U.S.A.-BOSTON: CITY OF BOSTON & ISLAMIC FUNDRAISING

City of Boston, Islamic Society Pressed on Fundraising Trips to Middle East by The David Project


BOSTON, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The David Project, a non-profit educational initiative, today called upon the Boston Redevelopment Authority ("BRA") and the Islamic Society of Boston to reveal who paid the expenses for BRA Deputy Director Muhammad Ali-Salaam's fundraising trips to the Middle East. Mr. Ali-Salaam, a public employee, was asked by the Islamic Society to travel to the Middle East to help it raise funds for the Islamic Society's mosque project. Deputy Director Ali-Salaam, the official responsible for overseeing the BRA's sale of publicly-owned property to the Islamic Society for construction of a mosque and Islamic cultural center, has also been identified by the Islamic Society as one of its principal fundraisers in the Middle East for the mosque project, even as he was managing the sale of the public asset to the Islamic Society at a price dramatically below fair market value.

"The public integrity and conflict-of-interest concerns raised by Mr. Ali-Salaam's apparent dual role in this transaction are obvious," said Charles Jacobs, President of The David Project. "At least one of Mr. Ali-Salaam's trips for the Islamic Society came shortly before the Islamic Society was permitted to acquire public land from the BRA at a 91 percent discount from market value. The refusal by either the BRA or the Islamic Society to address these concerns is extremely disturbing to anyone who cares about good government and the accountability of public servants and public agencies."

Public records show that in December 1999 the Islamic Society of Boston paid Mr. Ali-Salaam's airfare for a 10-day trip to the United Arab Emirates to help it raise money to purchase the public property from the BRA and to develop the mosque on the property. However, the BRA and the Islamic Society have refused to disclose who paid for the other costs of the trip, including hotels, restaurants, entertainment and other expenses. The BRA and Islamic Society have also refused to identify who hosted the BRA official during this trip and the Middle Eastern donors with whom he met for the purpose of soliciting funds on behalf of the Islamic Society.
"A 10-day stay in the United Arab Emirates is not inexpensive," said Jacobs of the David Project. "The costs of hotels, restaurants and other expenses were likely in the thousands of dollars. The public is entitled to know who paid for the BRA Deputy Director to travel to the Middle East to raise money for the Islamic Society. The public is also entitled to know who the Middle Eastern donors are from whom the BRA Deputy Director solicited money on behalf of the Islamic Society while on the public payroll."

Mr. Ali-Salaam was successful in his attempts to raise funds for the Islamic Society, according to the newsletters published by the Society in early 2000. According to these newsletters, $3 million was raised for the mosque project. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Ali-Salaam stated in writing that the estimated fair market value of the public land sought by the Islamic Society was $2,010,966, but the BRA agreed to treat the estimate as only $401,000. The BRA then proceeded to deed the property to the Islamic Society for only $175,000 in actual funds -- representing a 91 percent discount off the fair market value of the property. The BRA provided the discount to the Islamic Society even though the Society owned millions of dollars worth of properties encumbrance-free in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and even though the Society represented to the BRA that it could raise $24 million, principally in overseas funds, to construct the mosque on the land.

The David Project filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court in October asking a judge to order the BRA to produce documents it is withholding, including documents relating to Mr. Ali-Salaam's fundraising activities on behalf of the Islamic Society while on the BRA payroll.

Jacobs pointed out that the BRA documents reflecting Mr. Ali-Salaam's fundraising trip or trips are public records, which under Massachusetts law the public is entitled to see. He also pointed out that the Islamic Society has published a "Values Statement" on its website which states, "We are an open and transparent organization."

"Disclosing the details of BRA Deputy Director Ali-Salaam's fundraising trips to the Middle East to raise money for the Islamic Society while he was overseeing the BRA-Islamic Society land deal would be a good way for the BRA to demonstrate that it complies with the Public Records Law, and for the Islamic Society to demonstrate that it is truly transparent," Jacobs said.


Pertinent Links:

1) City of Boston, Islamic Society Pressed on Fundraising Trips to Middle East by The David Project