Groups Want To Shut Down Margate Mosque Accused Of Financing Taliban

Several South Florida community organizations will be protesting outside of a Margate mosque Tuesday. The protesters want the mosque shut down after its imam was charged with conspiracy to finance the Taliban.

Izhar Khan, the imam of the Margate mosque, was arrested and charged in May, along with four other family members, including his father, Hafiz Khan, who is also an imam.

Calling for the mosque’s closure, the coalition of groups said they will protest outside the building at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Some of the groups protesting include Citizens of Margate, Americans Against Hate, Tea Party Fort Lauderdale, Pastor Mark Boykin of Church of All Nations of Boca Raton and others.

Prior to Tuesday night’s protest, the coalition of groups will hold a news conference where they will “call on both state and federal authorities to shut down the Masjid Jarmaat at-Muminee (MJAM) Center for its connections to terrorism,” said Joe Kaufman with the Americans Against Hate.

The President of the mosques Board of Directors and the Registered Agent for the groups corporation, Yazid Ali, continues to support Izhar Khan, calling him a bright, young star.

That support troubles Joe Kaufman. “Given the nature of the arrests and given the fact that the president of the mosque, as well as other mosque goers, continue to support the Khans, we believe it is necessary and warranted that the U.S. government moves to shut down the mosque,” said Kaufman.

The Sunni mosque is located at 3222 Holiday Springs Blvd., Margate.