Mosque: Families of detained men struggling

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A spokesman for a Virginia mosque says the families of five young Americans detained in Pakistan after they allegedly sought to join up with terrorist groups are going through "severe hardship."

During a news conference at the Islamic Circle of North America mosque, spokesman Essam Tellawi asked people to pray for the families. He says the small community mosque in Alexandria focuses on how families raise their children and the church promotes tolerance.

The men were reported missing by their families in the Washington, D.C., area last week. The State Department says it is not yet clear whether the five men may have broken any Pakistani or U.S. laws during their stay in Pakistan.

AP, 11 December 2009