Posted on 12/06/2001 2:08:59 PM PST by sarcasm
ICHARDSON, Tex., Dec. 5 — In the parking lot of a nondescript suburban office building here, about 300 supporters of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development gathered tonight for a religious vigil. Three times they knelt and rose as one, their lips mouthing nearly silent Arabic prayers.
But when they rose for the final time, a local imam, Dr. Nabil Al- Sadoon, began to lead them in a series of noisy chants and protests.
"Palestine is occupied! The Israelis are the occupiers!" they shouted at first, and later: "Holy Land is helping the persecuted! The widows! The orphans!"
The protesters had gathered to express their anger at raids conducted earlier this week by federal authorities on four of the foundation's offices around the country, including its headquarters in Richardson, a city just north of Dallas. President Bush said Tuesday that the assets of the organization were seized because the foundation, which collected an estimated $13 million last year, was providing money to the militant Palestinian group Hamas. The money, the president said, was being used to indoctrinate terrorists and support the families of suicide bombers.
After the prayer vigil, Dr. Sadoon, 42, called the move "an outrageous, illegal act." He added: "Holy Land is very noble, very efficient in their humanitarian activities. It is unfortunate that it has been shut down without a normal judicial process."
Dr. Sadoon, who said that he had donated to the group, was particularly angered that the government acted during Ramadan. "Our faith requires us to contribute to charity at this time of year," he said. "Now that the money has been seized, that will not happen, and it is an insult to all of those who have contributed."
Earlier, at a news conference, John Janney, a spokesman for Holy Land denied that the group helped to finance Hamas or any other terrorist organization.
"The foundation is in no way, shape or form associated with any terrorist organizations," he said. "We plan to counter the government's action, to clear this great charity's name."
He described the foundation as the largest Muslim charity in the Western Hemisphere, a spinoff of an earlier group founded in California in 1989 by Palestinian Muslim immigrants.
At the news conference, Ghassan Elashi, the group's chairman, said President Bush was merely trying to appease the Israeli government. "This is politics, pure politics," he said. "This is a trespass from the war on terrorism to an attack on Muslims."
These folks are the enemies of Israel and the USA. The enemy within, one might say.
To them I say tough.We have our own widows and orphans to worry about thanks to Islam
Dr. Sadoon, who said that he had donated to the group, was particularly angered that the government acted during Ramadan.
This whole friggin’ “time-out during Ramadan” song and dance is getting very old.
Thank you!!
I really get tired of the lying Ay-rabs crying wolf. Screw 'em!
Of course this article come from the in lust with Islamic Terrorists, NY Slimes. They have to be PC and make Americans look bad while we are investigating those who want to kill our children here in America!
This is not the first nor will it be the last revelation of American Muslims opening collecting funds to finance the killing of innocents abroad and here like on 9/11!
I don't think it's allowed for the men to pray with women. The men were probably there to keep the women in line in case one of them wasn't facing mecca right or showing too much of her face.
They just don't quit with their stupid rhetoric, they want every Jew out of the Middle East but why do they think Muslims have a right to be in the US? These clowns need to be deported ASAP.
/john
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