ONE of the most influential Muslim leaders in North Jersey is facing deportation. On its face, the case against Imam Mohammad Qatanani, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, appears to be flimsy.

If U.S. immigration officials have a stronger case against him than has been reported so far, they should make it known. Otherwise, Qatanani should be allowed to remain in this country, where supporters say he has been a bridge builder between Islam and other faiths.

His lawyer says Qatanani has been denied permanent residency because, according to immigration officials, he failed to disclose a 1993 Israeli Military Court conviction for "assisting Hamas."

Qatanani, a Palestinian, says he was detained and interrogated, but released without being charged. As a college professor in Jordan at the time, he says he helped Palestinian students travel to the country to study. He says Israeli interrogators suggested the students had ties to Hamas.

The imam told The Record's Elizabeth Llorente that he did not help Hamas and had "no clue" as to the students' personal activities. He said he did not hide his detention by the Israelis from the FBI or immigration authorities during questioning related to his application for a green card.

Supporters of Qatanani, who was one of the first imams to condemn the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and has provided space for the FBI to recruit Arabic speakers, include Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. The congressman has written to the immigration judge who will hear Qatanani's case in May and says he is ready to testify in his favor.

Pascrell calls Qatanani "a gentleman who's had a tremendous positive influence in the community" and someone who has done "nothing but good since he's been in the United States."

If immigration officials know otherwise, they should produce convincing evidence. Qatanani, his supporters and the North Jersey Muslim and Arab communities, the second largest in the United States, deserve a fair, thorough and open hearing in this case.