Abelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar
Encyclopedia
Abelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar is a Palestinian
Muslim
activist and former Howard University
business professor, who was convicted of contempt and obstruction of justice for refusal to testify before a grand jury
, and sentenced in November 2007 to 135 months in prison.
, and received his doctorate in business from the University of Mississippi
in 1997. Howard University declined to renew his contract in 2004. He worshiped at Dar Al-Hijrah
mosque in Falls Church, Virginia
, and was a member of its 7-person Executive Committee.
(FBI) agents entered Ashqar's apartment and found "a treasure trove" of documents related to the militant Palestinian group Hamas
, including minutes of confidential Hamas meetings and details of Hamas attacks, according to court filings. Ashqar used his telephone as "a kind of switchboard," linking Hamas members in various countries who couldn't call each other directly. In December 1993, he passed on a message from one member to a senior Hamas official in Syria, directing the execution of a rogue Hamas member.
In 2003, he was jailed for contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury
investigating fund-raising activities on behalf of Hamas, which the US deemed a terrorist organization. After a two-month hunger strike
during which he was fed intravenously by court order
and lost 35 pounds, he was freed on $874,500 bond. He called his jailing "an Israeli witch hunt", and said: "I should not have been in jail in the first place." Federal prosecutors among other things wanted to ask Ashqar if he himself was a member of Hamas.
In August 2004 the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment
accusing him, among other things, of a 15-year racketeering conspiracy. It alleged that beginning in 1988 he and 22 others conspired to use bank accounts in various states to launder
millions of dollars in support of Hamas, and that the money was used to pay for fake passports, killings, kidnappings, and other crimes. Ashqar was accused of opening bank accounts and maintaining U.S. records for Hamas. He appeared in U.S. District Court, where he was ordered imprisoned without bond. After the hearing, Ashqar's wife said: "There is just no justice whatsoever for the Muslim people in this country. This is an Israeli witch hunt."
Despite the charges against him, in late 2004 when Yassir Arafat died Ashqar sought to be elected to replace Arafat in the January 2005 Palestinian presidential elections, running as an independent Islamist.
In November 2005 the trial court denied his motion to dismiss the indictment. In February 2007 a federal jury reached a split verdict
, acquitting him of racketeering conspiracy but convicting him of other charges. On November 21, 2007, he was sentenced by Judge Amy J. St. Eve
on the charges of contempt
and obstruction of justice
, for his refusal to testify before a grand jury, to 135 months in prison. On appeal, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
confirmed the lower court's ruling on October 2, 2009.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
activist and former Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
business professor, who was convicted of contempt and obstruction of justice for refusal to testify before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
, and sentenced in November 2007 to 135 months in prison.
Background
Ashqar is a native of the West BankWest Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, and received his doctorate in business from the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
in 1997. Howard University declined to renew his contract in 2004. He worshiped at Dar Al-Hijrah
Dar al-Hijrah
The Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center is a mosque in Northern Virginia. It is located in Culmore, Lake Barcroft area of unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, directly between the Bailey's Crossroads, and Seven Corners, Virginia, US Post Offices.-Background:...
mosque in Falls Church, Virginia
Falls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
, and was a member of its 7-person Executive Committee.
Hamas, charges, trial, and sentencing
In December 1993, Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) agents entered Ashqar's apartment and found "a treasure trove" of documents related to the militant Palestinian group Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, including minutes of confidential Hamas meetings and details of Hamas attacks, according to court filings. Ashqar used his telephone as "a kind of switchboard," linking Hamas members in various countries who couldn't call each other directly. In December 1993, he passed on a message from one member to a senior Hamas official in Syria, directing the execution of a rogue Hamas member.
In 2003, he was jailed for contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
investigating fund-raising activities on behalf of Hamas, which the US deemed a terrorist organization. After a two-month hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
during which he was fed intravenously by court order
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
and lost 35 pounds, he was freed on $874,500 bond. He called his jailing "an Israeli witch hunt", and said: "I should not have been in jail in the first place." Federal prosecutors among other things wanted to ask Ashqar if he himself was a member of Hamas.
In August 2004 the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
accusing him, among other things, of a 15-year racketeering conspiracy. It alleged that beginning in 1988 he and 22 others conspired to use bank accounts in various states to launder
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
millions of dollars in support of Hamas, and that the money was used to pay for fake passports, killings, kidnappings, and other crimes. Ashqar was accused of opening bank accounts and maintaining U.S. records for Hamas. He appeared in U.S. District Court, where he was ordered imprisoned without bond. After the hearing, Ashqar's wife said: "There is just no justice whatsoever for the Muslim people in this country. This is an Israeli witch hunt."
Despite the charges against him, in late 2004 when Yassir Arafat died Ashqar sought to be elected to replace Arafat in the January 2005 Palestinian presidential elections, running as an independent Islamist.
In November 2005 the trial court denied his motion to dismiss the indictment. In February 2007 a federal jury reached a split verdict
Verdict
In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. The term, from the Latin veredictum, literally means "to say the truth" and is derived from Middle English verdit, from Anglo-Norman: a compound of ver and dit In law, a verdict...
, acquitting him of racketeering conspiracy but convicting him of other charges. On November 21, 2007, he was sentenced by Judge Amy J. St. Eve
Amy J. St. Eve
Amy J. St. Eve is a District Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She joined the court in 2002 after being nominated by President George W. Bush....
on the charges of contempt
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
and obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
, for his refusal to testify before a grand jury, to 135 months in prison. On appeal, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
confirmed the lower court's ruling on October 2, 2009.