Barbara Ferguson, Arab News Correspondent

WASHINGTON, 25 October 2003 — Abdul Rahman Al-Amoudi, the executive director of the American Muslim Foundation (AMF), was indicted yesterday for money laundering and fraud. The decision came hours after an affidavit was presented in court alleging he had helped fund Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Al-Amoudi, a leading Muslim activist in the United States, was not charged with terrorism but with lesser offenses in the 18-count indictment. He is accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Libya and attempting to hide the origin and purpose of the cash from authorities.

A well-known figure throughout the Washington Muslim community, his arrest has been questioned by Muslim leaders here, who describe Al-Amoudi as a moderate who would never support radical groups.

Documents used for his indictment contend that Al-Amoudi, a naturalized US citizen born in Eritrea, is a “danger to the community” because he has “expressed his support for terrorism and repeatedly transferred money to terrorists.”

In 2000, Al-Amoudi voiced his support for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in a speech before the White House. He told Arab News at the time that he believed his words were “misconstrued.”

A hearing has been set at the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, next Wednesday to determine whether he will remain in prison or be given bail.

Charges filed against Al-Amoudi by the federal government allege that he illegally visited Libya and received financial assistance from the World Islamic Call Society of Libya and also from the Libyan Mission to the United Nations and planned to distribute these funds to “terrorist” organizations in Syria. Muslim Americans view his arrest as a continuation of a campaign against American Muslims by the US government.