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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel detains Muslim cleric on security charges |
| 2010-11-11 |
| (Xinhua) -- Israel Security Agency (ISA) jugged a Mohammedan imam of a Jaffa mosque on security charges, local press reported Wednesday. While details on the case are meager due to a court-imposed gag- order, officials said they nabbed on Tuesday 30-year-old Mohammad Ayash, who heads al-Bahr mosque of Jaffa, which is located directly south of Tel Aviv. Security officials impounded Ayash's personal computer during a search of his home, according to the local Ha'aretz daily. A court extended his remand by eight days. A lawyer representing Ayash, who is married and a father of four, said his client was innocent and hoped Ayash would be released soon. "Lies! All lies!" "The imam has no ties with these security offenses. He is a resident of Jaffa and a law-abiding Israeli citizen. We hope his name will be cleared in the coming days," attorney Eitan On told the Ynet news site. In a previous, similar case, the ISA and Israeli police jugged a holy man who heads a mosque in Nazareth, Nazim Mahmoud Salim. Last week, Salim, 45, was indicted for incitement to violence and supporting a terror organization. "Freedom of expression is a superior value, but there are equally superior values such as human life. We find that the defendant crossed all boundaries, including authorizing a murder," the attorney who filed the indictment said, according to Ynet. Salim was originally jugged a month ago after a murder suspect in the killing of an Israeli cab driver in 2009 said the imam's sermons incited him to commit the deed. The court also charged Salim with incitement to violence against Pope Benedict and for supporting al-Qaeda and "global jihad." |
| Posted by:Fred |