Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Kind Hearts (for terror) 'charity' closed in connection with three Muslims in Toledo arrested for planning attacks on US troops Kind Hearts (for terror) 'charity' closed in connection with three Muslims in Toledo arrested for planning attacks on US troopsArrested men who were learning to shoot and make explosives were established members in their Ohio communities MM: For more on Kind Hearts terrorism connection and documentation see below. Update 25: 3 Charged With Planning to Attack Troops http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2006/02/22/ap2543914.html With jobs, families and college courses, three men of Middle Eastern descent appeared to be active members of their Midwestern communities, but prosecutors say they were plotting to kill U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq. One was taking college courses and selling used cars. Another spent time playing in his yard with his children, according to neighbors. All three were charged with attempting to wage terror attacks against the United States and its allies by recruiting and training others to fight overseas, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday. The indictment says the group traveled together to a shooting range to practice and studied how to make explosives. It alleges that at least one of the men researched and tried to obtain government grants and private funding for the training. The three men pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal courts in Cleveland and Toledo. The most serious charges could bring life in prison. Mohammad Zaki Amawi, 26, a citizen of both the U.S. and Jordan, is accused of threatening to kill or injure President Bush, and distributing information about making and using bombs, according to the indictment. He briefly attended the University of Toledo, school officials said. Wassim I. Mazloum, 24, came to the United States from Lebanon in 2000 and got a job at a restaurant and helping run small car dealerships with his family, he told a judge. He said he was taking classes in computer science engineering at the university until his arrest on allegations of trying to learn how to make roadside bombs using household materials, among other claims. Marwan Othman El-Hindi, 42, a U.S. citizen born in Jordan, was a familiar sight to neighbors who watched his children play outside. The indictment alleges he sought to pass along to recruits information about using a suicide bomb vest. All three had lived in Toledo within the past year and were arrested over the weekend - Amawi in Jordan, the others in Toledo, authorities said. They are charged with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure people or damage property in a foreign country. They are also charged with conspiracy to kill Americans and harboring or concealing terrorists. An unidentified person with a military background helped the U.S. government foil the plot by working with the suspects while secretly gathering evidence, the indictment said. El-Hindi is accused of trying to get that person, identified in the indictment only as "the trainer," to travel with him in 2004 to the Middle East as part of a plot to establish a terrorism training center. Tom Rawlings, who once lived next to El-Hindi, said his grandchildren often played with his former neighbor's kids. "They were nice. They kept their yard clean," neighbor Larry Wilcox said. El-Hindi's attorney, Steve Hartman, called his client's charges overzealous. "It doesn't help that he's Jordanian," Hartman said. "I think he's caught up in the Justice Department's vigorous work." At Mazloum's family's home in suburban Toledo, his sister said Mazloum is a conscientious person who could not be caught up in a terrorist conspiracy. "Whenever he goes out at night, he always calls my mom to let her know where he's at and what he's doing," 14-year-old Dima Mazloum said. FBI agents knocked on the door around 7:30 a.m. Sunday and handcuffed her brother when he answered the door, she said. They did not explain why they were arresting him, she said. The agents searched the house for an hour, taking about $1,700 and two pieces of paper from Mazloum's wallet, as well as a paintball gun, Dima Mazloum said. His mother, Salwa Elkechen, 44, said her son helped support her and take care of their home. She broke down in tears, saying, "Take my home, take my money, take everything. I just need my son." Mazloum's attorney, Chuck Sallah, said he knew very little about his client or the charges. Amawi lived across town in an apartment building filled mostly with people of Middle Eastern descent. He once denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq, according to a former apartment manager. "He said we shouldn't be over there. He was angry about it," said Lori Unugester, the former manager. Amawi was assigned a public defender, and nobody answered the door at his apartment Tuesday. Earlier this week, the U.S. government ordered a freeze on the assets of KindHearts, a Toledo-based group suspected of funneling money to the militant organization Hamas. Law enforcement officials, speaking of condition of anonymity, said the arrests of the three men spurred the decision to freeze KindHearts' assets. KindHearts has denied any terrorist connections and has said it is a humanitarian organization. Associated Press writers M.R. Kropko in Cleveland, JoAnne Viviano in Toledo and Mark Sherman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. ------------- MIM: Additional documentation can be found by clicking on url below. http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1427 15/05 Kind Hearts for Terror 'Charity' under law enforcement scrutiny schedules new fundraising tour in U.S. with Al Qaeda linked Jamaat Tableeghi missionary/ recruiters from abroad. The gloating by radical Islamist organizations in the United States that a Senate Committee investigation into 26 Islamic charities is has exonerated them appears to be premature. According to an article in an Ohio paper: ".The Senate Finance Committee is done reviewing Internal Revenue Service records it requested two years ago, but that "does not mean that these groups have been cleared by the committee," chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement Tuesday. " Grassley said the committee will continue to examine the charities' operations, reversing a statement he made two weeks ago that the committee "did not find anything alarming enough that required additional follow-up beyond what law enforcement is already doing..."http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/13343547.htm According to Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the scrutiny is ongoing and one article singled out the Kind Hearts 'charity' base in Toledo Ohio as a group which is of special interest to law enforcement. The same article also mentioned another salient fact: That it was none other then Jihad Smaili, a lawyer from Cleveland who testified in front of the Senate Committee hearing. "KindHearts' lawyer, Jihad Smaili of Cleveland, said testimony before the Senate Banking Committee this summer amounted to unfair "guilt by association," he told The Plain Dealer. ".Smaili acknowledges that some of the testimony before the Senate Banking Committee raised mistakes KindHearts had made. An employee of a charity closed by the government worked for KindHearts until he was charged with conspiracy, aiding a terrorist group and money laundering.." What the article failed to mention is that Jihad Smaili is the brother of Khalid Smaili who is the director of Kind Hearts. When journalists tried to reach Khalid Smaili for comment they were told he was in Lebanon. Which begs the question as to if he plans to come back, since Kind Hearts is simply a continuation of the Global Relief Foundation, which was closed down by the Department of Treasury for ties to Al Qaeda. A look at the Kind Hearts website shows why law enforcement might take more then a passing interest in the Toledo Ohio based charity with the warm fuzzy name. A banner headline on the KH website (since removed) recently announced that Zulifiqar Ali Shah,( the former president of the Islamic Circle of North America / Muslim American Society, (linked to Al Qaeda) and CEO of the Universal Heritage Foundation, is coordinator for the Kind Hearts South Asia Division. Shah ran a School for Islamic Studies in Broward, which launched the terrorist career of Jose Padilla - the dirty bomber wannabe set to go on trial together with Adhan Hassoun ( the man who raised the money to send him to Jihad training camp) It is believed that Jose Padilla and Adnan Hassoun met each other as the SISB mosque. The co founder of the school, Mohammed Javed Qureshi, who, besides his role as co founder of a Saudi backed Islamic school, also supervised the Taco Bell where Padilla (and his wife) were employed. Last year Qureshi admitted that it was him and his wife who helped the Padillas convert to Islam. Hassoun ran the office of the Benevolence International Foundation ( an Al Qaeda funding front started by the jailed Arnaam Arnout, who married a Florida woman. The BIF offices which were convienently located across the road from Qureshi's Taco Bell. Shah was recently in Pakistan and the Kind Hearts website informs us that : " As announced by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, KindHearts fully support Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistani Governments Relief initiatives, Junaid Jumshaid Foundation, Sahara Foundation, Al-Khidmat and other NGOs who are efficient and completely transparent for the accountability of their financial transactions, their Relief Work and Development projects to alleviate suffering of the survivors of this natural disaster." In an article entitled "Militants make mileage out of earthquake relief " revealed that the 'relief funding', was indeed literally ending up in the hands of terrorists, who were also using orphanages as recruiting grounds for new Jihadis. Not surprisingly a large part of Kind Hearts 'charity' funding goes to 'orphans'. Numerous newspaper accounts revealed that U.S. soldiers called on to help were working side by side with terrorists from the Laskar e- Taybaa and Jammaat and it's Jamaat e Da'wa front. A manifestation of this was seen in a BBC television report, which showed that aid efforts were being hindered after confrontations broke out between Muslim aid workers and clerics who insisted that Muslim quake survivors could not be given food during Ramadan despite the life and death situation. The situation was so volatile that the workers had to promise that they would make sure the aid recipients would not break the Ramadan fast.
----------------------------------- KindHearts, a Toledo Muslim charity organization that was started in 2002 after the US government closed down 3 other large Muslim charities, was closed down yesterday. Feds are alleging that the charity is sending money to terrorist organizations, despite the Senate investigation that was to the contrary. From: http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4524125 Smaili says KindHearts was the subject of a US Senate investigation. "A few months ago a Senate committee cleared KindHearts of any wrong doing after looking into our finances. We are surprised and disappointed at the government action," said Smaili. Smaili added that "Our sole purpose is to help poor and needy individuals around the world. We supply hundreds of thousands of people [with] medicine, food, and school backpacks. We also built a hospital in the Middle East," said Smaili. The attorney also said KindHearts consented to several independent audits of its books, and has checks and balances to keep track of donations. From: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060220/NEWS08/602200359
The nonprofit agency raised $2.9 million in 2002, $3.9 million in 2003, and $5 million in 2004. It was planning to open another branch office in Indonesia.
KindHearts does not send money overseas but provides clothing, food, school supplies, and other aid for the poor that is distributed by workers at its overseas offices, Mr. Smaili said in a December interview with The Blade.
"We know, since we opened, that this was going to be a very challenging task, to maintain helping people who need it the most, especially after the government closed down the three other charities," Mr. Smaili said yesterday.
"We wanted to do everything legally, and we have done everything legally. But ultimately the government will do what it wants to do."
In December, Mr. Smaili said KindHearts officials "are not naive" and expected and welcome added scrutiny of its programs and activities. "We understand the current political climate in this country and the need for our government to protect us from groups which advocate violence. All we are asking for is a fair shake." From: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060221/NEWS08/602210376 "I know the government has listened to every conversation that we've made and traced every wire sent from KindHearts USA to Lebanon or Palestine," Mr. Smaili said. "They know exactly what's going on and that we haven't done anything wrong."
He said KindHearts deserves an opportunity to present its case in court, but the government bypassed that option by using an executive order, established after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, that "blocks" KindHearts while it is under investigation.
"There's no judge saying that there's enough evidence. What is your evidence? They don't have any," Mr. Smaili said. --End quoted stories-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060221/NEWS08/602210376 Leaders vigorously rebut U.S. allegations; board members deny Hamas ties
By DAVID YONKE BLADE STAFF WRITER
The charity's West Toledo offices were locked and its assets frozen by the Treasury Department Sunday while the government investigates KindHearts for alleged ties to Mideast terrorists.
"It's dirty politics," said Dr. Hatem Elhady, chairman of the board of KindHearts, which raised $5.1 million in 2004. "They do not like the way things are going in Palestine. They do not like the election results. But that is not our problem. Our problem is providing aid to people in desperate need of help."
The Hamas party, which gained control of the Palestinian legislature in last month's elections, is the political wing of Hamas, which the United States considers a terrorist group. Hamas' platform calls for the destruction of Israel, and President Bush has hinted that he may seek to cut off $150 million in aid to the Palestinians.
The Treasury Department on Sunday issued a statement alleging links between KindHearts and a number of individuals and groups with Hamas connections.
Dr. Elhady and Jihad Smaili, a Cleveland lawyer and member of the charity's board, rejected all such allegations.
"I know the government has listened to every conversation that we've made and traced every wire sent from KindHearts USA to Lebanon or Palestine," Mr. Smaili said. "They know exactly what's going on and that we haven't done anything wrong."
He said KindHearts deserves an opportunity to present its case in court, but the government bypassed that option by using an executive order, established after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, that "blocks" KindHearts while it is under investigation.
"There's no judge saying that there's enough evidence. What is your evidence? They don't have any," Mr. Smaili said.
A Treasury Department spokesman said there is no timetable for the investigation.
A lengthy probe would be disastrous for the Toledo-based charity, Dr. Elhady said.
"That's exactly their goal. They will take too long and nothing will come out of it, but by the time they decide something, everyone will forget about KindHearts," he said.
Stuart Levey, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, called KindHearts "the progeny of Holy Land Foundation and Global Relief Foundation, which attempted to mask their support for terrorism behind the facade of charitable giving."
Holy Land Foundation and Global Relief Foundation were U.S. Muslim charities shut down by the government in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001.
Mr. Levey said issuing an executive order to close the Toledo charity's offices and seize its funds enabled the government "to prevent asset flights in support of terrorist activities while we further investigate the activities of KindHearts."
Among the allegations against KindHearts is that the Toledo charity sent more than $250,000 to the Sanabil Association for Relief and Development, which the Treasury Department called "a Hamas-affiliated entity in Lebanon that was named [a specially designated global terrorist] in August, 2003."
Dr. Elhady and Mr. Smaili said KindHearts specifically chose Sanabil because it was not on the U.S. government's list of terrorist organizations at the time. KindHearts contracted with Sanabil to provide aid in refugee camps in Lebanon, and it was only after the contract expired that the United States put Sanabil on its terrorist list, they said.
Mr. Smaili also disputed the government's figures, saying that KindHearts sent Sanabil "no more than $115,000."
Dr. Elhady said "we know exactly" how the funds were spent by Sanabil. "We did not just give money. We gave it for specific projects, and we saw the results, and we have the receipts," he said.
Another government allegation cites KindHearts' association with Mohammed El-Mezain, who worked under contract to raise funds for the Toledo-based charity. Mr. El-Mezain was indicted by a federal grand jury in Dallas on charges of providing material support to Hamas, according to the Treasury Department.
"As soon as we found out that he was indicted - indicted, not convicted - we voided the contract," Mr. Smaili said. He said it's illegal to cancel a contract over allegations, but officials were willing to risk a lawsuit because "we did not want to do anything that could hurt KindHearts."
The Treasury Department also said Usama Hamdan, whom it described as a known terrorist and Hamas leader in Lebanon, "reportedly phoned a top fund-raiser for KindHearts" in September, 2003, and "reportedly communicated to the fund-raiser his gratitude for KindHearts' support." ------------- http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4524125 Toledo Group Accused of Having Terrorist Ties WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Treasury Department has frozen the assets of a Toledo-based group, saying it funnels money to terrorists. KindHearts of Toledo describes itself on its web site as a nonprofit charitable group, but the government says KindHearts was connected with the Holy Land Foundation, which is linked to Hamas, and the Global Relief Foundation, which is linked to the terrorist group Al-Qaida. KindHearts maintains a headquarters at an office building near the Central-Secor intersection in the Westgate neighborhood. Early Sunday morning, federal investigators raided those offices. Investigators reportedly changed the locks and took inventory. "KindHearts denies all allegations. We don't even know if there are any allegations with regard to wrong doing," said KindHearts attorney Jihad Smaili. "Our books have always been open we've invited the government to come in and look at our books." Smaili says KindHearts was the subject of a US Senate investigation. "A few months ago a Senate committee cleared KindHearts of any wrong doing after looking into our finances. We are surprised and disappointed at the government action," said Smaili. Smaili added that "Our sole purpose is to help poor and needy individuals around the world. We supply hundreds of thousands of people [with] medicine, food, and school backpacks. We also built a hospital in the Middle East," said Smaili. The attorney also said KindHearts consented to several independent audits of its books, and has checks and balances to keep track of donations. Hatem Elhady, chairman of the board of KindHearts, says the non-profit has raised more than $18 million since 2002 for the poor. He said, "We have food baskets, clean water projects, school supplies." Elhardy estimates 30% of the cash stays in the US to help youth programs. The rest goes overseas, mostly to Palestine and Pakistan. He said an example of the group's charity is the $1 million they recently sent to the earthquake victims in Pakistan. Elhady said he was shocked and angry when the US Treasury Department padlocked KindHearts' Toledo headquarters. "When this news came, we felt so bad and really everybody's reaction is this ... just absolutely has no legal basis to it," he said. Elhady also told News 11 he believes KindHearts is being punished for political reasons because Hamas won elections in Palestine last month. He said, "Closing the organization and stopping the funds, I mean, they're hurting the poor people. They're not hurting anybody else." Elhady said KindHearts will fight to re-open, and he tells News 11 the organization can prove it's not funding terrorists. "We have receipts of everything, where every penny is going up to the last person, the orphan or the needy. We have receipts of everything we're buying." Oregon resident John Shousher donated $50 to KindHearts in 2005, showing News 11 a tax receipt. Shousher watched the KindHearts investigation unfold while viewing Arabic satellite television news programs at his home. "It's all legal. As a Muslim, we're supposed to donate part of our money annually, specifically during the holiday Ramadan, the pilgrimage celebration," said Shousher. The local Arab-American says he wants to see more proof before he believes KindHearts' alleged terrorist connection. "If they did wrong, they deserve what's coming. Why do you stop people from doing charity? It scares you. Stop you from doing your duty to God and humanity. It's not fair," said Shousher. Donors like John Shousher hope the organization is vindicated if the government turns out to be wrong. "They have frozen a lot of assets before that have no relationship with terrorism, it was released and back to normal. I hope this will do the same thing," said Shousher. "The only effect that this freezing of assets is going to have immediately is on the poor and needy individuals that count on KindHearts' kind heart in providing them with sustenance and medical supplies," said Smaili. The United States considers Hamas, now the most powerful political group in the Palestinian parliament, a terrorist group. Under Sunday's action, the government bars US citizens from doing business with KindHearts. "KindHearts is the progeny of Holy Land Foundation and Global Relief Foundation, which attempted to mask their support for terrorism behind the facade of charitable giving," Stuart Levey, Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement. KindHearts was established by Ka-Leed Smiley in 2002. Prior to that, Smiley was involved with a group called Global Relief Foundation -- a group the US Government believes was affiliated with Al-Quaida. News 11 contacted the US Treasury Department in Washington, DC, for further comment, but so far our phone call has not been returned. On the Web:
Both Mr. Smaili and Dr. Elhady said they have never heard of Usama Hamdan and have no knowledge of the reported call.
An investigation by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee of 25 U.S. Muslim charities, including KindHearts, ended last year without any charges or allegations being reported.
KindHearts was founded in Toledo in 2002 after the government shut down the three largest U.S. Muslim charities.
The Toledo-based charity, with 10 fund-raisers across the country, grew quickly, raising $2.9 million in 2002, $3.9 million in 2003, and $5.1 million in 2004. It opened branch offices in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Pakistan and was planning another one in Indonesia. Among its projects are providing school supplies to needy children, sending medicine and tents to quake victims in Pakistan, and helping hurricane victims in the southern United States.
An Islamic law called zakat requires Muslims to give to charity, but there are specific conditions for the funds. Dr. Elhady said Muslims prefer to give to Islamic charities, rather than mainstream nonprofits, because the funds are distributed in accordance with Islamic laws.
Mr. Smaili and Dr. Elhady said that because of the political climate of the post-9/11 era, KindHearts has gone out of its way to open its books to abide by all laws and guidelines. In December, he provided The Blade with copies of the 501(c)3 charity's tax records from 2002 to 2004.
Contact David Yonke at: |