Man Awarded $575,000 in Suit Over Letter

A Superior Court jury on Monday awarded $575,000 in damages to a man who sued several fellow members of a religious organization, claiming that they falsely accused him of mishandling the group’s funds.

Anaheim resident Adnan Khatib, 56, a former board member of the Islamic Society of Orange County, claimed in his lawsuit that three members of the organization--Khizar Malik, Iqbal Mahmood and Maqbool Chaudhry--wrote and distributed a letter in February, 1987, that defamed his character.

“He resigned from the board somewhat in shame,” said Khatib’s attorney, James McGee. “It was an outright smear campaign. . . . He feels as though his reputation has been vindicated.”

McGee said the defendants’ letter implied that Khatib had formed a parallel Islamic religious organization under the name of Orange County Islamic Society in an effort to steal members and funds from the other organization.

Defense attorneys had argued during the trial that their clients’ letter was not libelous and that the statements in it were truthful.

“We feel this was a miscarriage of justice and that the amount of the judgment was excessive,” said defense attorney Richard Jay Blaskey.

After the four-week trial, the jury deliberated for about eight hours and sided with Khatib, awarding him $35,000 in special damages, $450,000 in general damages and $90,000 in punitive damages.