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FILE- In this May 6, 2011
file photo, Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini speaks at the
Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Mich. Al-Qazwini, one
of the country's top Islamic leaders threatened to resign
from his position at a Detroit-area mosque if its board of
trustees is not removed. Al-Qazwini told members of the
Islamic Center of America that he wanted to resign on
Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, but he later said he'd reconsider if
the board dissolves, the Detroit Free Press reported on
Saturday. (Paul Sancya, AP / AP) |
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Dearborn
mosque
leader
threatens
resignation
over
board
rift
DEARBORN,
MI - One
of the
country's
top
Islamic
leaders
threatened
to
resign
from his
position
at a
Detroit-area
mosque
if its
board of
trustees
is not
removed.
Imam
Hassan
al-Qazwini
told
members
of the
Islamic
Center
of
America
-
considered
the most
influential
Shiite
mosque
in the
country
- that
he
wanted
to
resign
on
Friday,
but he
later
said
he'd
reconsider
if the
board
dissolves,
the
Detroit
Free
Press
reported
on
Saturday
(
http://on.freep.com/18buDe9
).
The
Islamic
Center
of
America
is in
Dearborn,
just
outside
Detroit,
and is
one of
the
largest
mosques
in
America.
Al-Qazwini
arrived
in 1997.
Anonymous
letters
to
members
have
accused
al-Qazwini
of using
donations
from
mosque
members
for
projects
run by
his
father
in Iraq
and also
of
having
an
extramarital
relationship.
Critics
want the
funds
used to
retire
the
mosque's
debt and
for
projects
in
Lebanon
and
other
countries,
according
to the
Free
Press.
Al-Qazwini
denies
the
allegations
and says
the rift
is with
board
members
of
Lebanese
descent.
He is
from a
family
of
prominent
American
Shiite
scholars
and of
Iraqi
descent.
"The
entire
board
has to
be
dissolved,
with the
exception
of the
founding
fathers,"
he said
in a
recording
of
Friday
afternoon's
sermon.
"The
entire
system
has to
be
dissolved.
The
bylaws
have to
be
dissolved."
He told
members
at a
separate
gathering
Friday
night
that he
would
leave if
they
didn't
"get rid
of the
rotten
apples."
The
Islamic
Center's
executive
administrator
Kassem
Allie
wouldn't
confirm
al-Qazwini's
plans to
resign.
Backers
shouted
their
support
for al-Qazwini
during
Friday
night's
meeting.
"You are
irreplaceable.
You did
not
deserve
this
treatment,"
Dan
Makled
told al-Qazwini
and
mosque
members
from the
podium.
Al-Qazwini
has
spoken
with
past
U.S.
presidents,
including
Bill
Clinton
and
George
W. Bush,
and with
Barack
Obama
during
his 2008
presidential
campaign.
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