University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian, along with seven others, has been charged in a 50-count indictment with supporting, financing and relaying messages for a Palestinian terrorist group.

The indictment accuses the men of being members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a group named by the United States as a terror organization.

In announcing the indictment, Attorney General John Ashcroft said: "Our message to them and to others like them is clear: We make no distinction between those who carry out terrorist attacks and those who knowingly finance, manage or supervise terrorist organizations."

USF president Judy Genshaft fired Al-Arian, one week after his arrest.

Al-Arian, on a hunger strike since his incarceration Feb. 20, denies any connection to terrorists.

"It's all about politics," Al-Arian told reporters following his arrest in Tampa.

The United Faculty of Florida, the USF faculty union, issued a statement reminding everyone of the right of an accused "to be presumed innocent until proven guilty."

In addition, the union said it will continue to defend Al-Arian's rights related to his job on campus.

Al-Arian, a native of Kuwait, has lived in the U.S. since 1975. He was educated at Southern Illinois University and North Carolina State University. He has been a computer science professor at USF since 1986, winning several teaching awards and publishing more than 50 articles.

He is a well-known community activist who founded a Muslim school and community centre. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he helped organize a group called Islamic Concern Project, described as a charity involved in Muslim issues.

FBI scrutiny for more than 10 years had previously found no basis to charge Al-Arian.