Barran Press
U.S. authorities have released Mu'fid Abdul Qadir Mishal, the half-brother of Khalid Mishal, head of Hamas's overseas branch, after serving 20 years in prison on charges related to his association with the "Holy Land Foundation."
Mu'fid Mishal spent nearly two decades in American prisons for allegedly working with the Holy Land Foundation, which has been accused of financing Hamas. A U.S. court had sentenced him as part of a broader ruling that also saw four other Palestinian-Americans receive lengthy prison terms, including Mohamed Zain, a relative of Hamas Deputy Chairman Mousa Abu Marzouk.
The Holy Land Foundation, based in a Dallas suburb, was one of the largest Islamic charitable organizations in the U.S. before the government shut it down following the September 11 attacks in 2001. The organization claimed its activities focused on providing aid and disaster relief to Palestinian refugees, while prosecutors alleged it funneled money to Hamas, which took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 and was designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in 1995.
Islamic communities in the U.S. assert that the case highlights what they view as unjust scrutiny and profiling of American Muslims since the September 11 attacks, criminalizing legitimate charitable activities.
Defense attorneys contended that the foundation did not support Hamas and operated legally to collect aid for Palestinians living under dire conditions due to Israeli occupation. They argued that the prosecution was primarily motivated by family ties, as Khalid Mishal, the political leader of Hamas, is Mu'fid's half-brother. Mu'fid was involved in a musical group that performed fundraising concerts for the foundation.