CLEVELAND -- Imam Fawaz Damra is completely bogged down in controversy these days, NewsChannel5 reported.

The Muslim cleric (pictured, left) took complete responsibility for some anti-Semitic remarks that he made 10 years ago and said that he is ashamed of the bigot that he once was.

He also spoke to NewsChannel5's Ted Henry (pictured, below) about a second controversy to which he is tied -- his membership in a Brooklyn, N.Y., mosque that eventually was linked to the early '90s bombing of the World Trade Center.

Damra agreed to speak with Henry about all parts of his New York past, including published reports that the FBI listed him in 1993 as an un-indicted person who may have been associated with Omar Abdel-Rahman, a sheik convicted of conspiring to blow up New York landmarks.

Damra said that he was exploited by new members of the Brooklyn Refugee Center Mosque at which he worked.

"They used my name and then they changed completely the direction of this refugee center, and I left at that time in 1990," he said. "Some of (them) were found (to be) indicted conspirators of the World Trade Center, something that I was not aware of at that time."

"Do you Osama bin Laden?" Henry asked Damra.

"No, I do not know him, and as a matter of fact, I did not hear about him until I came to Cleveland in 1993," Damra said. "Prior to that, I did not know the man, and he was not even known at that time when I was in Brooklyn."

"Do you know of anyone connected in any way to the Sept. 11 tragedy?" Henry asked.

"Not at all," Damra said. "I've been in Cleveland for the past 11 years, and I don't know anyone whatsoever."

"To your knowledge, are you under investigation by federal authorities?" Henry asked.

"The only time I was under investigation was in 1993 when I was following the World Trade Center bombing, and I did cooperate fully with investigators, and I assume that they believed me and that they believed I was innocent, and since then, I have not heard from them."

A member of Damra's mosque once openly referred to the Shiite Muslim group Hezbola as freedom fighters, even though the State Department labels them as terrorists. Henry asked Damra why he did not condemn such talk.

"I personally do not support this individual who made that statement; however, as you know, Ted, in every church and in every mosque, there are people who have different views, and I cannot elaborate on his view, other than to say I do not agree with him," Damra said.

Five elders of his mosque were so incensed about Damra's anti-Semitic past that they left the mosque, NewsChannel5 reported.

"It's unfortunate that these members -- whom I respect and greatly admired, what they have done for the mosque here -- it's unfortunate that they left," Damra said.

Damra has angered Jews, Christians and fellow Muslims because of the actions of his past, and in several weeks, his contract is up as spiritual leader of the Grand Mosque. Henry asked him if he thinks that he might be fired.

"Well, first of all, it's up to the Muslim community who hired me, and they are the only ones who will decide about my fate," Damra said. "However, even if I don't serve here in Cleveland, I am sure I will continue on the same path of creating a better understanding between the Muslim community and the American community at large, because this is my role here.

"If my community would like me to stay as a leader for this community, I would be honored to do it. If my community decides they don't want me, that's up to them."