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26 November 2005

Ohio Imam Arrested for Terrorist Ties

 CLEVELAND — Federal authorities arrested an Islamic religious leader Friday as they began the process of deporting him for lying about ties to terrorist groups


Imam Fawaz Damra, the spiritual leader of Ohio's largest mosque, was convicted in June 2004 of concealing ties to three groups that the U.S. government classifies as terrorist organizations when he applied for U.S. citizenship in 1994.

That conviction was upheld in March, clearing the way for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to begin deportation proceedings.

Damra, 44, was arrested early Friday without incident, the immigration office said.

"With today's arrest, ICE begins the process of removing from the United States a criminal alien who has unequivocally supported terrorists and terrorist organizations," Brian Moskowitz, special agent with the federal office in Detroit, said in a statement.

A message left seeking comment from Damra's immigration attorney, David Leopold, was not immediately returned.

The Palestinian-born Damra, who is the imam, or spiritual leader, at the Islamic Center of Cleveland, immigrated to the United States in the mid-1980s

Comments

wake up my brothers and sisters in america , islam are here in our back yard

Posted by: bob | 26 November 2005

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