Detroit Muslims hold memorial for slain Imam

Muslims in the city of Detroit are preparing for the funeral of a prayers leader killed during an alleged shootout with federal agents.

A service for Luqman Ameen Abdullah, Imam of the Masjid Al-Haqq, has been set for Saturday morning at the Muslim Center in Detroit during which speakers will discuss pursuing "peace and reconciliation."

Abdullah was killed by the FBI on Wednesday in Detroit during raids in which a number of individuals were arrested on charges unrelated to terrorism.

According to a criminal complaint, the Imam had been accused of citing stories from the Quran and the life of the prophet Muhammad to justify "stealing, robbing and other illegal acts, as long as they profit Islam."

The FBI accused him of being "the radical leader of a Sunni Islam group in Detroit who expressed hatred for government and endorsed violence."

The claims have been dismissed as "utterly preposterous" by Abdullah's mosque.

The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), a coalition of major national Islamic organizations, has called for an independent investigation into the killing.

The coalition has also called on the FBI to refrain from linking the raids or the allegations against the suspects to the Muslim faith.

"Unless the FBI has evidence linking the criminal allegations to the religious affiliation of the suspects, we ask that federal authorities stop injecting religion into this case," it said in a statement.

"The unjustified linkage of this case to the faith Islam," the coalition added, "will only serve to promote an increase in existing anti-Muslim stereotyping and bias in our society."