Conflict seen in U.S. Muslim sponsorship

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- There is concern of a conflict within the U.S. Justice Department for its co-sponsorship of an Islamic convention hosted by a group under investigation.

The Islamic Society of North America is hosting its annual gathering in Chicago next weekend and the Justice Department is spending an undisclosed amount on setting up a booth at the event, The Washington Times reported Monday.

However, ISNA is an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal terrorist funding case centered on Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development in Dallas, alleged to be supplying Palestinian Hamas fighters, the newspaper said.

One department lawyer in Washington who asked not to be identified told the newspaper the sponsorship had raised many concerns.

"There is outrage among lawyers that the Department of Justice is funding a group named as a co-conspirator in a terrorist financing case," told the Times. "This is just staggering, it's outrageous -- lawyers from the Civil Rights Division traveling to Chicago on the federal dime. This will cost thousands of dollars."