-Caveat Lector- > Questions Raised About Donors To Georgia Lawmaker's Campaign > > > By Thomas B. Edsall > > Washington Post Staff Writer > > Tuesday, August 13, 2002; Page A02 > > > The reelection campaign of Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) has > received > campaign contributions from at least 18 donors who are > either officers of > Muslim foundations under investigation by the FBI, have > voiced support for > Palestinian and Lebanese terrorist organizations or have > made inflammatory > statements about Jews. > > Questions about the donors' backgrounds mark the latest > twist in a House race > heavily funded by outside groups interested in the > Israeli-Palestinian > struggle. Most of McKinney's money has come from > non-district residents with > Muslim or Arab surnames. Her Democratic challenger, former > state judge Denise > Majette, is heavily funded by Jews living outside Georgia. > > The survivor of the Aug. 20 Democratic primary is almost > certain to win the > general election in the Atlanta-based district. > > While Majette has not focused her campaign on McKinney's > donors, local media > outlets have questioned their role in the election. > McKinney's backers > include: > > --- Abduraham Alamoudi, a board member of the American > Muslim Council, who > declared at a White House demonstration in October 2000, "We > are all > supporters of Hamas," or Islamic Resistance Movement, a > principle sponsor of > suicide bombings in Israel. > > --- Many of the officers of a network of foundations and > business, most based > in Herndon, Va., that were raided by federal officials in > mid-March. Federal > investigators have been trying to determine how these groups > raised and spent > at least $1.7 billion. > > --- Sami Al-Arian, a Florida professor whose past videotaped > remarks include: > "Let us damn America, let us damn Israel. Let us damn their > allies until > death," and "Victory to Islam, death to Israel." > > Wendell Muhamad, McKinney's campaign coordinator, declined > to discuss the > donors. "I don't have any comment on that," he said before > hanging up. > > In a recent televised debate, McKinney, asked about some of > her donors, said: > "All of our contributions are legal. My opponent, on the > other hand, has an > awful lot of Republican money going into her coffers." > McKinney has been an > outspoken supporter of Arab and Muslim causes over the past > year. > > Majette recently pulled ahead of McKinney in the battle for > dollars. McKinney > has raised $618,166 in the election cycle, while Majette has > raised $1.12 > million. > > The McKinney-Majette election is the second contest this > year pitting a black > incumbent with support from the Muslim community against a > black challenger > with backing from the Jewish community. In Alabama, Artur > Davis beat Rep. > Earl F. Hilliard in a June Democratic primary runoff. > > On Aug. 3, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified eight > of the > controversial donors to the McKinney campaign. Muhamad told > the paper that > FBI inquiries into the activities of some of the donors was > part of a long > history of targetting minorities. "They're doing stuff like > they did in the > '60s to Dr. [Martin Luther] King," he said. > > Faiz Rehman, communications director for the American Muslim > Council, said it > is unfair to criticize McKinney and her donors. "Not a > single charge has been > filed, it's all just press hype, media hype," he said. > McKinney, he said, has > been "targeted by the pro-Israel lobby. . . . Every time > someone speaks out > against Israeli aggression, they are targeted." > > Al-Arian, the University of South Florida professor, > defended himself at an > Aug. 1 news conference in St. Petersburg. He said, " 'Death > to Israel' meant > death to apartheid, death to oppression. . . . I never > incited people to > violence or murder. It never happened." > > Alamoudi, in a letter to The Washington Post, defended his > comments > supporting Hamas: > > "Suicide bombings against civilians are tragic and > condemnable acts of > terror," Alamoudi wrote. "I do not support them. Military > actions, taken > against military targets, are understandable acts of > resistance. I support > these actions, as does international law. However, Hamas and > Hezbollah are > complex organizations that cannot be reduced to their > violent extremes. They > are popular movements with both military and political > wings." > > On March 20 and 21, federal agents searched 16 businesses, > foundations and > homes. One purpose, according to news reports, was to try to > trace how $1.7 > billion was raised and spent by the Herndon-based SAAR > Foundation. Other > subjects of the searches were the Safa Trust, the > International Institute of > Islamic Thought (IIIT), Success Foundation and Mar-Jac > Poultry in > Gainesville, Ga. > > Many of the officers and officials of the foundations and > businesses have > contributed to McKinney's campaign. > > Jamal Barzinji, who gave $500 on Sept. 26, has served as > secretary and > treasurer of IIIT, and chairman of both the SAAR Foundation > and Mar-Jac > Poultry. Taha Al-Alawani, who also gave $500 on Sept. 26, is > a former > president of IIIT. Yaqub Mirza and Mohamed Omeish, who each > gave McKinney > $500 on Sept. 11, are former president of the SAAR > Foundation and president > of Success Foundation, respectively. > > On June 2, the news service IslamOnline reported that > McKinney told a > gathering at the Islamic Foundation School in Chicago: "I > need your help . . . > It's just not about a congressional district. It's about the > members of > Congress who have the courage to come to the Muslim > community." > > > © 2002 The Washington Post Company
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