BRIEFINGS | Muslim philanthropy |  |
Justice Department balks at identifying clean Muslim charities
What's a charitable Muslim to do? With the DOJ balking at identifying clean Islamic charities, Muslims are wary of donating this Ramadan.
By Shahed Amanullah, October 19, 2004
What's a charitable Muslim to do? Without guidelines on which Muslim charities are and are not suspected of links to terror, and with executive orders signed by the White House that criminalize donations to certain charities, American Muslims are once again holding back on charitable donations this Ramadan. This week, in response to requests from the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council and the New Jersey-based American Muslim Union for assistance in identifying Islamic charities that were free of suspicion of terrorist ties, the Justice Department called the request "impossible to fulfill." "We're not in a position to put out lists of any kind," said DOJ spokesman Bryan Sierra. "If the government knows there are charities that are misleading the American Muslim community," countered AMU lawyer Sohail Mohammed, "it's their obligation to help protect these innocent Americans." The rejection comes at a time when more Muslim charities are shutting down amid anti-terror investigations. Yesterday, the St. Louis-based Islamic American Relief Agency shut its doors in the wake of a massive FBI investigation that involved nearly half of the agencies national field offices. (Half the nations offices? Aren't there borders that need protecting?) The IARA is suspected of links to al-Qaida, despite abiding by Treasury Department "best practices" guidelines. The group joins several other charities, including the Dallas-based Holy Land Foundation and the Chicago-based Global Relief Foundation and Benevolence International, although none of the raids has led to terrorism-related criminal convictions. Muslims observing Ramadan's injunctions to donate to charity are left with local options, leaving many disappointed. "We are trying to do the right thing and we asked for a little help," said AMU president Mohamed Younes of the effort to get DOJ assistance. "At least we tried."
Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.
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Assalaamu Alaikum,
Ramadaan Mubark,
All these charties investigated and no evidence to the charges that's brought against the charities. Something don't sound right! The Justice Dept. are accusing the charities and they're investigations are false. And now the muslims do not know who to give their donations too.
I have an idea, lets give the donations to the christians, no better yet lets give it to the gov so they can allow us to write it off on our taxes. Yes, now that a real charitiable thing to do. Oh better yet lets give it to the republican or democratic parties, they would know what to do with the money. While the poor suffers and die.
The muslims in america need to stop being afraid of the government intimidation tacts, especially our foreign muslims. Stand on Quran and Sunnah and stop the disagreements among ourselves please for the sake of your Lord.
Cut those strings that the government has established and lets reunite.
Khalil
- Posted by khalil (usa) on October 20, 2004 at 11:22 AM
I think its long overdue that Christian charities associated with Bush and the evangellical terrorists should be banned from Muslim nations.
- Posted by DrDriveBy (Coony island) on October 22, 2004 at 06:29 PM
asalaamualaikum and ramadan mubarak
trying to ban muslim charities and monitoring them is all a feeble attempt by the kuffaar to try and stop islam from growing and muslims from helping each other,, islamic charities were never an issue before why now???
when we try to help out our brothers and sister in palestine by sending money to help them out with anything right away its labeled as a terrorist fund,, the fear of islam taking over is in the hearts of those who dont want it to prevail... Allahu Akbar!!
- Posted by ridhwaan (canada) on October 22, 2004 at 07:17 PM
Assalaamu Alaikum
I think that we should still give in money. I mean yeah they think that "Muslim charities are and are not suspected of links to terror". Even though thats what they think i am still giving in money, why hold back if we know it right ? I hope that this little well large problem passes quikly that way we al get back to are regular rutine. ridwaan is right why do they bring up this issue now? Okay so they terrorist stuff is going up, so ??? It not are fault!
- Posted by Rebekah on November 4, 2004 at 09:28 PM
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