Members of the Islamic Center in Cleveland Ohio voted 177-49 on March 8 to retain Imam Fawaz Damra, a Palestinian immigrant who has been indicted for allegedly concealing his past ties to terror groups when he applied for U.S. citizenship. This vote overruled a January vote by the trustees of the Center to place the imam on a paid leave of absence. Other members of the Center disagreed, and the dispute went before a Cuyahoga County judge, who then ordered a vote by the dues-paying members. The mosque’s president, Dr. Ali Halabi, had originally sought to keep the imam out of the center until the federal charges were resolved. Halabi and Damra were each given a few minutes to present their cases. ‘Halabi said he was booed as he spoke... "I thought they would at least listen to my viewpoint."’ The court had appointed lawyer James McMonagle to oversee the voting. He said,‘ I think they were all satisfied with the process...It was as open and as transparent as you can get’
If Damra is convicted, his congregation will probably pay him a bonus. If the board of trustees has any sense, they should all resign. This was a no-confidence vote on their leadership and judgment. |