Appeals Court Upholds Imam’s Deportation
Charles Johnson
Fri Mar 18, 2005 at 7:41 pm PST • Views: 210
Fawaz Damra, imam of the Islamic Center of Cleveland, linked to fund-raising for terrorists, is going to be deported. (Hat tip: SoCalJustice.)
CLEVELAND - Federal prosecutors are clear to begin deportation proceedings against the leader of Ohio’s largest mosque after an appeals court upheld his conviction.
Imam Fawaz Damra, 43, of suburban Strongsville, was convicted in June of concealing ties to three groups that the U.S. government classifies as terrorist organizations when he applied for U.S. citizenship in 1994.
Damra’s attorneys said their client did not belong to the Islamic Jihad and that prosecutors’ use of “affiliation” was unclear.
But a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously ruled to deny Damra’s appeal. In an opinion released Tuesday, the judges said it’s clear that Damra engaged in fund-raising activity for a terrorist organization.
And Sami al-Arian is next:
The court also upheld the use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act involving secretly taped calls Damra made to Sami Al-Arian, who prosecutors believe is a leader in the Islamic Jihad.
Frank says: