Defense Fund
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "May Allah have mercy upon the person who services a right and removes a wrong, or refutes an injustice and establishes justice."
In order to find justice and fight the unjust verdict given against Mr. Mousavi
Donate generously to
The Mousavi Defense Fund
You can donate directly at Bank of America
checking account # 23469-45502 (new account number)
Or make your check payable to “Mousavi Defense Fund" and send to:
324 S. Diamond Bar Blvd., #137
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
All money collected will go toward the defense of Mr. Mousavi.
May Allah have mercy on you.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In June of 2006, the home of Seyed M. Mousavi was raided at gunpoint by the FBI and the IRS, at which time he and his son were handcuffed and the family was detained for hours under guard while boxes of paperwork, computers, and other items were taken from the home. At the same time, Hejrat Foundation, a non-profit religious, charitable, and religious organization of which Mr. Mousavi is the head, was also raided. Despite being offered keys, the agents chose to forcibly enter the offices, the desks, and file drawers, damaging the property without need. From this location, too, files, computers, recordings, and other items were taken.
In the weeks following, the people who frequent the Al-Nabi Mosque, which is administrated by the Hejrat Foundation, were questioned in their homes by FBI agents. Although the FBI claimed that they believed that Mr. Mousavi had failed to report income for tax purposes, the questioning did not focus on money issues. Rather, the questioning was in relation to Mr. Mousavi’s perceived political stances, alleged connections to the Iranian government, and the possible political outlook of some of the past religious scholars who had visited the mosque to give speeches. It was implied to many that the mosque was “dangerous” for them, and it was requested of some to become a spy for the FBI to report on any “dangerous” activities taking place in the mosque. Although the FBI agents were assured by many that there was nothing of a dangerous nature taking place in the mosque, and that it was a place where people gather for religious and cultural reasons only, the agents did not leave off this campaign.
During the year following the raid, Mr. Mousavi’s attorney was in frequent contact with the appropriate agencies concerning this matter. During this time, Mr. Mousavi traveled out of the country several times for business or personal reasons. Before leaving each time, Mr. Mousavi had his lawyer request and receive permission from the appropriate authorities. The business to which Mr. Mousavi was attending was the Hajj pilgrimage trip, which he organizes each year. This required multiple trips to Saudi Arabia, and sometimes of a long duration, in order to finish all the necessary arrangements. Mr. Mousavi would usually make stops in Iran, which is his place of birth. There, he visited relatives, and attended to the business of the mosque, which requires arranging for religious scholars to visit the U.S. to give religious lectures at the Al-Nabi mosque.
On August 31, 2007, Mr. Mousavi was arrested by federal agents upon leaving the Al-Nabi Mosque after an early morning prayer session. This surprise arrest was made despite the fact that Mr. Mousavi’s lawyer had been assured that he would be given the opportunity to turn himself in should the government decide to charge him. Instead, agents were waiting outside the mosque, and he was arrested a few blocks away.
Mr. Mousavi has been charged with failure to report income for tax purposes, which is simply untrue. He has also been charged - under the “IEEPA," which is the current catch-all law used against many other innocent citizens - he has been charged with giving consulting services to a foreign company who wished to do business with Iran. This, however is also a false charge because Mr. Mousavi did not do business with the company in question. He has also been charged with lying on his citizenship application concerning alleged previous service in the Iranian military. This charge is also utterly false. Mr. Mousavi never served in the Iranian military. He was officially excused from military service due to the severe injuries he received in a bombing as a civilian.
Mr. Mousavi is not guilty of the charges, yet he was found guilty of all charges on April 24, 2008. This verdict was given despite the weak evidence brought against him by the prosecution. He is being held in a federal detention center in Los Angeles pending sentencing.
Our hope now must rest in an appeal, so it is of the utmost importance that Mr. Mousavi have a skilled defense team. The government has shown undue interest in the case, far beyond what would be normal for such charges. Only with the help of highly skilled and experienced lawyers does Mr. Mousavi have hope of being acquitted of these false charges. Unfortunately, good lawyers come at a high cost.
The Mousavi defense fund was established so that people from all over the country can have the opportunity to donate for the defense of an innocent man so that he can be acquitted of the charges and once again join his family in freedom, and so that he can continue his good works within the Hejrat Foundation and the Al-Nabi Mosque.
Donate generously. May Allah bless you.
updated 12-8-08
