New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill visited a mosque run by a Palestinian-born imam who was accused by federal authorities of ties to the Hamas terror group.
Sherrill took part in festivities marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Islamic Center of Passaic County in Paterson last week and snapped a selfie with Imam Mohammad Qatanani, who fought off a multi-year deportation push based on his alleged Hamas links, which he vehemently denied.
“Thank you to the Islamic Center of Passaic County for welcoming me to join their celebration as the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close. I wish our Muslim neighbors a safe, joyous, and peaceful Eid al-Fitr,” the governor posted on social media March 20.
The history of the imam whose mosque Sherrill visited was first reported by Fox News.
Immigration officials previously attempted to deport Qatanani, who moved to the US in 1996, and his family over accusations that he failed to disclose a 1993 arrest by Israeli authorities, following which he was held for three months.
Israel claimed that Qatanani confessed to being a member of Hamas, a US-designated terrorist organization.
Qatanani has insisted that he wasn’t properly arrested or charged, and further claimed that while detained, he endured brutal Israeli interrogation tactics that were later outlawed as torture.
In 2008, the feds brought an immigration case against Qatanani, who responded by calling character witnesses including a rabbi and multiple Christian clergy.
Ultimately, an immigration judge sided with Qatanani, granting him and his family permanent residency and finding that the feds failed to prove the imam engaged in terrorist activity — while raising concerns about the Israeli claims.
Another attempt to deport Qatanani was later quashed by a federal appeals court last year.
At the time of the 2008 deportation fight, The Newark Star-Ledger reported that the imam had instructed his followers to assist the FBI when the bureau was seeking Arabic interpreters following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
The Post contacted Sherrill’s office and Qatanani for comment.
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