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CLOUDY Temp: 61 °F Wind: WNW at 5 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 19, 2003 Islamic leader will cut some ties He wants to remove any taint on his Ashland nonprofit organization By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune An Ashland Islamic leader wants to sever all ties between his local organization and any Saudi Arabian organizations. Pete Seda Ghaty, who is temporarily living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, said he will remove two Saudis — Ageel Al-Ageel and Mansuaor Al-Kadi — from the board of directors of the Ashland-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, Inc. He said the action will help remove the taint that clouds his organization because of a worldwide crackdown on some affiliates that have been linked to terrorist funding in other countries. These groups as well as the Ashland organization receive money from the parent Al-Haramain group that is based in Saudi Arabia. Advertisement "He doesn’t want to be called a terrorist based on anything that other groups did that he has no control over," said his attorney, Lynne Bernabei of Washington, D.C. Seda Ghaty, reached in Dubai Thursday, said the board members did nothing wrong. But he noted he also wants to remove them because he doesn’t like their management style in running a nonprofit organization. Seda Ghaty said that in retrospect, it would be difficult to say he regrets his affiliation with the Saudi organization, pointing out that the money was used for beneficial reasons by his Ashland organization. "The problem now is the Al-Haramain name is like communism," said Seda Ghaty. "There is this either-you’re-with-us-or-against-us. It’s like, ‘Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?’ " Most of the grant money received from the Saudis was used to purchase copies of the Koran, which were sent to prisoners in the United States. An outspoken critic of terrorism after 9/11, Seda Ghaty said he has gone on Saudi Arabian television five times decrying the acts made in the name of his religion. He has also asked fellow Muslims to bring a "fatwa" or ruling condemning the terrorist acts of Osama bin Laden. As a result of his statements, he said he has been condemned both in the Middle East as well as in the United States for his connection to Al-Haramain. "I’m getting it from both sides," Seda Ghaty said. "I’m getting it from the neoconservatives in the U.S. and I’m getting death threats in Saudi Arabia." Seda Ghaty, who recently went on a religious pilgrimage in the Middle East, said Muslims such as bin Laden and others have distorted the faith by advocating violence. "We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror before we throw mud," he said. "We cause most of the problems ourselves. We need to clean up our own act." Seda Ghaty, who owns an arborist business in Ashland that is being run by his son, said he plans to return to Ashland before the end of the year. He has been in the Middle East since February. Bernabei said financial records for Seda Ghaty’s organization were examined by federal authorities in 2001 and 2002, but nothing linking it to terrorism or suspicious behavior was uncovered. She said recent news accounts that suggested a link between the Ashland group and terrorist groups like al-Qaida were completely unfounded. Most of the funding received by the organization was spent in the United States, she said. For 2001, the most recent year on record, the foundation listed income on federal tax records as $102,084 and assets of $633,022. "Almost all this money with a few exceptions came from Saudi Arabia," said Bernabei. Ashland residents have defended Seda Ghaty. Rabbi David Zaslow believes news accounts suggesting a link between terrorism and his friend of 12 years are based on innuendo. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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