, honestly, because this is what we expect from people who believe in tolerance and religious freedom," said Nihad Awad, national director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, speaking one day after visiting Joplin. "I think that is a powerful message. The building was burnt but the spirit is resilient."

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The mosque, the only one within a 50-mile radius, had been targeted by an apparent arson attempt on July 4, when surveillance cameras captured a man throwing a lighted object onto the roof of the building. That fire damaged the roof but did not penetrate the building.

About 30 federal agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are investigating Monday’s fire, which leveled the mosque, a one-story brick structure.

The fire was Monday morning during the Muslim month of Ramadan, which draws many more worshippers to the mosque than attend year-round. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, and then break the fast with a large meal called "iftar."  Worshippers had been in the mosque until late the night before the fire, but the building was vacant when the fire broke out, the FBI said.

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"Unfortunately… our community is left without a home during the most precious time of the year," said a message on the fundraising page set up on Indiegogo. "While heartbroken, we are buoyed by the support of people around this country, of all faiths, who have come to our side in our time of need."

A group of Christian and Jewish congregations held an iftar celebration for the local Muslim community on Wednesday, and an activist at the local Ozark Christian College was organizing a rally in support of the mosque-goers on Aug. 25.

"One of the things that I keep hearing is even if (the fire) wasn’t an act of hate or a crime, still a faith community is hurting and we need to respond," said Jill Michel, pastor at the South Joplin Christian Church, one of the iftar organizers.

"What we went through in the tornado has made a difference in how people are responding now," she said, referring to the devastating tornado that hit Joplin in 2011. So many individuals, churches businesses — people who had never had to receive major help — have experienced what it is like just to have people come and offer a hand."

She said her congregation and others were planning to take up Sunday collections for the mosque, and local clergy continue to discuss other ways of helping.

"If tomorrow if somebody said, 'come help rebuild the mosque,' there are a bunch people who would be willing to do that," said Michel. "There’s really a lot of willingness not just to say 'oh that’s too bad' but actually show up and be helpful."

In the culmination of another mosque drama, Muslims in Murfreesboro, Tenn., held the official opening of a newly built mosque and Islamic school Friday after a two-year legal battle, bomb threats, protests and vandalism.

"This is the land of the free and we are going to celebrate the values of religious freedom and diversity," said CAIR’s Awad, who was on his way to Murfreesboro for the event.

As for those who have worked to block the building and opening of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, "we are confident that they don’t represent the majority in this nation," he said.

The opening was expected to draw protesters, but opponents of the facility were nowhere to be seen, the Associated Press reported. Instead the new facility was filled with smiling men, women and children, it said.

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A new mosque outside of Nashville, Tenn. that has been hotly contested for two years – and subjected to a lawsuit, arson and a bomb threat – is scheduled to open for prayers on Friday, The Associated Press reported.

Islamic Center of Murfreesboro board member Saleh Sbenaty told the AP Tuesday that Rutherford County officials issued a 30-day occupancy permit that will allow use of the building while the final permit is pending.

"We're thrilled," Sbenaty said. "We hope everybody will be as happy and thrilled as we are."

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The congregation hopes to hold prayer this week, as part of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which includes fasting during the day, The Tennessean reported. Ramadan ends Aug. 18.

Construction was nearly shut down after a Rutherford County judge ruled in May that the meeting where mosque construction was approved was not sufficiently advertised to the public.

Tennessee Muslims feel blessed this Ramadan 

Last month, federal prosecutors stepped in to protect the religious liberty of mosque members. U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin argued the county judge had illegally created a separate "mosque standard" for public notice that only applied to the Islamic center.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the mosque, allowing construction and permitting to move ahead. The temporary permit is good until mid-October and will allow contractors time to complete the landscaping and some other last details.

The new 12,000-square-foot mosque replaces an existing 2,100-square-foot building that serves about 250 local families and many Muslim students attending Middle Tennessee State University. Worshippers regularly have to stand in the parking lot during prayers because the current space is too small.

Although Muslims have worshipped at the existing mosque for 30 years, protests erupted shortly after plans for the new mosque were approved in May 2010.

Opponents spent two years in court trying to force the county to halt construction. Attorneys for the opposition claimed that Islam is not a valid religion and that mosque members were part of a plot to overthrow the U.S. Constitution and replace it with Islamic law. Those claims were thrown out by the local judge.

In an email on Tuesday, lead plaintiff Kevin Fisher wrote, "History will one day judge whether we were wrong about this mosque, or whether we were right all along."

Sbenaty said mosque leaders have met with some of their opponents over the past two years.

"We tried to calm their fears, but they believe at heart that we are here to do evil things," he said. "We're hoping this will go down with time, but it's going to take a while."

Controversy about the mosque played a role in state elections, as well. Lou Ann Zelenik, Republican candidate for Congress based her campaign on her opposition to Islam and, more specifically, the mosque, even though it was outside her congressional district, Reuters reported.

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Ultimately, Zelenik lost to U.S. Representative Diane Black in the primary vote last week. Black also opposed the mosque but said she would respect the First Amendment – freedom of religion.  

Currently, the only protest is a row of white crosses lining the front lawn of a Baptist church next door, according to wpln.org, Nashville Public Radio.

 

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A mosque in Joplin, Mo. that was the target of an apparent arson attack a month ago burned to the ground on Monday.

About 30 federal investigators from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms were working with local officials to determine whether Monday's fire at the Islamic Society of Joplin was arson. It will take a few days to determine the cause of the blaze, officials said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

"If this fire is determined to be deliberate in nature it will be investigated to the fullest extent possible," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Kaste. "Any act of violence to a house of worship is taken very seriously by law enforcement and threatens the very core of the safety and security that our communities enjoy."

Carl Junction Fire Department and the Jasper County Sheriff's Department responded to the fire at about 3:40 a.m. after it was reported by people driving past. The building, which was empty at the time of the fire, sustained a total loss, the FBI said.

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The FBI and ATF recently offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of a suspected arsonist who was captured on surveillance video on July 4 throwing a lit object onto the roof of the mosque. The suspect in that fire, which damaged the roof, but did not penetrate the building's interior, is still at large. The FBI has posted the video on its website.

ATF and FBI respond to all fires that occur in places of worship, a practice put in place after a rash of arson attacks targeting churches in the 1990s, according to ATF spokeswoman Trista Frederick.

The Islamic Society's religious leader, Imam Lahmuddin, told the Joplin Globe that worshippers were in the mosque until about 11:20 on Sunday night, and were planning to be back for 5 a.m. prayer on Monday. Muslims are observing the month of Ramadan, which involves fasting from dawn until sunset each day. During Ramadan, many Muslims gather to break the fast in the evenings and pray at the mosque more frequently.

"We just take this as a test from God. God is testing us. This is the month of Ramadan. We are fasting. We are not supposed to get angry, we are not supposed to say anything bad," he said. "But that’s not only for this month, but for every day of our lives. In Ramadan we are more careful in guarding our tongues, not to say anything inappropriate." 

The nonprofit Muslim rights group, the Council on American Islamic Relations, announced Monday that it was offering a $10,000 reward "for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever may have caused Monday fire."

CAIR called for stepped-up police protection at Muslim institutions and other houses of worship nationwide because of the Joplin mosque fires and Sunday's deadly shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

CAIR noted that Sikh men who wear beards and turbans as part of their faith are often targeted by bigots who mistake them for Muslims.

The ongoing scene investigation involves reconstruction the scene, identifying the cause and origin of the fire, conducting interviews and sifting through debris to obtain and collect evidence related to the incident, the FBI said in a release.

In some cases, the fire damage is too extensive for experts to determine the cause, said Frederick, of the ATF.

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The FBI announced a $15,000 reward for information that helps nab a suspect captured on surveillance video throwing a lit object onto the roof of an Islamic Center in Joplin, Mo.

The nationwide appeal for tips that lead to the identity, whereabouts and indictment of the white man who appears on the video image came Wednesday, about two weeks after it was announced locally, said Bridget Patton, spokesperson for the FBI in Kansas City, Mo.

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"We need to put that picture out to see if anyone can identify that person or give us any information to further this investigation," said Patton. She said the appeal could "just someone to stop and think… and call in pertinent information, like, 'you know, I did see a car on that street.'"

A fire on the roof of the Islamic Center of Joplin was reported about 3:30 a.m. July 4, the FBI said. It was extinguished by the Jasper County Fire Department before it could cause interior damage.

The mosque was vacant at the time, Patton said.

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She said she could not comment on whether the initial local appeal had generated any useful tips.

The $15,000 reward includes $10,000 from the FBI and $5,000 from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Federal law criminalizes arson and vandalism against houses of worship committed either because of the race or ethnicity of the group using the property or, in certain circumstances, because of the religious nature of the property, the FBI noted in a release.

The FBI plans to publish the whole video recording of the attack on its site on Friday, Patton said.

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As the British-Irish boy band One Direction soared in the pop charts, making teen and tween girls around the world swoon and scream, band member Zayn Malik tweeted a message that would perplex a large segment of his fans, while being immediately recognizable to millions of others.

"La ila ha ill lalla ho muhammed door rasoolalah." The 47-character tweet is a common declaration of faith among Muslims: "There is no god but God and Mohammad is the prophet of God."

It was one signal from Malik that as part of his public persona he would embrace a religion that is often feared and reviled in the West, while otherwise acting the traditional teen idol alongside his four floppy-haired band mates in One Direction.

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The phenomenon of Malik as global pop star and Muslim — the religion of his Pakistan-born father — is likely to alienate some conservative Muslims and has already sparked the wrath of at least one well known anti-Muslim conservative in the U.S., where the band is currently touring.

But to Wajahat Ali, a San Francisco-based screen writer who is a practicing Muslim, Malik represents progress.

"It is empowering for Muslims worldwide to see the success of a pop star who also happens to be Muslim. It sends that message that a person can be respected for their talent, and their "Musliminess" will not exclude them from the public arena and culture," said Ali. "It’s also good business. You have a Muslim in a five-person boy band… and you have captured an audience of Muslim girls worldwide."

$50 million business
One Direction is a creation of Simon Cowell, TV producer and famously blunt judge on "X-Factor" and "American Idol." to In 2010 Cowell pulled together the five boys — then 16 to 18 years old — to compete as a band on "X-Factor" after each had auditioned as soloists on the show. He later signed them on his Syco Records label.

In a blinding rise to global stardom, One Direction’s first album, "Up All Night,” became wildly popular in the UK in 2011, and debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in 2012, launching the top 10 singles "What Makes You Beautiful," "Gotta Be You," and "One Thing."

As of June, the album had sold 2.3 million copies worldwide, and the band has become a $50 million business, CEO of Sony Music UK Nick Gatfield told MusicWeek.com, a British record industry publication.

One Direction is the latest in a well-established tradition of boy bands that goes back to Ricky Nelson, and the Everly Brothers in the 1950s, and continued through the Osmond Brothers, the Jackson Five, through the Backstreet boys, Spice Girls (same idea, different gender) and N’Sync.

"The whole movement… was created and geared to selling records to teenagers," said John Covach, a music historian and professor of music theory at the University of Rochester in New York. He said even the Beatles started out as a boy band. "They were good looking and funny. And they were marketed at first as teen idols."

Covach compares the One Direction video of "What makes you Beautiful" — depicting a zany seaside frolick — to the 1964 film based on the Beatle's "A Hard Day's Night." 

Zealous fans — who call themselves "Directioners" — home in on their favorite band members who in turn cultivate their fan base minute by minute via social media, especially Twitter.

Valuable toast and glorious eyelashes
Louis Tomlinson is the funny one.

Liam Payne is seen the father figure on the band, and sometimes referred to as "Daddy Directioner."

Harry Styles, 18, with a head of curly brown hair and dimples is generally regarded as "cutest" — and known for allegedly dating a couple of much older women.

Niall Horan, a blond 19-year-old from Ireland, got worldwide coverage when, after tasting vegemite spread during an appearance on Australian TV, the uneaten portion of the toast was auctioned on eBay to raise money for charity — reportedly fetching $100,000. He tweeted to his 2.5 million followers that vegemite was not to his liking.

For Malik, being Muslim is not his only distinction. In chat rooms he is adored for his long dark eyelashes, and his rhythm-and-blues style.

But his occasional references to Islam is something new for a teen idol in the West and fans have taken note — though the band has barely hit the radar of most of their elders.

"You are amazing, and you act so normal, you don't fake anything and you speak what's on your mind. You are a guy that most girls want,” swooned fan Hana Fifaii, posting to Twitlonger on March 30. "I loved your tweet ‘Translation la ila ha ill lalla ho muhammed door rasoolalah’ ... It shows you're connected to your religion. You are a wonderful person and you are so God damn hot! My friend made fun of you & i practically killed her :$."

In chat rooms, Muslim and non-Muslims engaged in spirited debates about Malik’s beliefs.

Karina Alifa: Can somebody tell me, is that true that Zayn Malik is Muslim?

xavellene : Yeah he's Muslim.  

Angel x:  Why everyone wants to know what his religion is? This is just so weird. Whatever he believes in, just let him be. Knowing his religion does not make any difference. The same goes with the question if he is gay. Please stop asking stupid questions.

Sabby:  it matters to muslim girls cuz we r muslim.. n we cant marry a non-muslim guy.. so am so proud he is muslim n he is keeping it up even thoh he grew up in UK! so am so proud and excited! … i guess u wont understand cuz ur not muslim.. so its like big thing for us! 

Out in the twittersphere, kids in countries with large Muslim populations, including Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, repeatedly urge Malik to visit during the Muslim celebration of Ramadan.

Boy band jihad
Not all the responses were as positive.

As One Direction tours the United States, packing concert halls from San Francisco to Atlanta, one well-known American anti-Islam commentator warned readers to “keep your daughters away from Zayn Malik’s enticing jihad."

"He’s no dummy," wrote Debbie Schlussel in her blog on June 7. "(Malik) knows the power he has over these mindless girls and is using that influence to preach the Islamic faith to them and try to convert them. It’s dangerous."

Schlussel did not respond to the reporter’s request to discuss these comments further.

But Zudhi Jasser, an American Muslim who frequently warns of Islamic radicalization, didn’t agree that Malik was proselytizing or dangerous.

"I would say all the power to him to be respectful to his faith and be proud of it," said Jasser. He said the American Muslim culture needs more cultural icons who are American and Muslim, but not Islamist – like athletes Karim Abdul Jabbar and Mohammad Ali. 

But he also notes that conservative Islamists would likely frown on many aspects of Malik’s behavior—his smoking, his tattoos (albeit written in Arabic), ear piercing, and song lyrics that — while saccharine — probably would not be seen to glorify God.

There are conservative Islamic countries where One Direction would not be allowed to perform -- and Malik might be the target of conservative clerics for his style of faith.

Ali, the screenwriter, said that even if more conservative Muslims don’t agree with Malik’s behavior, he could help expand the artistic boundaries for young Muslims.

"What we have seen in the last 10 years is that you can be an artist who is Muslim and can be practicing and doing art that is inspired by your beliefs, but does not have to be overtly Islamic or using religious language," he said. "A guy like Zayn Malik can really help open those minds and convey that as a generation we are moving ahead."

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An American student who discovered he was included on the government’s no-fly list and was barred from a U.S.-bound flight from Costa Rica was reunited with family and friends after he flew to Mexico and then walked across the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday evening.

Kevin Iraniha, 27, was met at the San Ysidro crossing south of his home in San Diego by his father and two brothers as well as some supporters and reporters after a two-day delay that included FBI questioning and rerouting his trip through Mexico City and Tijuana.

"I'm happy to be home, finally in my hometown where I was born and raised," Iraniha told NBC San Diego, but he added that what happened to him "was very tiring and very depressing."

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"Obviously he was relieved to see his family, to be back in San Diego, home. It was quite an emotional moment to see him for his family for his friends," said Hanif Mohebi, executive director of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, a nonprofit civil rights group.

Iraniha had recently completed a master’s degree program in Costa Rica. He had celebrated his graduation with his father and brothers, but was stopped on Tuesday when he tried to check in for his flight.

Iraniha is a practicing Muslim whose father was born in Iran. He said he was questioned extensively by FBI agents at the U.S. Embassy in San Jose about his religious beliefs, practices and affiliations, and about his recent travels to destinations including Iran, where he has relatives. 

See original report on msnbc.com.

He was not told why he was placed on the no-fly list, according to Mohebi, but was told he could return to the United States by alternative means.

Iraniha's brothers and father all were allowed to board aircraft flying directly to the United States.

Citing the U.S. Privacy Act and security reasons, the FBI will not confirm nor deny an individual’s inclusion on the no-fly list, which is intended to safeguard U.S. aviation. More than 20,000 individuals are on the list, including about 500 U.S. citizens, according to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, which maintains the list. These individuals are barred from all domestic flights and international flights that enter U.S. air space.

Mohebi said that Iraniha was staying out of the public eye for a few days as he recovers from the ordeal and decides how to proceed.

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There are currently two major lawsuits challenging the federal government on its use of the no-fly list, its lack of transparency and an apparent lack of recourse for people who find themselves restricted by it.

"Now that he is safely home, we can discuss the larger issue of how it is that people get onto that list," said Mohebi. "If an individual is dangerous enough that he should not be flying, shouldn’t he be arrested, brought to court, tried and prosecuted?  And if this individual is dangerous enough not to fly (to the United States), why should he be allowed to fly to other countries … and drive in or walk across the border?"

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A U.S. citizen from San Diego who was barred from boarding a flight home from Costa Rica — apparently because he has been placed on the U.S. no-fly list — was attempting to fly to Mexico and cross into the United States by land on Thursday, attorneys familiar with his case said.

Kevin Iraniha, 27, had just completed his master's degree in international law at a United Nations-affiliated Peace University in Costa Rica and was preparing to return home on Tuesday when he was refused boarding, according to Munia Jabbar, a staff attorney with the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, a non-profit civil rights group.

Iraniha went to the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica, where he was questioned extensively by FBI agents about his religious beliefs, his attendance and contacts at mosques in Costa Rica, and whether he was involved in activities that presented a threat, Jabbar said.

Iraniha was born and raised in San Diego. His father is an Iranian-born U.S. citizen, and his mother is a native-born U.S. citizen.

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The officials indicated he was on the U.S. no-fly list of people who are prohibited from boarding domestic flights or international flights that enter U.S. airspace. The list has grown from just a few names prior to Sept. 11, 2001, when Islamic extremists used commercial flights to attack the United States, to a roster of about 20,000 names, including about 500 U.S. citizens in 2012.

 

In order to get home, Iraniha booked an alternative flight to Mexico City and onward to Tijuana, and planned to drive over the border to San Diego.

Kevin Iraniha could not immediately be reached by phone, but his brother Jahan said that he had received messages confirming arrival in Mexico City and imminent boarding of a flight for Tijuana. Family members were planning to go to the Mexican border to meet Iraniha Thursday evening, according to Jahan Iraniha, who declined further comment until Friday.

"At this moment we are trying to get him safely home, and we will look at the details and questions in coming days," said Hanif Mohebi, executive director of CAIR San Diego.

Dozens of Americans — primarily Muslims — have been stranded overseas by the no-fly list. As in Iraniha’s case, many discover they are on the list only when they are at an airport trying to check in for a flight.

Related reporting:

American seeks political asylum in Sweden alleging torture, FBI coercion
American aid worker: U.S. bars my return
What gives? Another American in Libya no-fly limbo 
Bittersweet homecoming for Libyan-American caught in no-fly limbo
No-fly Muslim takes case to court of public opinion

The no-fly list does not bar American citizens from returning to the United States by land.

But Iraniha’s ability to return is still uncertain, and there are few precedents for attempting to do so.

Another American who found he was on the no-fly list when attempting to return to the U.S. from Bogota, Colombia, was Raymond Knaeble.  After landing in Mexico City in May 2010, with plans to travel onward by land, Knaeble was interrogated by Mexican officials for 15 hours and then deported to Bogota, according to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

According to the court documents, filed on behalf of 15 plaintiffs challenging the U.S. no-fly list, Knaeble finally got back to the United States from Colombia in August 2010 by traveling by bus for 12 days.

The no-fly list, maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center under the FBI, includes "known or reasonably suspected terrorists," according to the FBI website.

A background check showed no criminal background for Iraniha.

In 2010, he helped organize a peace protest to counter a planned Quran burning by anti-Muslim activists, according to the Ocean Bay Rag, a small publication in Southern California.

Iraniha spoke to the Union Tribune of San Diego after he was initially barred from his flight and questioned by the FBI about his religious beliefs and affiliations.

"It's discrimination," he told the publication. "I was shocked; it was really weird to have such questions being asked. First and foremost, I'm an American, and secondly, I don't believe in violence."

The publication said Iraniha — a self-described peace activist and "beach boy" — plans to take some type of action, possibly filing a lawsuit.

Iraniha's two brothers and his father, who had come to Costa Rica to attend his graduation, were all allowed to fly home to the United States.

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