Muslim Charity Indicted in Federal Court on Charges That It Supported Terrorists

One of the nation’s largest Muslim charities and seven of its top officials were indicted last week in federal court on charges of providing $12.4-million in support during the past nine years to the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, an alleged terrorist organization.

In a 42-count indictment, the Department of Justice accused the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development and its top officials of using charitable donations to provide financial and material support to Hamas, a Palestinian organization that allegedly sponsors violence against Israeli people.

The indictment was filed in United States District Court in Dallas.

It also alleged that the Holy Land Foundation’s top officials, including Shukri Abu Baker, Mohammad El-Mezain, and Ghassan Elashi, laundered money and filed fraudulent informational tax forms — and it seeks the repayment of $12.4-million from Hamas. Mr. El-Mezain, Mr. Elashi, and another Holy Land Foundation official named in the indictment, Mufid Abdulqader, are related to Hamas leaders, the indictment said.

‘Phony’Allegations

A lawyer for the Holy Land Foundation denied the allegations against the organization and its officials. John W. Boyd, who has represented the Holy Land Foundation since the Treasury Department froze its assets, in December 2001, called the Justice Department allegations “phony.”

“American citizens who run Islamic charities are sitting ducks for this administration,” Mr. Boyd said. “They are using this for political grandstanding during an election year, and peoples’ lives are being destroyed.”

The Holy Land Foundation, whose headquarters was in Richardson, Tex., also had offices in California, Illinois, and New Jersey — as well as in Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.

During the past two and a half years, officials from the Justice Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Treasury Department, and at least one state, New York, have investigated its activities.

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Treasury Department has frozen more than $137-million in assets of 18 charitable organizations and shut down many of the largest Islamic charities with operations in the United States.