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Friends of Pete Seda can't believe he would finance terrorism
Friends of Pete Seda can't believe he would finance terrorism
Friends of Pete Seda can't believe
he would finance terrorism
By JEFF BARNARD
Until a year ago, Pete Seda was a regular fixture in town, appearing in the Fourth of July Parade with his camel, transplanting trees for free to save them from falling victim to development, and teaching school kids about Islam.
When his friends found out the federal government was investigating whether he and the Saudi Arabian charity organization Al Haramain Islamic Foundation Inc., which he worked for part time, were funneling money to terrorists, they were stunned and outraged.
"I have seen Pete in public since the 1980s take courageous stands against violence, for the security of Israel and against Islamic extremism," said Rabbi David Zaslow in his office at Havurah Synagogue. "I'll bet the house on it. He is guilty of naivete but nothing else."
Even kids from Havurah Synagogue visited Seda's prayer house, a tent in his yard, and petted his camel, said Zaslow, who talks with Seda once a month on the phone. "In all my experiences with Pete, he always presents himself as someone who loves his adopted country, loves and respects people of all faiths, and certainly and courageously has always spoken publicly against radical Islamic violence and terrorism," Zaslow said.
Paul Copeland, a software consultant and co-chairman of the local American Civil Liberties Union, said Seda spoke out against the Patriot Act that is being used to investigate him. "I feel like we hounded one of our upstanding citizens out of the country with overzealous law enforcement."
On Wednesday, federal agents served a search warrant on Seda's vacant home on the outskirts of this town best known for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, driving through white gates adorned with two small American flags.
Seda has not been charged, but an IRS affidavit alleges that Seda, secretary of Al Haramain, and Soliman H.S. Al-Buthe, treasurer, attempted to conceal the transfer of $130,000 in traveler's checks and a $21,000 cashier's check intended for aid to Muslims in Chechnya in 2000.
Friends said Seda, also known as Pirouz Sedaghaty, came to Ashland from Iran in the 1970s to attend what is now Southern Oregon University and stayed on, afraid to return home after the fall of the Shah. He became an American citizen, married, had two sons, built an arborist business and divorced. Later he returned to Iran, married again, and brought his brother and mother to Ashland. He has not returned since going to Dubai with his wife and younger son about a year ago to study Islam.
(Attorney David) Berger said Seda had started his own foundation distributing copies of the Quran provided by Al Haramain to prisons, and was approached by the foundation in 1997. They wanted to help him establish a prayer house and start a local office of the foundation.
Seda once tried to transfer $25,000 in foundation funds to a bank in Israel to buy food for Israelis to distribute to Palestinians in an effort to build good will, but was turned away at the border after failing to get written authorization, Berger said.
After 9/11, Seda complained of his business suffering and receiving harassing telephone calls and mail, Berger said. Placed on an FBI watch list, he was constantly stopped and searched in airports.
Before going to Dubai, he talked about a surveillance camera pointed at his driveway, strange lights appearing around the borders of his rural property, shots fired nearby, and feared that the sudden death of his camel may have been caused by poison, Berger said.