ONE of the most influential Muslim leaders in
North Jersey is facing deportation. On its face,
the case against Imam Mohammad Qatanani, the
spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of
Passaic County, appears to be flimsy.
If U.S. immigration officials have a stronger
case against him than has been reported so far,
they should make it known. Otherwise, Qatanani
should be allowed to remain in this country,
where supporters say he has been a bridge
builder between Islam and other faiths.
His lawyer says Qatanani has been denied
permanent residency because, according to
immigration officials, he failed to disclose a
1993 Israeli Military Court conviction for
"assisting Hamas."
Qatanani, a Palestinian, says he was detained
and interrogated, but released without being
charged. As a college professor in Jordan at the
time, he says he helped Palestinian students
travel to the country to study. He says Israeli
interrogators suggested the students had ties to
Hamas.
The imam told The Record's Elizabeth Llorente
that he did not help Hamas and had "no clue" as
to the students' personal activities. He said he
did not hide his detention by the Israelis from
the FBI or immigration authorities during
questioning related to his application for a
green card.
Supporters of Qatanani, who was one of the
first imams to condemn the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks and has provided space for the FBI to
recruit Arabic speakers, include Rep. Bill
Pascrell Jr. The congressman has written to the
immigration judge who will hear Qatanani's case
in May and says he is ready to testify in his
favor.
Pascrell calls Qatanani "a gentleman who's
had a tremendous positive influence in the
community" and someone who has done "nothing but
good since he's been in the United States."
If immigration officials know otherwise, they
should produce convincing evidence. Qatanani,
his supporters and the North Jersey Muslim and
Arab communities, the second largest in the
United States, deserve a fair, thorough and open
hearing in this case.
