http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/oussamajammal/ en-us Sun, 8 Feb 2004 13:24:46 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1073838/posts Sheik Jamal Said stood before the packed mosque and worked the crowd like an auctioneer. Speaking Arabic, the prayer leader asked for a donation of $10,000. No one responded. He asked for $5,000, and three men raised their hands. < SNIP> The recipient of the worshipers' generosity was Sami Al-Arian, a Palestinian activist accused by the U.S. government of aiding terrorists. And the prayer leader's passionate appeal is a reflection of the ascendancy of Muslim hard-liners at the mosque, one of the most outspoken and embattled in the U.S. The mosque did not become this way without a struggle. Relying... Chicago Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1073838/posts#comment Sun, 8 Feb 2004 13:24:46 GMT