World-famous Syrian and Muslim singer Mohamed Mustapha Ali Masfaka, also known as Abu Rhatib, was released following a sentence hearing in federal court in Detroit on Dec. 14.

Syrian singer Abu Ratib. Photo courtesy of Muslim Legal Fund

He will now self-deport from the United States and relocate to the country of his choice per an agreement with the U.S. Government.

Abu Ratib was sentenced to serve time after pleading guilty to making false statements during his naturalization proceedings according to the Detroit Free Press about a part-time job with a charity that was deemed three years later to have “terrorist ties,” but many of his supporters believe that it was a case of a misunderstanding and another case of officials targeting an Arab Muslim.

The situation arose after Ratib agreed to a voluntary interview in 2003 by the FBI without legal counsel present where he was asked about musical performances in 1997 and 1998 at events sponsored by the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) according to the Muslim Legal Fund (MLF), a non-profit which is based in Texas and helped support Abu Ratib during the case. He was interviewed again on January 30, 2004 by an immigration officer and did not have a lawyer present.

The interviews followed his citizenship application filed in 2002.

Ratib’s part-time employment with the HLF lasted six months and he was not in violation of the law nor did he have control or involvement as to where the foundation sent its funds according to the MLF.  one of the charges against him were terrorism-related.

The fund also noted that the performances occurred three years before the Holy Land Foundation was specially designated or suspected of any criminal activity; Ratib originally pleaded not guilty, saying that he was a “victim of a lack of understanding of the English language.”

NRatib often sang in support of human rights for the occupied Palestinian people.

Charles Swift, his attorney, said, “Mr. Masfaka (Ratib) and his family are deeply saddened that the United States was unwilling to forgive his error, especially in light of the fact that he included his affiliation with the HLF in another part of the Naturalization Application. They are deeply concerned that his conviction will have a further chilling effect on the legal support of Muslim charities in the United States.”