Living La Vida Global: The Case of Jose Padilla/Abdullah Al Muhajir

  • Frances Negrín-Muntaner
Chapter
Part of the New Directions in Latino American Cultures book series (NDLAC)

Abstract

There may be no better case to survey the potential and peril of the global era than that of Jose Padilla a.k.a. Abdullah Al Muhajir. A Puerto Rican “ethnic” who identified himself as an African American, a baptized Catholic who came to prefer the company of Muslims, and a U.S. citizen trying to escape the American Dream by moving to Egypt, Padilla/Al Muhajir was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on May 8, 2002. Initially held as a material witness in relation to a 9/11 investigation, a month after his detention Padilla was designated an enemy combatant and accused of being an al Qaeda operative bent on making radioactive “dirty bombs” to destroy cities across the United States. Shortly after, U.S. President George W. Bush called him a “bad guy” and banished him to a South Carolina Navy Brig without charges and without free access to a lawyer or family members.

Keywords

West Side Gang Member Gang Membership Street Gang Chicago Tribune 
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Notes

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Copyright information

© Frances Negrón-Muntaner 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Frances Negrín-Muntaner

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