Two women sentenced for raising cash online for al-Shabab
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Two women who used an internet chat room to raise several thousand dollars for the Somali militant group al-Shabab have been sentenced to prison.
Muna Osman Jama, 36, of Reston, Virginia, and Hinda Osman Dhirane, 46, of Kent, Washington, had previously been convicted of providing support to a terrorist organization.
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On Friday, Jama was sentenced to12 years and Dhirane to 11 years.
Prosecutors had said the women used the chat room to round up small contributions on behalf of al-Shabab. The women did not deny their sympathies for al-Shabab. But their defense lawyers argued that the money they raised went to people who were not clearly defined members of al-Shabab. The defense also raised First Amendment issues, saying their advocacy for al-Shabab should not be fodder for a criminal conviction.