Supreme Court Lets Holy Land Foundation Ruling Stand

March 1, 2004

Source: Reuters

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=3&u=/nm/20040301/ts_nm/court_security_charity_dc_1

On March 1, 2004 Reuters reported, "The U.S. Supreme Court let stand on Monday a ruling that upheld the government's decision to freeze the assets of a Texas-based Muslim charity accused of funding a militant Palestinian group.

Without comment, the high court rejected an appeal by the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, headquartered in Richardson, Texas. The foundation, which called itself the largest U.S.-based Muslim charity, was shut down when the government seized its assets.

On Dec. 4, 2001, the Treasury Department designated the charity a 'terrorist' group and froze its assets because it said the foundation funneled millions of dollars to Hamas, a Palestinian group blamed for repeated attacks in Israel. The United States designated Hamas a 'terrorist' group in 1995.

The Holy Land Foundation challenged the freezing of its assets and the designation. It said it was not linked to Hamas and was not a terrorist organization."