N.J. Muslim cleric seeks to uphold court
order barring deportation
Associated Press, Samantha Henry
March 03, 2009
Lawyers for an influential Muslim leader facing possible
deportation have filed paperwork asking an immigration board to
let him stay in the country. Meanwhile, Mohammad Qatanani's
supporters said the outcome of his case could have implications
for the Muslim community well beyond New Jersey.
"If this is how you treat a moderate Muslim, what kind of
Muslim do you want?" said Aref Assaf, a member of the group
Americans 4 Qatanani, which supports Qatanani's fight to remain
in the U.S. "If our fight is against terrorists and extremists,
and we're not supporting those who are pushing for integration
of Muslims into the wider community, it's a confusing message
you send by not allowing him to stay in the U.S."
Qatanani, a Palestinian who is the spiritual leader of one of
New Jersey's largest mosques, is not an illegal immigrant.
Immigration officials had sought to deport him by accusing him
of links to the group Hamas, which the U.S. government
classifies as a terrorist organization.
Qatanani, 44, won his fight to gain permanent U.S. residency
in September, when Immigration Judge Alberto J. Riefkohl
determined the government's case was weak and said its key
witnesses lacked credibility. His ruling gave Qatanani, his wife
and three of their American-born children the right to remain in
the U.S. legally.
The case has garnered widespread attention not just from
Muslims, but from law enforcement agencies that had been working
to repair relations with the community in the wake of the Sept.
11 attacks. Several high-ranking New Jersey law enforcement
officials took the stand during the immigration trial to praise
Qatanani as a peaceful community leader.
The government appealed Riefkohl's decision to the Board of
Immigration Appeals and has taken issue with nearly every aspect
of his ruling, including whether Qatanani was eligible to adjust
his immigration status in the first place.
On Monday, Qatanani's lawyers filed a 121-page answer to the
government appeal, asking the board to uphold the judge's
decision. One of the lawyers, Claudia Slovinsky, accused the
government of trying to make Qatanani's life "as miserable as
possible."
Qatanani is free, but he and his family members are not
authorized to work, drive or travel while the appeal is pending.
The imam's supporters say the case is affecting his oldest son's
chances at college, disrupting the family's ability to support
itself, and continuing to erode hard-won trust between law
enforcement and the Muslim community.
For immigration officials still seeking to deport him, it
means a man they've tried to link to terrorism remains here as
the very public and influential leader of one the state's
largest mosques.
Harold Ort, a spokesman for the New Jersey office of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his agency would
review Qatanani's latest filing in the appeals process, but
declined to comment on the case further.
Assaf and other community leaders are hoping President Barack
Obama's promise to reach out to Muslims will influence the
outcome.
"The community would feel very vindicated if officials in
Washington would make this an example of how they're trying to
reach out to the Muslim world," Assaf said. "(Qatanani's) gotten
so much support internationally and locally, we feel it would
fit in nicely to make Muslims feel comfortable and part of the
system."
Previous Star-Ledger coverage:
--
Homeland Security gets more time to appeal Paterson Muslim
cleric's immigration status
--
U.S. appeals N.J. Muslim cleric immigration case
|
