GENEVA,
August 26 (IslamOnline.net) - A Swiss relief organization on Tuesday,
August 26, repudiated U.S. allegations of having links with
Palestinian political parties, vowing to take legal action against the
U.S. administration recent decision to freeze its assets.
"The
Association de Secours Palestiniens (ASP) is not politically-oriented
and cooperates directly with accredited aid and relief organizations
in Palestine," ASP chairman Khaled al-Shouly told
IslamOnline.net.
The
ASP chairman charged that the American move is aimed at tightening the
grip on the Palestinian people and starving them.
He
stressed that the association would take legal action against Bush's
decision, pledging to prove that all donations made to ASP have been
through accredited banks.
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An
ASP ad to raise funds for Palestinian children
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"The
association does not have any bank accounts in the United States; the
Bush administration only wants the Swiss go-ahead to put its decision
into effect," the ASP said in a statement.
"The
association is acting according to relevant Swiss laws in its capacity
as a Swiss organization. It respects all Palestinian and Israeli laws
alike, given that cooperation with Palestinian aid organizations is
only done through Israeli channels," al-Shouly averred.
The
ASP was founded in 1993 in the Swiss city of Basel and depends on
fund-raising to finance its activities, which have to do with the
poor, orphans and sick people.
It
also provides some medical care centers with necessary medicines and
food stuffs.
The
association enjoys a good reputation among Arab and Muslim communities
in both Switzerland and France with some 2000 donators in the last
year alone in addition to dozens of volunteers.
The
Swiss government has not yet commented on the U.S. move.
Swiss
banks do not notify clients of any account freeze unless they are
making deposits or withdrawals.
A
client whose money has been blocked would then have to prove his
innocence against any charges, including terrorism-related.
The
European Union has come under mounting pressure from the Bush
administration to toe its line on Hamas and other Palestinian
resistance groups.
Israel
has also launched a diplomatic offensive to persuade European
countries to follow the U.S. and classify the political branch of
Hamas as a "terrorist organization."
E.U.
diplomats, however, said the bloc "did not have an in-depth
discussion on Hamas."
Also,
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom urged Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi Tuesday to use his country's clout to freeze the
assets of Hamas.
