Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's Mosque Visit Sponsored by Islamic Group with Ties to Terrorism Financing and Links to the Gaza Flotilla.

BOSTON, June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT), a Boston based group of Christians, Jews and reformist Muslims said today that Governor Patrick's controversial visit to the Saudi-funded mega-mosque in Boston was sponsored by Islamic Relief a group with longstanding terrorist connections and close ties to the Gaza Flotilla.

On May 29th, APT released a video (www.peaceandtolerance.org) of the Governor's May 22 visit to the Islamic Society of Boston mosque. The video showed Patrick embracing Imam Abdullah Faarooq, who tells his followers to "pick up the gun and the sword." Faarooq is a supporter of local terror suspects Aafia Siddiqui and Tarek Mehanna.

At the mosque, Faarooq gave staffers from Attorney General Martha Coakley's office a $50K check to "train" Mass police in "sensitivity."

Flyers distributed at the event revealed that the Governor's visit was primarily sponsored by Islamic Relief. Islamic Relief is the founding member of the Union of Good (UOG), an umbrella of Hamas-funding charities. UOG is a designated by federal authorities as a terrorist entity, and is headed by Yusuf al Qaradawi, the spiritual head of the Muslim Brotherhood which gave birth to Hamas and Al Queda.

Qaradawi was also an original Trustee of the Roxbury mosque.

The Gaza Flotilla Link: The violent Turkish activists aboard the "Mavi Marmara" who attacked and attempted to lynch Israeli Navy commandos in Monday's Gaza flotilla incident also belonged to a Union of Good member organization – the IHH, which is directly linked to Hamas fundraising.

Islamic Relief also has an extensive history of aiding Hamas. See website for details.

Charles Jacobs, President of APT said, "Governor Patrick could have known that his visit to the mosque was being sponsored by an allegedly Hamas-supporting charity. Activists from APT personally handed the Governor a memo on Islamic Relief in January of 2009."

Jacobs indicated his concern that the $50K check might have come directly from Islamic Relief, which the Israeli government accuses of sponsoring Hamas. "It is incumbent on the Governor to immediately return the funds and investigate the source of this tainted money" said Jacobs. He also repeated APT's request to the Governor: "Stop embracing radicals, reach out to truly moderate Muslims, and please don't let political correctness compromise our security."

For more information, please see www.peaceandtolerance.org or call  617 202 3004

SOURCE Americans for Peace and Tolerance