PHILADELPHIA – Oct 18, 2018 – Following the Middle East Forum’s exposé of a possible criminal investigation into Islamic Relief, the recipient of at to the lowest degree $700,000 inwards U.S. taxpayer funding, 7 members of Congress convey demanded answers from the federal government. Islamic Relief is the largest Islamic charity inwards the West, amongst branches inwards to a greater extent than than xx countries. Founded yesteryear students affiliated amongst the Muslim Brotherhood, it has received at to the lowest degree $80 meg from Western governments in addition to international bodies. Citing an “extensive report yesteryear the Middle East Forum,” representatives Ted Budd, Chuck Fleischmann, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Debbie Lesko, Barry Loudermilk, in addition to Walter Jones issued a alphabetic lineament to the directors of the FBI, IRS, in addition to Office of Personnel Management (OPM):
As members of the legislative branch, nosotros convey a vital role inwards ensuring taxpayer coin is spent wisely in addition to surely to ensure that such coin is non spent on entities that are subsidizing terrorism. If the U.S.A. Government has data suggesting criminal or extremist action yesteryear Islamic Relief, it is critically of import that Congress hold upward informed in addition to therefore nosotros tin give notice brand decisions concerning whatsoever funding that mightiness become to Islamic Relief.
That “extensive report” refers to a June 2018 MEF study on Islamic Relief’s extremism in addition to terror connections. It reveals the response from OPM to a Freedom of Information Act request:
"We are withholding the records … every bit they were compiled for police enforcement purposes in addition to their disclosure could reasonably hold upward expected to interfere amongst ongoing enforcement proceedings, by—for example—suggesting the reach of an investigation in addition to alerting potential subjects every bit to the nature of the Government’s testify in addition to strategy." (Emphasis added.)
Any criminal investigation into to Islamic Relief’s U.S. branch is probable to relate to its fiscal human relationship amongst its bring upward branch inwards the U.K, or its activities inwards the Middle East, peculiarly inwards the Gaza Strip.
For years, allegations of extremism in addition to terrorism ties convey dogged Islamic Relief:
In 2014, the United Arab Emirates designated Islamic Relief Worldwide every bit a terrorist organization, due to its links amongst trigger-happy Muslim Brotherhood elements inwards the Middle East.
In 2015, Egyptian prosecutors defendant Essam El-Haddad – a founder of Islamic Relief in addition to advisor to President Mohamed Morsi – of using Islamic Relief to fund the Muslim Brotherhood.
In 2016, the banking giant HSBC near downwards Islamic Relief’s accounts, next a similar conclusion made yesteryear UBS inwards 2012.
In 2017, the Bangladeshi authorities banned Islamic Relief from working amongst Rohingya refugees.
In 2017, the Britain Charity Commission started investigating Islamic Relief’s advertisement of extremist preachers.
“For decades, Islamic Relief has used its seat every bit a leading provider of humanitarian assist to distract from its advertisement of intolerant, extremist ideology, in addition to its links to terrorism inwards the Middle East,” said Sam Westrop, writer of the Forum report.
“Now, officials inwards countries merely about the basis are outset to empathize the dangers of Islamic Relief, its underlying ideology, in addition to its carefully-crafted duplicity. We welcome congressional involvement inwards the matter.”
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