Posted on 09/28/2001 11:47:10 AM PDT by Elkiejg
TAMPA -- A Palestinian-born professor linked in the past to terrorist fund-raising was put on paid leave Friday by University of South Florida officials who cited safety concerns.
The decision came at an emergency meeting that was called after computer engineering professor Sami Al-Arian appeared on FOX News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" late Wednesday and was questioned about his links to known terrorists.
Al-Arian is the former head of World and Islam Studies Enterprises, a now-defunct Islamic think tank that was located at USF until it was raided by the FBI in 1995 and its assets were frozen.
A former head of the think tank, Ramadan Abdulah Shallah, left it in 1995 and resurfaced as the head of a terrorist organization, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Al-Arian was put on paid leave to keep him off campus pending an internal investigation and because of concerns for safety, his own as well as others, said USF President Judy Genshaft.
Al-Arian has never been detained or charged with a crime, but the institute and a related charity for Palestinians was accused by the FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service agents of being a fund-raising front for terrorists.
WISE also hosted conferences that drew other known terrorists, including Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, a blind Muslim cleric convicted of plotting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Al-Arian could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
The Friday meeting was called Thursday in response to the TV appearance.
"The president is going to report to the board about campus safety and on 'The O'Reilly Factor' Wednesday night," USF spokesman Michael Reich said Thursday.
Reich declined further comment.
Bill O'Reilly, host of the popular talk show, had hosted Al-Arian for a brief appearance Wednesday evening.
O'Reilly asked Al-Arian about the connections to Shallah and to Tarik Hamdi, a former manager of the charity who was linked to Osama bin Laden's organization during the recent trial of four men convicted in the east Africa embassy bombings.
Al-Arian defended his connections with those men, saying he only knew them as academics and was "shocked" when they were later connected to terrorism.
O'Reilly also asked Al-Arian about his own statements videotaped at some of the WISE conferences in which Al-Arian rallied the crowd with shouts of "death to Israel."
Al-Arian responded he was making a political statement regarding the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and what he considers Israeli oppression, not advocating deaths of people.
The connections between the think tank and the terrorists are the same links presented as evidence against Al-Arian's brother-in-law, Mazen Al-Najjar, who was jailed for more than three years as a threat to national security.
Al-Najjar was held by the INS until last year, when a judge ruled last year the evidence was not sufficient to continue holding him. He still faces deportation.
Copyright © 2001, The Associated Press
cvisot@trustees.usf.edu
http://www.usf.edu/president/trustees_report.html
BTW, Jesse is on TV; I think he's going to go. He can't miss out on an opportunity like this.
Ashland, Missouri
Al-Arian responded he was making a political statement regarding the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and what he considers Israeli oppression, not advocating deaths of people.
Death to the America Haters!!!
Just proves that no one can tell who is involved.
If any more attacks occur in the USA, internment may be unavoidable.
There used to be a day, when certain "talk" was considered Treason!! But the bleeding heart liberals have made us MORE vulnerable to the kind of attacks that we just had on Sept. 11th. Let hate and treasonous comments just fly. This is where it all got us.
I say if they don't like or love America, then go live elsewhere.. PERIOD!!! We believe this is a Land of many diverse people, we love that. But come here legally, respect this country, and if you can't do that, then LEAVE!!!
The good of "many", should always come first over the "good of a few".
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