The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is likely to find itself the target of more criticism after a Dallas immigration judge ordered one of their former board members deported due to terror connections. Nabil Sadoun, a leader in the Dallas Islamic community, had already left the United States for his native Jordan at the time of the ruling and Judge Anthony Rogers said that by taking such action he had waived his right to appeal the case. Dallas-Fort Worth NBC news reports:
“In court, the judge made vague references to the government’s voluminous motion to deport him, including alleged involvement with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The judge concluded Sadoun lied on government forms when he denied he was a member.
The judge also indicated there was evidence Sadoun contributed to the Richardson-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which was the largest Islamic charity in the United States. Prosecutors convicted the group of funneling money to terrorist groups and several of its leaders were sent to prison. In the case, CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator.”
The U.S. govenrment has not publicly made available the information it used to prosecute its case against Sadoun.
This is not the first time that CAIR or Texas Islamic leaders have come under legal scruntity for connections to terror organizations. In 2008 Ghassan Elashi was convicted with four others in the Holy Land Foundation trial. Ghassan Elashi, besides being on Holy Land’s board, was the founder of the Texas chapter of the Council for American Islamic Relations and had been previously convicted of funding Hamas in 2005. Elashi was sentenced to sixty-five years for his role in the Holy Land Foundation charity.
Sadoun resigned from CAIR’s board a number of months ago. When Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR’s National Communications Director, was asked why Sadoun left Hooper provided little insight simply saying, “Board members come on, (and) they leave.”