Muslim foundation leaders acquitted

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Three ex-leaders of a major Muslim charity were acquitted on most charges of financing Middle Eastern terrorists.

But the federal judge on Monday in Dallas ordered jurors to resume deliberations after some said the verdicts were not unanimous.

The five men who led the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development were accused of funneling millions of dollars to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

The initial verdicts acquitted former fund-raiser Mufid Abdulqader of all counts. The verdicts acquitted former chairman Mohammed El-Mezain and the foundation’s New Jersey representative, Abdulrahman Odeh, were acquitted of most counts, but no verdicts were returned on some counts against them and others.

The United States designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1995 and 1997, making it illegal to have financial dealings with the organization.

Lawyers for the foundation said it was a legitimate charity that provided money for medical, social service and educational assistance to Palestinian families.

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