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US accuses British charity of 'financing terrorism'
A British charity has been accused by the American government of financing Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. The Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA), which is based in Birmingham and provides aid for orphanages and water wells in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been designated by the United States treasury as being part of a network of "terrorist" charities that have allegedly "provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to Osama bin Laden"."... Let's call it the: Islamic Relief Agency" "Islamic Relief Agency? Won't that give it the initials IRA?" "I suppose so. Something wrong with that?" "IRA ... the Irish terrorists! Already been taken..." "Oh. I can see your point. Might confuse. Hmm. Mmm. Hey! I know, let's add an extra letter - say the 's' from Islamic!" "... To give ISRA! Genius! Nothing wrong with that, is there?" "None at all. Good Muslim name if ever I heard one." "Let's call the London branch ISRA-L." The Telegraph has also discovered that Yusuf Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens who was refused entry to America last September because his name was on a security watch list, has previously donated thousands of pounds to the Birmingham charity. The reason for his exclusion has never been publicly revealed, but last night American officials indicated that the entertainer's funding of the ISRA was one of the reasons for him being banned. Mr Islam has always denied financing terrorism. British security services are now investigating the finances of the charity, which last year reported an income of £479,000, and are under pressure from the Americans to freeze the charity's bank accounts. The concern about the British charity's activities is disclosed in documents published by the US Treasury's office of public affairs. It states that a charity called the Islamic African Relief Agency (IARA), which has its headquarters in the Sudan "was co-founded and financed by Osama bin Laden and is the precursor organisation of al-Qaeda". It says that this charity is linked with, or has interchangeable names, with a number of other charities, including the ISRA in Britain. The US treasury has frozen the assets of the American branch of the IARA, making it a criminal offence for anyone to supply money to any of its offices, and is attempting to persuade other governments to do likewise with branches of IARA and ISRA in their countries. David Summers, the executive director of the ISRA, whose office is above a tatty second-hand clothes shop run by the charity on a Birmingham high street, said that he was aware of the accusations, but denied any involvement with terrorist organisations. He said that although his charity acts "autonomously", it has had recent financial links with the American branch and others. He had now severed all contact, however, because of the action by the American authorities, even though he thought it "very unlikely" that any of them were involved in terrorism. Mr Summers said: "The first we knew of this was Edin Jahic, 35, a trustee of the charity, confirmed that Yusuf Islam had donated "several thousand pounds" about nine years ago, but said that he had not had any contact with them since. Mr Islam, 56, who changed his name when he converted to Islam in the 1970s after a successful pop music career, was detained overnight and then deported by FBI officers five months ago when his flight from London to Washington was diverted to Maine. An official from the American department of Homeland Security, said: "Mr Islam was barred from the US for making financial contributions to charities with known links to terrorism." Neither Mr Islam nor the Islamic African Relief Agency could be contacted for comment. Some snipping. More at the link. Posted by: Bulldog 2005-02-13 |
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