Fawaz Damra
Encyclopedia
Fawaz Mohammed Damrah was the imam of the Islamic Center of Parma
, the largest mosque in the Cleveland
area. He participated in numerous interfaith efforts and taught at Cleveland State University and the local community college. A video made by Steven Emerson
was aired on PBS
. In one scene, Damrah is shown raising money for Islamic Jihad. He was not rehired in his teaching positions and the Islamic Center leadership called for him to step down, but he refused. The Center split between his supporters and those of its trustees.
Due to the statements made on the video, he was convicted of concealing ties to three groups: Afghan Refugee Services, the Islamic Committee for Palestine, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, all groups the United States government classifies as terrorist organizations, and of lying on his citizenship application. His United States citizenship was revoked and he was deported to the Palestinian West Bank in January 2007.
The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that Damrah was delivered to Israeli security agents at a West Bank crossing controlled by Israel. On January 26, 2007, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio
) reported that Damrah had been released from an Israeli prison after three weeks in custody and returned to the West Bank where he was staying with family.
Parma, Ohio
Parma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is the largest suburb of Cleveland and the seventh largest city in the state of Ohio...
, the largest mosque in the Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
area. He participated in numerous interfaith efforts and taught at Cleveland State University and the local community college. A video made by Steven Emerson
Steven Emerson
Steven Emerson, is an American journalist and author, who writes about national security, terrorism, and Islamic extremism.Emerson is the author of six books, and co-author of two more. His television documentary Jihad in America won the 1994 George Polk Award for best Television Documentary, and...
was aired on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. In one scene, Damrah is shown raising money for Islamic Jihad. He was not rehired in his teaching positions and the Islamic Center leadership called for him to step down, but he refused. The Center split between his supporters and those of its trustees.
Due to the statements made on the video, he was convicted of concealing ties to three groups: Afghan Refugee Services, the Islamic Committee for Palestine, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, all groups the United States government classifies as terrorist organizations, and of lying on his citizenship application. His United States citizenship was revoked and he was deported to the Palestinian West Bank in January 2007.
The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that Damrah was delivered to Israeli security agents at a West Bank crossing controlled by Israel. On January 26, 2007, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
) reported that Damrah had been released from an Israeli prison after three weeks in custody and returned to the West Bank where he was staying with family.