Islamic coalition says bias prompted arrests
Posted on 12/20/2002 1:31:42 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Islamic coalition says bias prompted arrests
Tearful relatives join in criticizing charges against 4 brothers
12/20/2002
RICHARDSON - A coalition of North Texas Islamic groups lashed out at federal law enforcement Thursday, saying that religious discrimination motivated charges against four brothers accused of trying to hide investments by a Hamas political leader in their company.
The news conference included three of the brothers' teenage daughters, who talked about the deep community ties of their fathers. Federal agents arrested Ghassan, Bayan, Basman and Hazim Elashi early Wednesday on charges that their Richardson-based computer company, InfoCom Corp., hid investments by Mousa Abu Marzook, whom federal authorities have designated as a terrorist, and his wife, Nadia, and illegally shipped computers to Libya and Syria. Mr. Marzook and his wife also were indicted.
"Words can't describe to you how much I love my father and what a great man he is," said Iman Elashi, 17, crying softly. "Even today with him in jail, I can proudly say I am the daughter of Basman Elashi because I know that he is innocent. All he ever worries about is his children, and how he's going to pay the bills and how to help in developing ourselves in our lives.
"No one I know believes that my father is a bad man," she said. "Everyone that meets him, everyone that knows him, describes him with the same name: Angel."
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Nour Elashi, the 18-year-old daughter of Ghassan Elashi, said agents treated her father and uncles with cruelty, humiliating them in front of stunned family members during their arrests.
"These were four innocent men who came to America to escape injustice. ... Now they're staying behind bars," she said. "My own government is singling them out because of their race and religion at a time when we should all stand united as one nation to resist real terror."
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Stephens declined to respond to statements made at the news conference, as did Dallas FBI officials.
At the news conference at a Richardson hotel, about 200 supporters applauded the statements of several speakers.
Mohammed Elmougy, past president of the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, questioned the timing of the arrests, coming years after authorities say they began investigating.
He suggested the raids in Dallas and elsewhere across the country were ordered to counteract the airing of a PBS documentary about the prophet Mohammed.
"It's no secret that Muslims nationwide have been publicizing this day for months," Mr. Elmougy said. "We hoped to defuse some of the bigoted remarks about Islam made by many hateful, prominent figures, including the attorney general [John Ashcroft] himself."
Khalid Hamideh, an attorney speaking on behalf of the coalition, questioned whether the four would receive a fair trial in a time when American Muslims feel "under siege."
"We all know that the anti-terrorism fervor running rampant in our country may prevent those four individuals receiving a fair trial in this venue," Mr. Hamideh said.
E-mail tbensman@dallasnews.com
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