Grand jury indictments will be sought against the founder of an Islamic school in Elgin after he was arrested in February on charges he sexually abused a female employee, Cook County authorities said.
In a separate proceeding, Mohammed Abdullah Saleem, 75, appeared Tuesday morning at a court hearing in Rolling Meadows on the sexual abuse and battery charges.
Assistant State’s Attorney David Shin said he will present evidence to the grand jury later this week.
Saleem, of Gilberts, was arrested after a 23-year-old woman told police he sexually abused her while she was working at the Institute of Islamic Education in April.
Shin said Saleem posted bond shortly after his arrest and was released from custody while he awaits trial. He was ordered not to have contact with the alleged victim or anyone under age 18 and had to surrender his passport. Saleem’s attorney has denied the allegations.
Separate from the criminal case against Saleem, his accuser and three other women have filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and battery. The other women say they were minors when the alleged abuse took place.
In the lawsuit, the woman who is the alleged victim in the criminal case claims Saleem forced her to sit on his lap and fondled her when they were alone in her office. Prosecutors said the clothes the woman was wearing during that encounter tested positive for semen, though tests to compare the fluid to Saleem’s DNA had not been completed for his last court hearing in February.
The conservative scholar was trained in a fundamentalist Islamic movement based in India. He espouses strict gender segregation during worship and limited contact between men and women.
After Tuesday’s court hearing, defense attorney Raymond Wigell said Saleem was holding up well.
“The community response has been very supportive,” Wigell said.
About 15 supporters attended the hearing.
Wigell said he didn’t think Saleem was teaching at the school but that he was still a presence there.
“He was and always has been (a presence),” Wigell said. “Out of respect for the questionable allegations he has reduced his presence at the school.”
Saleem is cooperating with grand jury proceedings, his attorney said.
As for the civil case, Wigell said, “There seems to be a cabal against (the imam). Our initial investigation makes it clear the accusers and their advisers have other motivations besides justice and truth.”
