Imam Ahmed Alzaree Resigns from Islamic Center of Cleveland

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer's David Briggs, quoted in entirety for fair use and discussion purposes -- the news and the preceding posts explain it all:

New Cleveland imam quits before he starts

Imam Ahmed Alzaree announced Monday, three days before he was to start work as the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Cleveland, that he was resigning.

Alzaree said allegations by bloggers that he was anti-Semitic and was associated with individuals suspected of having terrorist ties so poisoned the atmosphere in Northeast Ohio that he and his wife, Marwa, decided to look elsewhere.

"Cleveland now is a nightmare for her," Alzaree said. "It will never be a good start for me and the Jewish community.

The mosque has accepted Alzaree's resignation, Zahid Siddiqi, general secretary of the mosque's executive committee, said Monday afternoon.

"We certainly don't want to impose on him and his family," Siddiqi said.

Alzaree is the former spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Omaha.

Links to previous posts are after the jump.

Update: Briggs posted a much longer piece just after 5PM, apparently for the Metro section.

Previous NewsBusters and Other Posts:

• Sept. 25 -- Cleveland Plain Dealer Misses New Imam's 2003 Anti-Semitic Rant, and Other Troubling Associations
• Sept. 29 -- Ahmed Alzaree Follow-up: Who WAS That Cleveland.com Blogger? (at the Plain Dealer's Wide Open blog)
• Oct. 2 -- COAT's Imam Ahmed Alzaree Follow-up (at BizzyBlog)
• Oct. 25 -- Imam Ahmed Alzaree and the Islamic Center of Cleveland Follow-up: Part 1
• Oct. 25 -- Imam Ahmed Alzaree and the Islamic Center of Cleveland Follow-up: Part 2