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Prominent Ohio Islamic leader indicted
Miami Herald.com ^
| Jan. 13, 2004
| THOMAS J. SHEERAN
Posted on 01/13/2004 11:13:47 AM PST by inPhase
CLEVELAND - A prominent Islamic clergyman was arrested Tuesday on an indictment alleging he concealed links to groups that committed terrorist attacks against Jews when he applied for U.S. citizenship a decade ago, officials said.
Imam Fawaz Mohammed Damrah, who leads the Islamic Center of Cleveland, Ohio's largest mosque, is accused of withholding information on his membership or affiliation with several groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, U.S. Attorney Gregory White said.
White said the indictment did not allege that Damrah, a Palestinian, committed any terrorist activities. The indictment did not specify what type of support Damrah may have provided to any of the groups.
Damrah, 41, who also uses the name Fawaz Damra, was charged with unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship by providing false or fraudulent information, White said. He gained citizenship in 1994.
If convicted, he could face loss of his citizenship, up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been identified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization, White said.
Other groups for which Damrah is accused of concealing an affiliation or membership were Afghan Refugees Services Inc., also known as Al-Kifah Refugee Center, and the Islamic Committee for Palestine, also known as Islamic Concern Project.
Damrah has been a permanent resident in the United States since 1988, White said.
Damrah's past has been public knowledge for several years. White would not say why the indictment has been filed now.
"We are strictly dealing with issues, activities and incidents prior to his becoming a naturalized citizen and what he was required to disclose" to gain citizenship, White said.
Damrah represented the Islamic community at interfaith gatherings in Cleveland after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Then, local TV stations broadcast a videotape from a Chicago gathering 10 years earlier showing him making anti-Jewish comments in a speech. He called for rifles to be directed at Jewish people, and referring to them as "the sons of monkeys and pigs."
He apologized for the remarks, saying they were made before he had any interaction with Jews and Christians. But a local community college replaced him in late 2001 as the teacher of a course on Islam.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: clergyman; damrah; fundraising; islamic; islamicjihad; jihad; jihadinamerica; moneytrail; orcs; pij; religionofpeace
1
posted on
01/13/2004 11:13:47 AM PST
by
inPhase
To: inPhase
"A religion of peace".
To: inPhase
"A religion of peace".
To: inPhase
What? An Arab who's a terrorist?
And he incites violence against Jews?
How can this be? Isn't this some kind of "profiling"?
</sarcasm>
4
posted on
01/13/2004 11:18:39 AM PST
by
Redbob
(now to find a cure for global whining...)
To: inPhase
Interesting test case. Several people who were associated with the Nazis 50 years earlier lost their citizenship for not reporting such details on their applications. Will they apply the same rule here? Evidently they must be thinking about it, or they wouldn't have indicted him.
The article doesn't clarify it, but I take it he is probably a citizen if he applied that long ago and is still here.
5
posted on
01/13/2004 11:18:41 AM PST
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: inPhase
Interesting test case. Several people who were associated with the Nazis 50 years earlier lost their citizenship for not reporting such details on their applications. Will they apply the same rule here? Evidently they must be thinking about it, or they wouldn't have indicted him.
The article doesn't clarify it, but I take it he is probably a citizen if he applied that long ago and is still here.
6
posted on
01/13/2004 11:18:47 AM PST
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: Cicero
Sorry for the duplicate post. I've been getting "Server Internal Error" recently.
7
posted on
01/13/2004 11:19:24 AM PST
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: inPhase
A prominent Islamic clergyman was arrested Tuesday on an indictment alleging he concealed links to groups that committed terrorist attacks against Jews when he applied for U.S. citizenship a decade ago, officials said.
That should come as no surprise. Typical behavior from a peaceful mooselimb.
8
posted on
01/13/2004 11:23:52 AM PST
by
BayouCoyote
(PORK AKBAR!!)
To: inPhase
Another thread today was discussing the fact that muslims are not required to be truthful in any relationships with non muslims. I guess it's not really shocking.
9
posted on
01/13/2004 11:38:05 AM PST
by
freeangel
(freeangel)
To: freeangel; BayouCoyote
The Muslims have their own rules. I keep hearing that the conversion rate in the US is high, and in Mexico, hope not. It may be todays hari krishnas
but 180 out...
10
posted on
01/13/2004 3:45:17 PM PST
by
inPhase
To: inPhase
http://www.fox8cleveland.com/dynamic/story.asp?category=140#3464
Islamic Leader Indicted on Charge of Citizenship
Watch the I-Team exclusive that lead to today's arrest Tonight on Fox 8 News at 5 and 6.
(1/13/04) A prominent Islamic clergyman has been indicted on a charge of concealing alleged assistance to groups that committed terrorist attacks against Jews when he applied for U.S. citizenship, the government announced Tuesday. Imam Fawaz Mohammed Damrah is accused of concealing from his citizenship application his membership or affiliation with several groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, U.S. Attorney Gregory White said. The indictment did not specify what type of support Damrah is accused of providing.
Damrah, 41, of suburban Strongsville, was charged with unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship in 1994 by providing false or fraudulent information on his citizenship application, White said. Damrah, who also uses the name Fawaz Damra, was arrested at his home about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday by members of the FBI joint terrorism task force. He was held to await an arraignment Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court before Judge James S. Gwin.
The other groups for which Damrah is accused of concealing an affiliation or membership were Afghan Refugees Services Inc., a division of the Kafah Refugee Center and also known as Al-Kifah Refugee Center and Alkifah Refugee Center Inc., and the Islamic Committee for Palestine, also known as Islamic Concern Project.
If convicted, Damrah cold face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. In addition, if convicted Damrah could have his citizenship revoked. Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been identified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization, White said. He said the indictment focused on false statements made in order for Damra to get his citizenship but did not allege any terrorist activities.
"We are strictly dealing with issues, activities and incidents prior to his becoming a naturalized citizen and what he was required to disclose prior to becoming a naturalized citizen in April 1994," White said. Damra, who was born in Palestine, has been a permanent resident in the United States since 1988, White said. Damra's past has been public knowledge for several years. White would not say why the indictment has been filed now.
"It's not something I can comment on. We had opened our case, investigated the matter and returned an indictment, so the record speaks for itself," White said.
Damrah, who leads Ohio's largest mosque, apologized in 2001 when a 10 year-old videotape surfaced showing him making anti-Semitic comments in a speech. Lay leaders of the Islamic Center of Cleveland accepted the apology and said he was forgiven. The videotape was released by immigration agents in 2002 in a deportation case in Florida involving another man. Damrah, apparently videotaped in Chicago in 1991, was shown calling for rifles to be directed at Jewish people, and referring to them as animals.
Damrah represented the Islamic community at interfaith gatherings in Cleveland after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. His mosque was rammed by a car six days after the attacks. The suspect was drunk and upset about the terrorist attacks, police said.
To: inPhase; Dave S
This just can't be can it? Isn't Islam the religion of peace? The Michigan Militia probably dreamed up this stuff about this peaceful islamic. Can't we just turn the other cheek like good Christians? Can't we all just get along? Oh the humanity!
12
posted on
01/13/2004 4:14:46 PM PST
by
RushLake
To: RushLake
This just can't be can it? Isn't Islam the religion of peace? The Michigan Militia probably dreamed up this stuff about this peaceful islamic You dont think we have our bad apples? 35% or more of the country is solid core liberal Democrat and that is pure core evil but I dont hear you arguing to physically kill Democrats. If you dont think some of the Michigan Militia folks arent working with a screw or two lose, then maybe you ought to check out that brain of yours. Its for thought, not to sit on.
13
posted on
01/13/2004 8:46:43 PM PST
by
Dave S
To: Dave S
No sonny, I'm not sitting on my brain. I despise the Michigan Militia more than you do. I believe in what the US Constitution says about the militia. Although I'm probably on the high side of the age limits, I can still hit the black spot at 100 or so yards pretty consistently, and I'm not shooting a pea shooter. I'd be proud to be part of the US Constitution inspired militia anytime. In my experience, You seem to have this need to unjustly tie other people to the Michigan Militia and put a religious spin on things that you post. I can't seem to get the 9/11 images of those people having to make the horrific decision to jump or burn to death, nor have I forgotten who inspired those thoughts. I haven't forgotten the USS Cole or the other vicious islamic inspired attacks either, and I don't care what their rationale is, but it sure wasn't any Christian and I don't believe the Michigan Militia collectively is smart enough to figure those types of attacks out.
14
posted on
01/14/2004 4:50:44 AM PST
by
RushLake
To: Cicero
his citizenship is now revoked
15
posted on
07/07/2005 3:58:17 PM PDT
by
piasa
(Attitude Adjustments Offered Here Free of Charge)
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