Arrest of Orange County mosque leader a 'mistake,' supporters say

By: BEN FOX - Associated Press Writer | Monday, November 8, 2004 9:58 PM PST ∞

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- The arrest last week of a leader of an Anaheim mosque on an immigration violation was a mistake, according to supporters and his attorney who say the religious scholar was in the process of applying for a visa extension.

Wagdy Mohamed Ghoneim, 53, was awaiting word from immigration authorities on whether he would be allowed to remain in the United States when federal agents arrested him Thursday at his home in Anaheim, attorney Kazbek Soobzokov said Monday.

"Based on all the papers I've got, it seems there was definitely some kind of mistake and we need to go through the process to get it rectified," Soobzokov said at his office in Santa Ana.

Ghoneim, an imam at the Islamic Institute of Orange County, believed the application for an extension granted at least two more months of residency for him and his family, the attorney said.

The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to disclose details about the case. "It's an immigration violation, that's it," said Lori Haley, a spokeswoman for the agency.

Ghoneim, a native of Egypt, arrived in Detroit in 2001 on a visitor's visa. He was later authorized to remain in the United States on a visa for religious workers until June 20, 2004, according to documents provided to his attorney by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In January 1998, an Egyptian imam of the same age and with a name spelled almost identically -- Wagdy Ghoniem -- was arrested while trying to cross from Detroit to Canada. He was detained overnight and released, and an attorney for the cleric later told the news media that a Canadian immigration employee mistakenly suspected him of having links to terrorist groups.

It was not clear Monday whether the Anaheim mosque leader was the same man detained in Canada. Ghoneim's attorney said he knew nothing of the previous incident and said his client would not have been allowed to remain in the United States if he had any links to terrorism.

Ghoneim, who is chairman of the North American Imams Federation, is a highly regarded religious scholar who gives speeches around the country, said Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Southern California Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"The whole Muslim community today is under a microscope of scrutiny," Ayloush said. "Committing a mistake that would invite a slap on the wrist for anyone else could lead to prison or deportation for a Muslim."

Ghoneim is being held at the federal jail on Terminal Island until an immigration judge decides whether he should be deported. A bond hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Ghoneim has been arrested eight times in Egypt for opposition activities and would likely seek political asylum in the United States if the judge rules against him, his attorney said.

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