Mosque Investor Donated to Hamas-Linked Charity

MYFOXNY.COM - A Fox 5 investigation by Charles Leaf revealed ties between a terrorist organization and Hisham Elzanaty, an investor in the property where a group plans to build a community center and mosque two blocks from the world trade center site.

Now some political figures are intensifying they call for an official investigation into the project's funding.

"Your investigations are making this whole thing much more troubling," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. "This is becoming more troubling by the day."

Elzanaty and real estate developer Sharif el-Gamal were involved in the deal to purchase the old Burlington Coat Factory site in Lower Manhattan for $4.8 million in cash.

Fox 5 uncovered and confirmed with his attorney that Elzanaty, an Egyptian born long island businessman, contributed $6,000 a Muslim charity called the holy land foundation in 1999.

But the federal government shut down the charity in 2001 and accused it of funneling money to Hamas, a designated terror organization. Elzanaty's attorney said his client believed he was contributing money to an orphanage.

Tax records show that NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon, the Microsoft Corp., and a medical equipment company owned by General Electric also donated money, equipment or services to the foundation in 1999, the Associated Press reported.

When a federal grad jury indicted the foundation's leaders, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft said that the case was not "a reflection on the well-meaning people who may have donated funds to the foundation."

However, media reports questioning the charity's possible ties to Hamas had appeared as early as 1993, the AP reported.

Fox 5 News asked the office of state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo if it would investigate, but a spokesperson declined to comment.

With the AP