A top fund-raiser for an Islamic charity with
alleged links to terrorism testified Monday he believed the donations
were used only for humanitarian projects, and asked to be freed while
he fights deportation. Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan, 44, a founder of a mosque
in Anaheim, was arrested on immigration charges last month as federal
authorities unsealed an indictment against the Holy Land Foundation for
Relief and Development, charging the Texas-based charity funneled
millions to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Hamdan's detention
has sparked protests by Southern California Muslims who see it as an
unfair pressure tactic to get him to reveal information about Holy
Land. Hamdan, born in a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank,
acknowledges traveling around the country as a Holy Land fund-raiser.
He insists, however, he has no information to support allegations the
group aided Hamas, which the United States has labeled a terrorist
organization. [more ]
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