This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1698
February 28, 2006
MIM: The radical Islamist MO of brazening is epitomised by the Kind Hearts statement written by their lawyer Jihad Smaili (who happens to be the brother of KH founder and president and former GLF fundraiser Khalid Smaili , who admits their funding of Hamas - but dismisses it as 'a minor technical issue'.
"Other than being associated with Hamas pursuant to the above language,
the government has failed to officially allege anything else.."
In an even more perverse flight of fancy Smaili writes that Kind Hearts is "prepared to agree " to the distribution ofundswhich they earmarked for terrorism, and wants their employees, which presumably include KH director Khalid and Jihad Smaili KH's lawyer, and Zulfiqar Ali Shah the South Asia coordinator, to receive their salaries and use the money to fund their case against the government's closure of their Jihad enterprise!
In order to make the government appear to be villians who are withholding money from desperate Pakistanis Smaili suddenly becomes a philanthropic altruist and 'requests' that the funding go to earthquake victims, since it can no longer be used to fund terrorism!
"In accordance with its kindhearted nature, KindHearts ...is prepared to agree to
the distribution of the funds currently held by our Government, except
for those funds that will be expended on payment to employees for past
services provided and for upcoming legal fees, ...However, KindHearts requests that special consideration be
given to the refugees in the earthquake ravaged areas of Pakistan since
the overwhelming majority of frozen funds were earmarked for projects
therein..."
The South Asia coordinator of Kind Hearts, Zulfiqar Ali Shah, recently fundraised in the United States together with two members of Tablighi Jammat - a Muslim missionary group which is linked to Al Qaeda. The Muslim coalition is disingenuously seeking the release of the frozen funds and assets on "humanitarian grounds" claiming it is vital to Pakistani earthquake victims. Pakistan is not desperate for funding and turned down aid which was offered by Israel because it did not want to be seen taking money from Jews. It was also widely reported that earthquake funding was not only being appropriated by terror groups, but that such groups were heavily involved in "relief" efforts . The United States protested to Pakistan - since they did not want to be working side by side with radical Islamists, nor give them the ability to funnel funds and supplies to their cohorts. In one instance which was documented by the BBC, clerics obstructed food distribution to Muslims who were trapped in mountain villages in the days following the earthquake, because they objected to them being given food during the fast of Ramadan
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Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 1:03 PM Subject: ISLAM-INFONET: Muslim Coalition Seeks Treasury Meeting on Charity Closures
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUSLIM COALITION SEEKS TREASURY MEETING ON CHARITY CLOSURES
Treasury secretary asked to address concerns about due process
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/28/06) - The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), a coalition of national Muslim organizations,* wrote today to Secretary of the Treasury John W. Snow to request a meeting to discuss growing concerns "about the continued targeting of Muslim charities without due process of law."
AMT's letter said government closures of Islamic charities, such as the recent shutdown of Ohio-based KindHearts, have impaired the ability of American Muslims to carry out their religious obligation to help the needy in this country and overseas. The government froze KindHearts' assets, most of which were earmarked for earthquake relief in Pakistan and for KindHearts new South Asia Division.
KindHearts officials say they had no prior notice of the government's action, despite the fact that a U.S. Senate Finance Committee probe of U.S. Muslim charities, including KindHearts, ended without any charges or even allegations of wrongdoing.
SEE ALSO: Leaders Vigorously Rebut U.S. Allegations (Toledo Blade)
In its letter, AMT stated: "As leading American Muslim organizations, we note that although we understand the political climate of our country and support our government's efforts to thwart terrorist financing; we find it unfair that our government has yet made another extrajudicial decision to effectively wipe-out more than five years of humanitarian assistance to the world's needy by the mere stroke of a pen. The immediate effects of KindHearts' closure have already been felt in orphanages, schools, shelters, and medical centers around the world."
* The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), is an umbrella organization represented by the: American Muslim Alliance (AMA), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Student Association û National(MSA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), Project Islamic Hope (PIH), United Muslims of America (UMA)
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CONTACT: Agha Saeed, 510-299-9313, E-Mail: [email protected]
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gov/press/releases/js4058.htm
February 19, 2006 Treasury Freezes Assets of Organization Tied to Hamas The U.S. Department of the Treasury today blocked pending investigation accounts of KindHearts, an NGO operating out of Toledo, Ohio, to ensure the preservation of its assets pending further investigation. "KindHearts is the progeny of Holy Land Foundation and Global Relief Foundation, which attempted to mask their support for terrorism behind the façade of charitable giving," said Stuart Levey, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. "By utilizing this specialized designation tool, we're able to prevent asset flight in support of terrorist activities while we further investigate the activities of KindHearts." This action was taken pursuant to E.O. 13224, which is aimed at denying financial and material support to terrorists and their facilitators. Following the December 2001 asset freeze and law enforcement actions against the Hamas-affiliated Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and the al Qaida-affiliated Global Relief Foundation (GRF), former GRF official Khaled Smaili established KindHearts from his residence in January 2002. Smaili founded KindHearts with the intent to succeed fundraising efforts of both HLF and GRF, aiming for the new NGO to fill a void caused by the closures. KindHearts leaders and fundraisers once held leadership or other positions with HLF and GRF. Support to Hamas in Lebanon KindHearts officials and fundraisers have coordinated with Hamas leaders and made contributions to Hamas-affiliated organizations. Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) Usama Hamdan, a leader of Hamas in Lebanon, reportedly phoned a top fundraiser for KindHearts during a September 2003 KindHearts fundraiser. During the call, Hamas leader Hamdan reportedly communicated to the fundraiser his gratitude for KindHearts' support. The KindHearts fundraiser reportedly also provided advice to Hamdan, telling him not to trust the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Information developed from abroad corroborates connections between KindHearts and Hamas in Lebanon. As of late December 2003, KindHearts was supporting Hamas and other Salafi groups in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Haytham Fawri was identified as a KindHearts official who reportedly collected funds and sent them to Hamas and other Salafi groups. Haytham Fawri is believed to be a reference to Haytham Maghawri, who has served as KindHearts' manager in Lebanon, and is one of a number of HLF officials indicted by a federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas on charges of providing material support to Hamas. From 1998 -2000, during his tenure as Social Services Director for the HLF, Maghawri approved fifty wire transfers by the HLF in the amount of $407,512 USD, to nine zakat committees identified as being owned, controlled, or directed by Hamas. According to the information source from abroad, KindHearts began working secretly and independently in the camps in Lebanon after the closure of the offices of the Sanabil Association for Relief and Development (Sanabil), a Hamas-affiliated entity in Lebanon that was named an SDGT in August 2003. KindHearts reportedly attempted to maintain a distance from Hamas to avoid drawing attention to its support for the terrorist organization. In early 2003, KindHearts president Smaili complained that scrutiny by U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials was making it almost impossible for KindHearts to assist Hamas. Between July and December 2002, KindHearts sent more than $100,000 USD to the Lebanon-based SDGT Sanabil, according to information available to the U.S. Financial investigation revealed that between February 2003 and July 2003, KindHearts transferred over $150,000 USD to Sanabil. KindHearts deposited the funds into the same account used by HLF when it was providing funds to the Hamas-affiliated Sanabil, according to FBI analysis. Support to Hamas in the West Bank In addition to providing support to Hamas in Lebanon, KindHearts reportedly provides support to Hamas in the West Bank. An individual identified as integral to assisting KindHearts deliver aid to Palestinians in the West Bank, also reportedly was responsible for dividing money raised by KindHearts in the U.S to ensure that some funds went to Hamas. KindHearts founder and president Smaili told a Texas-based associate that his organization was raising funds to support the Palestinian Intifada. Cooperation with U.S.-Based Hamas Leader Mohammed El-Mezain, who coordinated KindHearts' fundraising, is a former HLF official indicted by a federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas on charges of providing material support to Hamas. Information indicates that SDGT Khalid Mishaal, Hamas' Secretary General based in Damascus, Syria, identified El-Mezain as the Hamas leader for the U.S. At the time, Mishaal advised that all financial contributions to Hamas from individuals in the U.S. should be channeled through El-Mezain. Following the closure of HLF, U.S.-based Hamas leader El-Mezain transferred his fundraising skills to Kindhearts. El-Mezain assisted other KindHearts senior leaders in directing the coordination of KindHearts' fundraising strategy. During a 2003 Islamic conference, KindHearts leaders, including Smaili, met with El-Mezain to discuss KindHearts fundraisers. The leaders concluded that there would be only two fundraising dinners for KindHearts in September 2003 and thereafter, all fundraising efforts would target Friday prayers at mosques and Islamic centers throughout the U.S. At a September 2003 KindHearts fundraising event, a KindHearts fundraiser spoke and encouraged the crowd to appreciate the efforts of the terrorist group Hizballah in supporting Hamas. The fundraiser then encouraged the crowd to give money and manpower as support against Israel. El-Mezain also spoke at this KindHearts fundraiser, encouraging people to donate to KindHearts. In October 2003, El-Mezain spoke at an event held in Baton Rouge Louisiana where $500,000 was pledged. Though El-Mezain's speech reportedly focused almost entirely on raising funds for a new mosque in Baton Rouge, only a small amount was to be retained locally and the vast majority was to be sent to Hamas overseas. Today's action freezes any assets KindHearts may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with the NGO. -30- |
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
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Dear brothers and sisters; your government is stealing from poor American Muslims and calling it a war on terrorism. They are violating your Constitutional rights and calling it the spread of democracy. Is it not your duty to God and country to break the silence? Now is the time to speak.
http://www.masnet.org/takeaction.asp?id=3225
Date Posted: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
From the Desk of the Director
By Mahdi Bray, Executive Director, MAS Freedom Foundation
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful
February 28, 2006
KINDHEARTS VS. HARDHEARTS
A Case of Religious Freedom and Theft
The recent government closure and freezing of assets of Kind Hearts, a Muslim Ohio-based charity, is yet another encroachment on the religious freedom of American Muslims by its own government. U.S. law enforcement officials say they have frozen Kind Hearts' assets because the organization allegedly has connections to Hamas, which has been designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
Let's get a few things straight. Firstly, the act of giving charity (Zakat) is more than simply a commendable action; it is the fourth of five pillars of the Islamic faith. Secondly, when you freeze the assets of Muslim charities for alleged criminal activities without providing lawful means to dispense those assets to intended recipients, you violate the First Amendment rights of American Muslims who donated the money. Let's be clear: the money we give to charities to assist the needy is mandated by our lord Allah (SWT).
Thus, the government freezing of these funds without allowing a lawful fiduciary process for their transfer, violates the principle of freedom of religion as guaranteed in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. American Muslims do not give Zakat to support terrorism and criminal activities. They give it to alleviate the suffering of the poor, orphans and widows, those who suffer from sickness, and for the victims of catastrophic disasters.
The investigation of Muslim charities, which is highly politically motivated, should not impede a lawful transfer of funds to those recipients for whom Muslims donated the money in the first place. The government breaches our constitutional rights when it stops our religious obligation of Zakat from reaching its source. It is high time that Muslims stop being so complacent about their charitable religious responsibilities.
Let's call a spade a spade. The government interruption of Muslim charitable giving, and their refusal to release the funds to the needy, while claiming such activities are being investigated for terrorist ties, are not just unacceptable; they're illegal. Even more despicable is taking money from starving women and children, the elderly, the sick and the destitute. As Allah said in the Holy Qu'ran, "Woe to those who are neglectful of their prayer and want only to be seen of men and refuse to provide the neighborly deeds."
Dear brothers and sisters; your government is stealing from poor American Muslims and calling it a war on terrorism. They are violating your Constitutional rights and calling it the spread of democracy. Is it not your duty to God and country to break the silence? Now is the time to speak.
The Freedom Foundation is the public affairs arm of the Muslim American Society (MAS), a national grassroots religious, social, and educational organization. MAS is America's largest grassroots Muslim organization with over 50 chapters nationwide. Learn more at www.masnet.org. Support our work at MAS Freedom Foundation. Make A Donation.
____________________________________________
MAS Freedom Foundation
1050 17th Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Tel.: (202) 496-1288, Fax: (202) 463-0686
URL: http://www.masnet.org/index_publicaffairs.asp
Email: [email protected]
This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1698