Muslim Victim Of Boston Marathon Bombing Sues Glenn Beck For Defamation

Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi, a Muslim student who was injured in the bombing of the Boston Marathon, has filed a defamation and slander lawsuit against Glenn Beck. The suit claims that Beck repeatedly named the Saudi national as an "active participant" in the attack, even after authorities had cleared him of suspicion. Via Courthouse News:

Alharbi describes himself in the 6-page lawsuit as "a 20-year-old student who was a spectator at the Marathon and was injured in the bombing. Mr. Alharbi, like many others, was questioned by federal authorities investigating the events of that day. Those authorities also, with his permission, searched his apartment. The responsible officials quickly concluded that Mr. Alharbi, other then being injured in the attacks, had no involvement in the attacks. Many news outlets reported the facts of the search of an apartment and that authorities had questioned a man of Middle Eastern descent. When the authorities concluded that Mr. Alharbi had no involvement, reports ceased. The defendant Glenn Beck, with the active participation of the distributor defendants, repeatedly and falsely identified Mr. Alharbi as an active participant in the crimes that were committed on April 15, 2013, repeatedly questioned the motives of federal officials in failing to pursue or detain Mr. Alharbi and repeatedly and falsely accused Mr. Alharbi of being a criminal who had funded the attacks that took place at the Boston Marathon. Those statements were made widely and publicly."

Raw Story notes that Beck repeatedly denounced the federal government for failing to arrest Alharbi. 

“Let me just say this to those at the highest echelons of government,” Beck said April 21, according to World Net Daily. “We know who this Saudi national is, and it is in your best interest and the best interest of integrity and trust for the people of United States of America – it’s best coming from you, not coming from a news organization. It’s best coming from you. You have until (April 22). We have information on who this man is, (and) we know he is a very bad, bad, bad man.”

Alharbi's suit declares that due to Beck's campaign against him, he has received many messages calling him a murderer and a child killer.

RELATED: In January, US Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government would seek the death penalty for the surviving bomber. His brother was slain in a shoot out with police four days after the attack.