Police raid on Muslim charity

Richard Kerbaj | July 25, 2008

A SYDNEY charity that admitted channelling aid through an Islamic organisation banned in Australia for its alleged terror links was yesterday raided by the federal police.

It was also attacked by one of its directors for failing to scrap a fundraising appeal that has been under investigation.

AFP and NSW Police counter-terrorism agents seized computer files and financial records from Muslim Aid Australia's headquarters in Lakemba, Sydney's Muslim heartland, during a seven-hour raid.

The police action was prompted by The Australian's revelations this month about the charity's connection to Interpal, a humanitarian network proscribed by Australia and the US.

British-based Interpal, also known as the Palestinian Relief and Development Fund, has been cleared by the British Charity Commission of terror links, but failed three years ago to have its proscribed status revoked by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

MAA executive director Mohammed Taha Alsalami, who was interviewed by the AFP, said last night he was shocked that his organisation had failed to pull from its website a fundraising appeal that links its charity work to Interpal.

When told by The Australian of the "Gaza Crisis" appeal banner still bearing the logo of MAA and Interpal, Dr Alsalami said it was wrong to persist with the fundraiser.

"It's a shock that it's still there," said the former member of the Howard government's Muslim reference group.

"It shouldn't have been there in the first place. This whole matter is very sensitive now."

Dr Alsalami said he expected MAA staff - including executive director Iman Partoredjo, who is believed to be in Saudi Arabia on a pilgrimage - to co-operate with the authorities.

He confirmed the AFP had already interviewed many of MAA's staff members.

"We have to abide by the law, and there's no question about that," he said.

"If there was any wrongdoing it should appear."

Dr Alsalami, one of five MAA board members, maintained he had little to do with the day-to-day operations of his group. He refused to say whether he was considering stepping down from his role.

In a series of reports this month, The Australian revealed that MAA had admitted distributing aid in the Palestinian Territories through Interpal, which was banned by then foreign minister Alexander Downer in 2003, three months after it was proscribed by the US for being "part of a web of charities".

It was suspected of raising funds and co-ordinating fundraisers on behalf of the Palestinian organisation Hamas.

Mr Downer added Interpal on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Consolidated List, which names banned groups and people.

It is a criminal offence under the Charter of the United Nations Act for Australian individuals or organisations to deal with groups identified by DFAT's Consolidated List.

Breaching the act can result in a maximum 10-year prison sentence and fines of more than $275,000 for individuals andmore than $1.1 million for organisations.

The Australian Council for International Development, the charity-industry body, launched an investigation into MAA after Mr Partoredjo, retracted an earlier admission to The Australian about working with Interpal.

ACFID's executive director Paul O'Callaghan said last night that his body was still investigating MAA.

The NSW Government, through its Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, is also investigating MAA.

Source: The Australian

Shariah Financing by HAMAS and who maintains their terror support system by Islamic finance

The war on financing terrorism: Defense Minister Ehud Barak signed an order outlawing 36 global “Union of Good” Islamic funds which raise money for Hamas institutions in the Palestinian Authority-administered territories. The money supports Hamas in building a political alternative to the PA and maintain a terrorism-supporting system.

Above: part of a document seized by the IDF in Operation Defensive Shield (2002): the Union of Good table lists the names of suicide bombers who carried out mass-casualty attacks against the Israeli population. The document was used for arranging payments to the terrorists’ families through the Hamas-affiliated Islamic “charitable society” Al-Tadhamun in Nablus...

Overview

1. Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak recently signed an order declaring 36 global Islamic funds and foundations as illegal associations. These belong to an umbrella organization called the Union of Good (See the Appendix for a list of the Islamic funds and foundations and the text of the order). They were outlawed as belonging to Hamas's fund-raising system, which supports the extensive activities of its civilian infrastructure (the da'wah ) in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. The funds transfer tens of millions of dollars a year to Hamas institutions in the PA-administered territories. Based on an Israel Security Agency report, in 2007 approximately $120,000,000 was transferred to Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip to finance terrorist organization activity, about 30% of which was earmarked for financing Hamas's da'wah.

2. Outlawing the foundations was the most comprehensive and extensive action ever taken by Israel against the global network supporting Hamas. The order is the latest in a series outlawing the Union of Good and Islamic funds and foundations belonging to it and institutions affiliated with Hamas. Some of the institutions included in previous orders were the British Interpal, the European branches of the Al-Aqsa, the American Holy Land Foundation, the Saudi Arabian World Assembly of Muslim Youth, and others in France, Holland, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. According to the ISA report, "without a doubt the comprehensiveness of order is significant, and will it obligate the banking and financial systems in Israel and abroad to coordinate their actions and take extreme care to avoid prosecution in criminal and civil suits filed by victims of terrorism..." Read more ...)

Source: Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC)
H/T: Shariah Finance Watch

Charity used 'terror' group to distribute aid in Gaza

Richard Kerbaj | July 02, 2008

A SYDNEY charity has admitted channelling aid into the Palestinian territories through an Islamic organisation banned by Australia and the US for its alleged links to terrorism.

Muslim Aid Australia has used Interpal - an organisation proscribed by former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer and declared a "specially designated global terrorist" organisation by US President George W. Bush in 2003 - to distribute medical aid in Gaza.

Interpal is a British-based humanitarian group also known as the Palestinian Relief and Development Fund. It has been cleared of terror links by the British Charity Commission but failed three years ago to have itsproscribed listing revoked in Australia, when lawyers for the group unsuccessfully petitioned Mr Downer.

When informed of MAA's relationship with Interpal, the Department of Foreign Affairs indicated it might refer the case for investigation. The Australian Federal Police last night refused to confirm or deny whether inquiries were already under way.

It is a criminal offence under the Charter of the United Nations Act for Australian individuals or organisations to deal with groups identified by DFAT's Consolidated List, which names banned groups and people. Breaching the act can result in a maximum 10-year prison sentence and fines of more than $275,000 for individuals and more than $1.1million for organisations, DFAT says.

Interpal was accused by the US Treasury Department in 2003 of using its global humanitarian missions as a "cover" for generating money on behalf of the Palestinian terror group Hamas. It has previously denied links to Hamas. A spokesperson for Interpal failed to return calls from The Australian or respond to a list of emailed questions.

MAA executive director Iman Partoredjo issued a statement admitting to using Interpal to deliver medical aid to the Palestinian territories earlier this year to negotiate the Israeli Defence Force's "protracted border closures" of Gaza.

"Tight control over trans-shipping of aid by the IDF saw our medical aid items delivered and distributed by those able to be 'on the ground', such as UN agencies and local NGOs, eg United National Relief and Work Agency ... Interpal, Families Relief, etc," the statement reads.

MAA is a non-profit company and registered charity based in Haldon Street, Lakemba, in Sydney's west. It has five principal directors: Indonesian-born Mr Partoredjo, Iraqi-born Mohammed Taha Alsalami, Indian-born Riyaad Ahmed, Australian-born Anjum Rafiqi, and Hassan Vakili, born in Iran.

Dr Alsalami, a former member of John Howard's Muslim Community Reference Group, last night told The Australian he was not aware that Interpal was a proscribed organisation or that MAA had used Interpal to distribute aid.

"I am just amazed. How can any Australian-registered organisation deal with anyone you know who is not popular or banned by Australia?" he said.

Dr Alsalami said he was not aware of MAA's "day-to-day" operations but defended MAA, saying the body would not have been aware that Interpal was banned in Australia. "If I am aware I would object to that, of course," he said.

In its most recent newsletter, MAA said it had delivered almost $800,000 in "direct aid" to 42,000 people in Gaza for food and other necessities.

In a fundraising advertisement for the Emergency Appeal Gaza Crises that appeared on MAA's website as recently as last night, Interpal's logo is displayed below the emblems of MAA and Muslim Aid (UK). An internal news memo on Muslim Aid UK's website discusses the connection between Interpal and MAA.

"Working in partnership with Interpal, Muslim Aid and Muslim Aid Australia is asking you to make a difference to the lives of those isolated from the world by the conflict," the web page says.

"We urgently need help in raising pound stg. 5million for Palestine - for food, fuel and medical supplies."

Interpal describes itself as a "non-political, non-profits-making British charity that works with international funding and partners and partners on the ground to provide relief and development aid to Palestinians".

It was twice investigated and cleared by the British Charity Commission - in 1996 and 2003 - of any links to terrorism.

Yet in Australia, organisations and individuals named on DFAT's Consolidated List are considered to be associated with terrorism under UN Security Council Resolution 1373.

While Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith could not be contacted for comment, a DFAT spokeswoman said Australia was obliged under the UN Resolution to "prevent terrorist financing and freeze terrorist assets".

It is also a criminal offence to "directly or indirectly make assets available to a proscribed person or entity", she said.

Mr Downer added Interpal to DFAT's Consolidated List on November 21, 2003, three months after the US Bush administration proscribed the British-based body after deeming it a "part of a web of charities" raising funds and co-ordinating fundraisers on behalf of Hamas.

The US Treasury Department revealed on August 22, 2003, that Interpal "has been a principal charity utilised to hide the flow of money to Hamas".

"Interpal is the fundraising co-ordinator of Hamas."

According to the US Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list, dated last month, Interpal is known by13 other names, including al-Sanduq Al-Filistini Lil-Ighatha and the Welfare and Development Fund of Palestine.

Source: The Australian