Metro
Under Scrutiny
Federal
tax evasion
charges raise
questions
of possible
Hezbollah ties
to owner of
La Shish.
Don Cohen
Special to the Jewish News
W
hen put on hold
during a call to the
headquarters of La
Shish restaurants in Dearborn, a
recording says it is "the nation's
fasting-growing Mediterranean
restaurant chain." But because
of federal charges of tax evasion
and possible links to terrorism
via the owner of the chain, some
Metro Detroiters are putting La
Shish on hold until things are
cleared up.
There are 14 Metro Detroit La
Shish restaurants, including fran-
chise sites in Orchard Lake and
Ann Arbor that are separately
owned. The owner of the Orchard
Lake site emphasized to the
Jewish News that his restaurant is
not owned by La Shish.
"I wonder how many bullets I
bought with my hummus?" asked
David Randel of Novi, a previ-
ously satisfied customer of La
Shish restaurants. At a Memorial
Day weekend pool party, he said
he'll hold off going back until the
case is resolved.
A May 18 indictment for tax
evasion against the owner as well
as the financial manager of La
Shish is of particular concern to
the Jewish community because
the federal government says
Owner Talal Khalil Chahine, 51,
has links with Sheik Muhammad
Hussein Fadlallah, widely recog-
18
June 1 . 2006
nized as the spiritual leader of the
Iranian-backed Lebanese terror-
ist organization Hezbollah (Party
of God). Chahine claims his
intent has been only charitable.
In addition to terrorism,
Hezbollah calls for the destruc-
tion of the State of Israel and
promotes anti-Semitism through
its news media outlets that reach
much of the Muslim world.
The four-count indictment
alleges that Chahine and his
ex-wife and La Shish financial
manager, Elfat El Aouar, 39, of
Plymouth, conspired to avoid
taxes by transferring more than
$16 million in cashier's checks to
Lebanon. While the indictment
does not include charges of ter-
rorist activity or funding of ter-
rorism, documents filed in U.S.
District Court in Detroit by the
U.S. Attorney's Office say Chahine
has "connections at the highest
levels of ... Hizballah."
Federal authorities produced
pictures Of Chahine with Sheik
Fadlallah at an August 2002
fund-raising event in Lebanon
where they say the two men
gave speeches and then met
privately.
According to court documents,
"sponsorship of orphans is a
euphemism used by Hezbollah
to refer to the orphans of mar-
tyrs" (such as those killed while
conducting terrorist activities).
Prosecutors also showed photos
of Chahine and his family posing
in front of a suspected Hezbollah
military installation.
Charges Denied
Chahine denied all charges in
a story published in the May 28
Detroit Free Press, saying he
would return to the United States
from Lebanon in June. He says
the Lebanese charity he contrib-
uted to, the Al-Mabarrat Charity
Association, whose American
office is located in Dearborn, is
licensed by the U.S. government.
Indeed, a review of tax forms
filed by the local office shows
that it is a registered nonprofit
that distributed almost $930,000
in 2004.
Contacted about having
But that doesn't give the
Fadlallah on the terrorist list
organization a clean bill of
while his organization is tax-
health, according to Dr. Rachel
exempt, a spokesperson for the
Ehrenfeld, director of the New
Treasury Department could not
York-based American Center for
comment, saying, they "do not
Democracy and author of the
confirm nor deny whether or not
book Funding Evil.
an investigation is or is not tak-
"Al-Mabarrat is clearly a
ing place."
Hezbollah organization; no ifs,
ands or buts," Ehrenfeld said,
Franchisee Concerned
adding that the charity oper-
Mohamad Cheaib, co-owner
ates internationally, not just in
of the independently owned and
Lebanon and in Dearborn.
operated La Shish franchise on
The Al-Mabarrat Web site
features a picture
of Fadlallah and a
greeting from him at
its top, along with a
selection of his writ-
ings and statements.
"There is no
excuse for the gov-
ernment to allow
them to operate
here in the United
States," she says. "It's
not about helping
widows and orphans;
he [Sheik Fadlallah]
wants to make
future widows and
orphans."
Matthew Levitt,
current deputy assis-
tant secretary of the
Treasury Department
for intelligence and
The La Shish restaurant on 12 Mile Road in
analysis in the U.S.
Farmington Hills. It is owned by Chahine.
Office of Terrorist
Financing and
Financial Crime,
Orchard Lake Road near Pontiac
had written about Al-Mabarrat
Trail in Orchard Lake Village, is
in a February 2005 article about
concerned but says customers
Hezbollah funding, when Levitt
during the Memorial Day week-
headed the terrorism project for
end were very supportive.
the private Washington Institute
"They said, `We know you are a
for Near-East Policy prior to his
friend,
and we are here to support
Treasury post.
you:"
said
Cheaib. "They know
Under the heading "Charities
we
are
a
franchise
and not owned
and Front Groups:' Levitt wrote
by
La
Shish.
People
like us, and I
that Al-Mabarrat is headed by
appreciate
my
customers."
Fadlallah who "maintains inti-
Cheaib, who has owned the
mate ties" with Hezbollah and
restaurant since December 2004,
is on "the U.S. Treasury's list of
says he purchased the franchise
Specially Designated Terrorists."
because La Shish was known for
He added that, in 2003, Lebanese
the quality of its food.
Finance Minister Fuad Siniora
Efforts to reach a spokesperson
was barred from entering the
for La Shish headquarters in
United States because of a dona-
Dearborn were unsuccessful.
tion he made to Al-Mabarrat.
0 ..-.
.01110plin •
"Before anyone jumps to
conclusions, let's see if he is
innocent or guilty," cautioned
Nasser Beydoun, chairman of
the American Arab Chamber of
Commerce in Dearborn. "There
have been several instances where
federal prosecutors have tried to
make a link and they haven't won
a case. We need to wait." He added
that even when such charges are
made, they are usually dropped as
part of a plea bargain.
"We are just as vigilant in our
community as you are
to ensure that there
are no connections to
terrorism:' Beydoun
said. "After all, even
charges of support
for terrorism affect us
very much."
Andrew Beider
of West Bloomfield
says the case was the
topic of conversation
at his table at a wed-
ding last weekend. He
sympathizes with the
situation business-
18: men with Middle East
° links find themselves
in, but says he has
enough information
to make the decision
not to eat at La Shish.
"Jews are always
liberal when it comes
to protecting oth-
ers' rights, but how
about our rights?"
Beider said. "How many more
have to die before Jews wake up
and decide that these people
[Hezbollah] are serious?"
Robert Cohen, executive direc-
tor of the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit,
called the information avail-
able "preliminary" and said the
Council is following the develop-
ing story with interest.
"We are certainly opposed to
any funds going to fraudulent
charities that are in fact channels
to give funds to terrorist organi-
zations," said Cohen. "Anyone who
is found to be engaged in such
activity should be prosecuted to
the fullest extent of the law."
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