(09/20/06) WOODBURY - Congressman Peter King (R-Seaford) and his Democratic challenger Legislator David Mejias (D-North Massapequa) sparred Wednesday over campaign contributions from Muslim leaders.

King strongly criticized his opponent for accepting donations from some of Long Island?s Muslim leaders who, King says, subscribe to radical Islam. Mejias responded by saying King has accepted money from the same people, calling him a hypocrite. In fact, Mejias says, these donors gave more money to King and that he will not apologize for taking contributions from Muslim leaders.

Habeeb Ahmed, president of the Islamic Center of Westbury, recently gave Mejias? campaign $200. Ahmed says he gave King $500 at a December luncheon of Muslim leaders that raised $5,000. In addition, the Islamic Center?s spokesman, Dr. Faroque Khan, contributed $350 to Mejias in June.

King zeroed in on Khan by saying the spokesman silently approved of anti-Semitic sentiment coming from his mosque following 9/11. Stunned by King?s comments, Ahmed says that Khan has worked for 15 years on interfaith dialogue and is not a radical leader.