Terrorism Task Force Raids Muslim Charity, Making Ramadan Giving Problematic

On Sept.18, federal agents raided the office of a Michigan-based Muslim charity. Agents from the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) seized files, cabinets, computers, and copied documents from the headquarters of Life for Relief and Development, a humanitarian relief organization. The group, founded in 1992, has been active in sending aid to Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Dubai, Syria, Sierra Leone, and Israel and is one of the largest American Muslim aid groups. Organization officials are cooperating with the investigation, which federal agents claim is not related to terrorism, but to tax issues, despite the raid being coordinated by a terrorism task force. The federal agents searched five locations, including the group's headquarters, its accountant's offices, the homes of board member Muhahid Al-Fayadh and executive officer Khalil Jassemm, and the home of fundraiser Shakir Abdul-Kaf Hamoodi in Columbia, MO. In addition, searches were carried out at the Dearborn, MI home of Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a former employee of Life for Relief and Development who founded another group; Focus on American & Arab Interests and Relations, a lobbying and consulting group focused on American-Iraqi relations. Federal agents told counsel for Life for Relief that the investigation, run out of the Justice Department in Washington, is related to tax issues, not terrorism. According to The Detroit News, the warrants were obtained from federal courts and sealed, but an FBI agent said it is a criminal investigation. Investigators are apparently concerned that the group's aid to Iraq violated U.S. sanctions before 2003. According to the Columbia Daily Tribune, a charity spokesperson maintains that the aid was sent with authorization under a special license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, allowing them to legally send money to Jordan, where food and medicine were purchased and then shipped to Iraq. The director of public affairs for the Treasury Department agreed that licenses allowing groups to deliver food were issued, but said "the federal Trade Secrets Act barred her from saying which organizations had those licenses." Life for Relief and Development was founded by Iraqi American professionals after the first Gulf War and has earned a solid reputation. According to its website www.lifeusa.org, the organization is a member of the well regarded American Council for Voluntary International Action (InterAction) and, in its 15 years of operation, has provided over $50 million dollars in humanitarian assistance to some 13 million beneficiaries worldwide. Its efforts include orphan programs, medical assistance and drinking water infrastructure and schools in Iraq. The group also helped to fund a 2002 trip to Baghdad by three members of Congress opposed to the war. The timing of the investigation is troublesome. The holy month of Ramadan began on Sept. 23, and during this time donations are typically at their highest because of zakat, a practice of giving to good causes that is a religious requirement for Muslims. The organization worries that donors will hesitate to make any financial contributions because of the investigation. In a statement, Life for Relief & Development has emphasized that the investigation has nothing to do with terrorism and that the organization continues to operate. The investigation raises serious questions about the motives of federal authorities. In addition to its timing at the start of Ramadan, why the investigation required the use of the terrorism task force to conduct searches is unclear. Statements by the FBI that the searches are related to tax issues are not consistent with raids by JTTF. However, JTTF's presence is consistent with a pattern of government spying on anti-war groups by JTTF personnel, which has been well documented by the ACLU. Speculation that a retaliatory motive exists is further reinforced by the search carried out at the residence of war critic Shakir Hammodi, an active, well-known member of the Muslim community in Columbia, MO. There, on Sept. 20, almost 100 religious leaders, peace activists, and community members came together to condemn the FBI investigation and support Hamoodi. An editorial in the Columbia Daily Tribune noted that local Muslims were told "the Friday before Monday's raid that any large contributor to a suspect agency might be questioned" and further observes, "Where the government crosses the line is when agents have staged high-profile raids and then leave the suspects twisting in the wind." While it has only been reported on in Michigan and Missouri, the investigation has national implications. The outcome of the FBI investigation, the group's ability to deliver aid during the investigation, the impact on donations and its reputation all remain unclear. What is certain, though, is that the situation will contribute to the overall state of apprehension between Muslim charities and the federal government.
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