Free Republic

Islamic coalition says bias prompted arrests Tearful relatives join in criticizing charges against 4 brothers 12/20/2002 By TODD BENSMAN / The Dallas Morning News 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...

Holy Land charity takes seizure fight to court Richardson group wants U.S. to return assets, denies terror link 07/18/2002 By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT / The Dallas Morning News WASHINGTON - Attorneys for a Texas-based Muslim charity accused of bankrolling international terrorism head to court Thursday to demand the return of millions of dollars seized by the U.S. government. Lawyers for the now-dormant Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which was based in Richardson, contend that the government's freeze was predicated on the false claim that the organization funneled money to the Palestinian terror group Hamas. "The government has branded...