BY JOHN VOTAVA
CHICAGO - In a serious attack on democratic rights and an attempt to smear the Palestinian struggle for self- determination, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) swooped down upon the family of Mohammad Salah June 9, confiscating his home in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview and nearly $1.5 million in assets of the Qur'anic Literacy Institute (QLI).

Some 500 people marched to protest the harassment of Salah June 12. They were also demonstrating against the step up in harassment of the Arab community here. According to the Islamic Association for Palestine, in the two days following the attack on Salah more than 30 Arabs in this area were visited by the FBI.

While no formal charges have been filed, the FBI alleges the QLI is a money-laundering operation tied to the Palestinian organization Hamas, and that the fact that Salah's employment at the QLI is a likely cover for his position in Hamas, which U.S. officials tar as a "terrorist" organization.

The FBI cites statutes supposedly designed to combat the financing of drug smuggling as a legal basis for taking such action without charges being filed.

Salah, a naturalized U.S. citizen who has lived in the Chicago area since l970, has denied the allegations against him.

This is not the first time Salah has faced persecution and denial of his rights for his activities. In 1993 he was arrested by Israeli police while on a mission to aid 415 Palestinian families that had been deported on accusations of being members of Hamas. He was going to deliver $200,000 in aid to them collected at mosques across the United States. He was interrogated for 45 days with a hood over his head, his feet chained, and his hands tied behind a slanted chair that left his head and body slumped forward. Under these conditions he was forced to sign a confession in Hebrew, which he does not read. When threatened with a 12- year sentence, he pleaded guilty in return for a five-year prison term.

While Salah was in prison, U.S. president William Clinton, in an unprecedented step, froze his and his wife's U.S. bank accounts in 1995. Azita Salah, who is expecting their fourth child, is only allowed to draw a small monthly stipend from the account to pay for food and living expenses for their children.

The Islamic Association for Palestine issued a press release denouncing the action by the FBI stating: "QLI is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, Islamic education organization whose sole purpose is to translate and interpret the holy book of Muslims, the Holy Qur'an. Labeling QLI as a money- laundering front for terrorism is viewed by community members as yet another antagonistic and intimidating attack in hopes of deterring active support of Islamic causes and organizations."  
 
 
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