U.S. Marshals serve notice to Potomac Islamic school

Three armed U.S. Marshals delivered notices initiating possible seizure proceedings against the Islamic Education Center in Potomac on Friday morning as authorities moved against properties tied to a New York foundation they say has links to the Iranian government.
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U.S. Marshals serve notice to Potomac Islamic school
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Prosecutors tie Iran, U.S. assets

Two marshals entered the school about 9:30 a.m. as children played in a large hall set up for an open house planned for later in the day. A third marshal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the documents delivered were related to possible forfeiture proceedings. They also drove to a white brick house next door and taped a manila envelope to the front door.

A man at the Islamic Education Center who said he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school would not reveal his name and declined to answer questions. He directed all inquiries to the New York-based lawyers for the Alavi Foundation, which U.S. authorities say they have suspected of being a possible Iranian front for decades.

A call to the foundation's lawyer, John D. Winter, was not immediately returned.

Residents who live near the school described a community that mostly keeps to itself but is gracious in its limited interactions with the neighborhood. When a recent holiday clogged streets with parked cars, the mosque delivered fruit and nut baskets to houses afterward with notes of apology, neighbors said.
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"It's been a peaceful coexistence," said Lisa Hall, who lives down Jeb Stuart Road from the school's back entrance. "There have never been any issues."

She said that her main interaction with them had been shortly after the 9/11 attacks, when they held an open house for the community and talked about tolerance with a nearby synagogue. "They don't cause anybody any problems," said Marian Nathan, another neighbor.

None of the properties has been formally seized. Rather, prosecutors are formally starting the process of forfeiture, which a court must recognize. Yusill Scribner, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office, stressed on Thursday that the proceedings would not affect tenants and occupants of the properties and that "there are no allegations of any wrongdoing on the part of any of these tenants or occupants."

Prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking the forfeiture of hundreds of millions of dollars in assets held by the Alavi Foundation and another company allegedly used as a front by Iran. Besides the school in Potomac, the complaint also targets a Manhattan skyscraper and Islamic centers in California, Queens, N.Y., and Houston. Approximately 100 acres are being targeted in the Catharpin area in Prince William.

The announcement received a cold response from Iranian officials. Tehran's Interim Friday Prayers Leader, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, said the country "will not accept US conditions and drop its rights."

"We cannot show the green light to the US officialdom and forfeit [our rights] as a pathetic last resort," said Ayatollah Jannati, who also chairs the influential Guardian Council.

Ayatollah Jannati cited Washington's destructive role in the past and present as the first reason to “keep up the fight” against the US government.

"What do you think it means when the US Congress allocates more than USD 55 million to destabilize the Iranian government. It shows that they have no good intentions towards Iran, and constantly want to engage in enmity," he said.