San Francisco, CA, February 3, 2004 ... The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today asked the Islamic Center of Oakland to stop distributing hate materials from Saudi Arabia to high school-aged students.

According to a published report by Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom titled, ''Saudi Publications On Hate Ideology Fill American Mosques,'' the Oakland Islamic Center (a.k.a. Islamic Center of Oakland) is among a number of Muslim religious institutions nationwide that have been distributing written materials that allegedly promote armed violence, and that are reported to be anti-Christian, anti-Semitic and anti-Western. The report asserts that the Oakland Islamic Center is among the religious institutions that have been distributing written materials promoting armed violence to high school students.

Jonathan Bernstein, ADL San Francisco Regional Director, issued the following statement:

We are very disturbed by these allegations. The promotion of hatred, bigotry and armed violence has no place in a civil and multicultural society such as the United States. We have called upon the Oakland Islamic Center to publicly respond to these claims. Further, if they are true, we insist that it immediately cease distributing these and similarly hateful materials.

ADL is consulting with government and law enforcement officials regarding the report's content.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.