Source: Daily Southtown

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsnews/211nd1.htm

On September 21, 2003 Daily Southtown reported that "federal authorities are investigating the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview and its leaders for possible involvement in terror-related money laundering. The house of worship, one of the largest Islamic centers in the Chicago area, has been under FBI surveillance for years... Connections have been alleged between men here and Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, the terrorist group Islamic Jihad, and Saddam Hussein's regime." The article also reported that mosque leaders and other area religious leaders defended the mosque's support of the Palestinian cause, saying their support of Palestinians was not linked with support of terroist organizations like Hamas. "Mosque Foundation president Osama Jammal defended what he described as donations to various overseas charities through the mosque, totaling as much as $1 million... since charity is one of the five pillars of Islam." The article also mentioned that the Mosque Foundation has a "longstanding interfaith exchange" with other area religious leaders, many of whom praise Imam Said for his efforts "to defuse tension within his own community."