From AP, with thanks to Twostellas:
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Members of a mosque are fighting to keep their place of worship as the federal government probes a link between the Islamic Center of Springfield and a benefactor accused of financing terrorism around the world.
The center is owned by the Saudi-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, which U.S. authorities accuse of diverting donations to support a web of terrorist activities. The Saudi government dissolved the foundation this summer.
But center supporters claim the Saudi charity was simply a one-time donor whose name ended up on its property title.
“There isn’t any evidence that the center was used to solicit funds or to contribute funds to terrorism,” said Ahmed Ibrahim, an associate history professor at Southwest Missouri State University. “Many people are angry and upset that they are seen as contributing to terrorism.”
Last month, the Bush administration designated Al-Haramain as a group suspected of supporting terrorism through its Springfield mosque and its main location in Ashland, Ore., saying the charity “shows direct links between the U.S. branch and Osama bin Laden.”
Assets of the two properties have been frozen since February. The federal probe suggests the Islamic Center was a front that enabled the laundering of money to terrorists overseas.
The foundation has denied that its U.S. branch funded terrorism.
An attorney representing members of the mosque had asked Al-Haramain before it was dissolved to acknowledge its one-time donation was a gift and to correct the alleged title error.
Title error? Anyone who has ever bought a property knows these things are not done instantaneously. It is inconceivable that such a large error could have somehow gotten onto the title without anyone noticing.