FBI

Some of you know that I am involved with the Islamic Center of Quincy. Ever since its inception, which happened in November of 2001, I have also been in touch with the FBI agents in Springfield Illinois. Usually two agents come to the Center once a year or so during the services and very respectfully listen to the sermon and watch the prayers. They have been extremely courteous and pleasant to talk to. We exchange emails and they also attend our annual fund raising dinners. They are concerned that there should be no vandalism or any unhealthy activity, which by God’s grace we do not have a problem with that. Quincy is such a beautiful town and people are so supportive of me and my efforts in getting a place of worship. Many schools and colleges send their students to observe Islamic traditions and ways of prayer during the year.

E M an FBI agent had sent me an email mid January or third week in January asking if he could come on a Friday that month. I had informed him that I had got over my Covid problem and that M was still under the weather, and was quite weak and tired. So we decided on a Friday in February, which would be yesterday. E M had told me he was bringing another agent with him which he does often.

So yesterday he called me in the morning around 10 to say that they were in town. They always go and visit the Quincy Police Department when they come. Unfortunately they were told that a majority of the police force had taken their Covid vaccines and were not feeling very well. Therefore they were asked to return some other time. He wondered if I could get together with them before the 1 pm time that I had given him originally. So I asked them to come over to the house, which they graciously accepted.

There was so much snow on the ground. The drive way was ploughed by a neighbor, but the side walk and the front porch had a lot of snow, which I couldn’t clean and which M couldn’t clean because of our health problem. They came inside and said, they wanted to remove the snow from the side walk and the porch. My mouth fell open! I couldn’t ask these Federal agents to sweep my porch and shovel the side walk. Well, they insisted. Said they needed to get some exercise in, because they hadn’t done anything since they came to Quincy earlier that morning. We sat and talked about an hour or so, and then when they got ready to leave, they got the shovel from the garage and the broom that was already on the front porch. In minutes they had the side walk cleaned and the front porch free of snow.

Beside being grateful, I was flabbergasted . They are such wonderful gentlemen and I have so much respect for what they do. I felt very guilty for making them shovel but they were so generous with the offer and insisted so much. I am so indebted to them. See, M always would get the side walk and the front porch shoveled to allow the mail carriers ease in getting to the mail box. But he still gets very tired, and I had told him not to bother with it at this time. Felt bad that it was not shoveled when these two came along. Wish I had taken a picture when they were shoveling!

How cool is that??!!