This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/4796
February 21, 2011
http://www.americansagainsthate.org/press_releases/PR-Haley_Barbour_Islamic_Relief.php
February 21, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Kaufman ([email protected])
(Jackson, MS) Americans Against Hate (AAH), the anti-bigotry, terrorism watchdog group, has released a video criticizing Governor of Mississippi and potential Presidential candidate Haley Barbour for praising the Hamas-related Islamic Relief (IR) less than two weeks after the Israeli government took action against the group.
In June 2006, following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, at an event held in New York's Central Park, Governor Haley Barbour took photographs with IR's Operations Manager for the Northeast Region, Yousef Abdallah, and stated, "If you look at an organization like Islamic Relief… they have been critical to our recovery. Their volunteers have come and they keep coming and they keep coming. We're very grateful."
This was less than two weeks after the Israeli government denounced IR as a front for Hamas and deported IR's head of Gaza Operations, Ayaz Ali, for "funneling money" to Hamas.
In the past, IR had also been reported to have both received money and given money to groups associated with al-Qaeda.
AAH Chairman Joe Kaufman stated on the video that, while Governor Barbour did "great" things with regard to Hurricane Katrina, it was "wrong and irresponsible" for him to have partnered with or praised a group connected to terrorism. Kaufman said that IR's assistance in relief work for Katrina amounted to nothing more than "blood money" and contrasted Barbour's actions with IR to then-Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, who refused to accept a $10 million check for help with 9/11 from an anti-Israel Saudi Prince.
AAH is calling on Governor Barbour to answer why he would praise a group associated with terror and is calling on Barbour to denounce Islamic Relief.
Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail: [email protected].
This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/4796