Federal Case Threatens Mosques

Move to Seize Assets from Alavi Foundation, an Accused Front for the Iranian Government, Threatens Houses of Worship

(AP)  The organization that federal investigators say is a front for the Iranian government has spent millions of dollars over the years on philanthropy: buying property for four U.S. mosques, funding religious schools and language classes, and translating books on Islam.

The move to seize assets held by the New York-based Alavi Foundation will cripple the charity's work and put the government in the awkward position of potentially shutting down the houses of worship, which occupy buildings and land that Alavi owns.

There are no claims of wrongdoing at the mosques. And they will stay open as prosecutors try to take hold of the hundreds of millions of dollars in Alavi money and property. The mosques were not mentioned by name, only listed by street address.

Still, the mosques and schools could be collateral damage in the case. On Friday, the government moved to cut off Alavi's direct access to its money, according to court records.

Sabukta Chowdhury, a parent at the Razi School, a K-12 school that is part of the Imam Ali Mosque in Queens, said her child would be upset if the school closed.

“The school is very good,” Chowdhury said outside the building Friday. “My child very sad. They do not want to go to another school.”

Abdulaziz Sachedina, a University of Virginia professor and expert on Shiite Islam, predicted the four Islamic centers in New York, Maryland, Texas and California would shut down without Alavi money.

Alavi was one of the few central sources of funding for American Shiite communities, which have far fewer resources than U.S. Sunnis. Often, the Islamic day schools the centers run are among the few available.

“Muslims aren't used to membership fees,” said Sachedina, who has spoken several times at the mosque in Maryland. “In Muslim countries, most services are free, provided by rich people. Here, for the first time, Muslims are required to pay donations. It's very hard to collect money from the people.”

The Islamic Education Center of Potomac, Md., reported on its Web site that it already had a budget deficit of more than $60,000 as of June.

As U.S. marshals posted forfeiture notices on the buildings, mosque leaders stressed that they are just the occupants of the properties.

“We are the tenant,” said Ghassan Elcheikhali, principal of the Razi School, standing before the forfeiture notice on the front door.

However, the Islamic centers and schools are deeply dependent on Alavi funding, according to tax records and the mosques' own Web sites. That makes them more vulnerable if the foundation closes.

The New York charity started the Potomac mosque in 1981 and ran it directly until 1998, when the congregation and Islamic day school incorporated independently. However, the center pays Alavi nothing for use of the property and receives other support from the organization, according to 2007 tax records.

Alavi also lists among its assets furniture, computers, fixtures and other equipment at the four Islamic centers. All could be seized if the government case prevails. A leader of the Maryland mosque said his attorneys advised him not to comment Friday.

It is extremely rare for U.S. authorities to seize a house of worship.

Legal scholars who study religious-liberty issues say that the case could raise First Amendment concerns, but forfeiture proceedings have some built-in protections for innocent third parties.

Ahmed Shabazz, who organizes community service work at the Islamic Center of Houston, said the mosque serves about 300 families, runs a K-12 Islamic school and has a program that feeds the homeless. Congregants learned of the government action against Alavi as they gathered inside the building for prayer Thursday night.

The Houston congregation includes Iranian, Pakistani, Syrian and Lebanese immigrants, who were the most rattled by the government's move, Shabazz said.

“I'm just upset that the mosques are being targeted for closure,” Shabazz said. “There's guilt by association, it seems to me at this point, because of who we rent the property from.”

In Queens, people arriving at the mosque for Friday prayer were troubled by the case. Some wondered whether they were targeted for their religion.

Hassan Jaber, who teaches Arabic at the U.N. and has a daughter in the ninth grade, said parents bring their children to Razi in part to preserve their Muslim values. Among the students enrolled are the children of U.N. ambassadors from Iran and other countries, Elcheikhali said.

“They don't like to have a boyfriend for their daughter. They don't like a girlfriend for their son. So this is the point. An Islamic atmosphere as protection,” Jaber said.

The school celebrates diversity with an international day, he said. “If you see the flags, the most important flag in the middle is the American flag.”

[avi8torgrl]

oh no, they might have to work and pay taxes,, poor abused people,, my heart bleeds,, its about time our leaders weed out the nut cases that hide behind their religion, what better place for evil to hide, in a church, gettem outa here,

[Marie Zarankevich]

If the terrorists are using churches to disguise their activities, then the churches are covering for them. Therefore the churches are complicit in terrorist activities, and must be dealt with as terrorist organizations, themselves. It's as simple as that!

[Marie Zarankevich]

Terrorists are cowards, and will always hide behind the innocent. We cannot allow this fact to keep us from protecting our citizens. All the wolves are wearing sheep's clothing!!! Beware the sheep that smells like a wolf.

[krmopilci]

Does this mean that the wolves are cowards?

[Marie Zarankevich]

Terrorists are cowards, and will always hide behind the innocent. We cannot allow this fact to keep us from protecting our citizens. All the wolves are wearing sheep's clothing!!! Beware the sheep that smells like a wolf.

[Sloughfoot]

Federal Case Threatens Mosques - Wrong! U.S. Mosques are a threat to Americans.

[50BMS13]

Mosques are for breeding hate towards America. Shut them down. They are a breeding ground for terror. Terrorists won't be found at the Catholic church, evangelical hall, Anglican church, Kingdom Hall,.....they will be found going to a mosque. Believe me they are being watched already by the CIA NSA FBI. If you go to a mosque, next time you walk in, I dare you to look to the sky. A sattelite will photo recognize and file you in a watch list.

[krmopilci]

Is watcing people and putting them on the list because they go to the mosque also terrorism?I remember that in seventies John Lennon was on the watch list-he was considered a threat to the national security.Well,after all,he did sing "Give peace a chance","All you need is love","Imagine",...all terrorist songs.Congratulations on excellent personality.

[50BMS13]

krmopilci
"Imagine" Awesome song. "A world with no religion" ring a bell. This is exactly what religious fanaticism is pushing the world to do. It will ALL be banned eventually.

[sh81842]

Unfortunately, muslims do not share our respect for religious beliefs that differ from our own. To them, government and religion are one and the same, and they are relentless in their quest to establish a completely Islamic world. The irony is that we have allowed them to use the protections of our laws, our freedoms and our tolerance to infiltrate and plot against us. Major Hasan is a perfect example. We gave him the benefits of this country. We paid for his education as a medical doctor and psychiatrist. And, we gave him the honor of serving in our military. In the end, none of that meant anything. His loyalties were to Islam. The question is: "How many more ticking time bombs like Major Hasan are out there."

If there are muslim parents who will not be able to provide private schooling for their children because the schools and mosques they were attending were being supported by terrorists, that is just too damned bad. I'm sure Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Somalia, etc., etc. would take them in in a heart beat.

[50BMS13]

sh81842
Superb post! So sad but VERY TRUE!

[krmopilci]

Corrections:
-his parents paid for his education
-this country belongs to American Muslims as much as to "you"(American Christians)
-if you read your last passage,you can see that "freedom and tollerance" that you are mentioning earlier
-how about you going to England,Germany,Ireland,...(or wherever your Christian ancestors came from)?
-problem is not in Hasan.it is American foreign policies of assaulting Muslims,arming Israel,arrogance and disrespect
-if you remember,back in January,American arms in the hands of zionist criminals have murdered about 1200 Palestinians,and Hasan was a Palestinian,so stop playing stupid and start owning your deeds
-stop talking about "you" and "us"-American Muslims do not owe anything to American Christians,you are not our masters,we work for anything we own,we pay taxes(that are misused on israel and wars)
-start changing-more violence will just recruit more Muslim youth to strike back

[solidoak]

Good! Go after all of them. All they do is lie, and say they are doing good things, when in fact they brainwash children, and teach them to hate.

[50BMS13]

solidoak
Yes, they are taught from childhood that if "ALL THEY EVER DO" is read the Koran and kill an American, they will be blessed by Allah.

[krmopilci]

You have just described American Christians.

[YourVeryWrong]

Jeffferson, Franklin, Paine were indifferent to religion. Government should be as non-denominational as things get. In its legitimate role as protector of the public, the government must shut down any organization that plots against American lives or property. This is the case in a just war.

[50BMS13]

YourVeryWrong
You're very right.

[50BMS13]

Shut them all down. Sell the buildings and the land. Send the money to our troops so they can have what they need.

[nmfaxman]

You wouldn't like it if someone shut down your church or place of worship.
It is still a free country and statements like yours led to people doing things like Hitler and Stalin.
You may not like it but they have the same right that you do.
If you let the government take away that right for one, you let them take the right for all.

[tmn]

If it has anything to do with funding any kind of terrorism, SHUT THEM DOWN!

[AOCGUY]

nmfaxman - This not about shutting down the free expression of religion - this is about an organization violating US law.