Opinion ID: 2295861
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Siege; the Demands

Text: Dr. Rauf was the focus of the takeover at the Islamic Center. Shortly after appellants had taken their hostages, Rahman dialed a phone number from memory and reported, We are now in complete control of the Islamic Center and we are holding [eleven] hostage including Rauf. One of the appellants pulled Dr. Rauf over to the phone and told him to speak. Rauf testified that it was Brother Hamaas on the phone. Khaalis accused Rauf of playing a game against him, blamed Rauf for not doing enough to stop the showing of the movie of Mohammad's life, and accused Rauf of supporting the X's (Khaalis and his men referred to the Black Muslim group headed by Wallace Mohammad in Chicago as the X's). Throughout the siege, appellants at the Islamic Center made demands identical to those being made by Khaalis at B'nai B'rith. They demanded that the movie, Mohammad, Messenger of God, cease to be shown, and that the murderers of Khaalis' family be taken from prison and brought before Hamaas. The hostages were constantly threatened: if the demands were not met, heads would roll. Dr. Rauf personally was threatened with death a number of times. He testified that he was told he would be very lucky to leave this building with my head over my shoulders, and I heard it said more than once that if any move should be made, Rauf's head would roll out of the window. On one occasion, when appellants thought the police might storm the building, Rauf was told to stand up and was held by the neck. A rifle was placed on his back. One of the appellants said that if anything happened, Rauf's head would be chopped off or would be blown off. On another occasion, Rauf's legs were untied and he was brought to the entrance of the building with a rifle at his back. One of the appellants looked through the peephole of the door and said, [I]f there was any foul play . . . Rauf's head would be chopped off first. . . . It was only then that Rauf realized that a box of food had been brought to the door for the hostages. Dr. Rauf was forced to sit in a chair until late in the second evening of the siege, when he was permitted to lie down on the floor. This occurred after he had been told by one of the appellants that Brother Hamaas had decided not to kill Rauf's wife. The hostages were given food and allowed to go to the bathroom, under guard. Two of the women were released before the end of the siege. [9]