( CNN ) -- Five Americans arrested this week in Pakistan were `` wholesome , '' devout young men who participated in a youth program at a community mosque in suburban Virginia , representatives of the congregation said Friday . `` I have always known these kids as fun-loving , career-focused children that had a bright future for themselves , '' said Mustafa Abu Maryam , youth coordinator at the I.C.N.A . Center , an affiliate of the the Islamic Circle of North America , in Alexandria , Virginia . `` As far as I know they were wholesome kids . Very goofy . You know , talked about girls . Very wholesome . '' Portraits of Ahmed Abdullah Minni , Umar Farooq , Aman Hassan Yemer , Waqar Hussain Khan , and Ramy Zamzamand -- whom police say were transferred Saturday from the small town where they were seized to a more secure location in Lahore -- are slowly emerging . A sixth man -- the father of one of the five -- also was arrested , police said . Pakistani authorities described the men as college students who `` were of the opinion that a jihad must be waged against the infidels for the atrocities committed by them against Muslims around the world , '' a report states . Abu Maryam said members of the community are struggling to come to terms with news of their arrests in Pakistan amid suspicions they were plotting terror attacks and seeking a way to fight American troops abroad . `` I hope all of this is not true . I hope it is not what it seems , '' Abu Maryam said . Representatives of the mosque -- a modest , one-story brick house on a residential street -- expressed surprise over the arrests and described the community as a small , tight-knit , patriotic congregation . `` Our youth group has always focused on community service , community involvement and community oriented events . Our main focus is to be a positive force of good in our young men 's lives , Abu Maryam said . Next to the mosque is a home surrounded by a tall white fence listed in the name of the mother of Umar Farooq , one of the men arrested . The accounting student at George Mason University was born in 1985 in Sargodha , Pakistan , the city where the five Americans were arrested on Wednesday , according to a report released by Pakistani authorities . His mother said she and her husband were already in Pakistan looking for a wife for their son when she received news that her son was in the country . She said she assumed that he was there to surprise her , but he was arrested before she could meet him . She defended her son 's innocence , insisting that he was in the country to visit her and to look for a wife . Down the street from the mosque is a house listed in the name of A. Minni , a 20-year-old American born in Virginia who is believed to be Ahmed Abdullah Minni , the focus of the Pakistan report . Minni regularly went online to watch attacks on the U.S. military in Afghanistan , leaving comments praising the actions , the report said . That caught the attention of militants and he was eventually contacted by a person named Saifullah , the report said . Without commenting directly on the arrests , Abu Maryam defended the mosque 's activities , saying discussion of jihad had no place in the congregation or the youth program . `` Our group discussions never talked about politics , never talked about fighting against anyone , indirectly or directly . On the contrary , we always promoted being compassionate toward others and good stewards for humanity . '' A few blocks south of the mosque is the housing complex where Ramy Zamzam , 22 , rose from humble beginnings to Howard University 's College of Dentistry . On campus , Zamzam was known as a cheerful , engaging student who enthusiastically took part in Muslim student activities . He was a member of several Facebook groups , including the Muslim Doctor Network , Tooth , FASTING MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS and Every Substitute Teacher On Earth Has Butchered My Last Name . News of his arrest set Howard 's campus abuzz with speculation over why the student would leave campus before finals were set to begin . `` If Ramy was not here to take his exams it means he 's throwing away this academic year , '' former university chaplain Imam Johari Abdul-Malik said . `` If he does not comes back not only does he risk this year but perhaps he 's thrown away his hopes of having the life , the American dream that his family sacrificed [ for ] . '' CNN 's Arwa Damon , Brian Todd , Dugald McConnell contributed to this report .
Members of mosque describe the men as ` ` wholesome '' kids . Men arrested include Howard University dental student , George Mason accounting student . Pakistani officials : Five arrested earlier , sixth man -- father of one of the 5 -- arrested later . Pakistani police say they were planning terrorist acts , he says .