Kuwaiti Charity Organization Threatens to Sue The US
By Abdul Rahman Saad
KUWAIT, Jan. 12 (IslamOnline) – The organization of “ Reviving the Islamic Culture” in Kuwait threatened that it will sue the U.S. for accusing them of funding terrorism and freezing their assets in Pakistan.
“The organization hired a group of lawyers to file a lawsuit against the U.S. because of its decision that marred the reputation of the organization and all the charity organizations in Kuwait,” the organization chairman, Tarek Al Eisa told IslamOnline.
Al Eisa stressed that the two people mentioned by the U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, who were responsible for the organization’s branch in Pakistan, Abu Bakr al Gezeeri and Abdul Mohsen Al Lybie are not connected with the organization.
He said that Khalili Mohamed Al Zier – a Jordanian national who lives in Kuwait – and Mansor Adam Al Ansary – a Sudanese – are only responsible for the Pakistani branch.
Al Eisa added that the organization did not receive any evidence on the U.S. accusations. He also showed his surprise at the freezing of the organization’s assets without any evidence “ How lawful is the freezing?” Al Eisa asked.
He challenged anyone to prove that the organization has any relation with terrorism or fund it by any means or that the organization pays money to orphans who not exists.
The U.S. Treasure and Commerce departments have issued a statement Thursday Dec. 10 saying that freezing the organization’s assets will be only in Pakistan and Afghanistan and does not include the head office in Kuwait.
The statement added that there was no evidence discovered until now which proves that the head office of the organization was involved in fraud incidents which the Pakistani and Afghanistan branches are being accused of.
Reviving the Islamic Culture organization has rejected last Sunday Dec. 30, any relation with terrorist attacks saying that its activities are limited to caring for orphans and providing aid for refugees in the Islamic world.
Kuwait has informed the U.S. its keenness in not announcing the incident and has promised to find a solution without inciting a media bang similar to that which appeared regarding the Islamic jihad or Islamic resistance movement Hamas or the Lebanese movement Hizbullah.
Following Sep.11 attacks many charity committees in some Gulf countries have witnessed restrictions from their respective governments. For instance, in Sep.18 the Kuwaiti government instructed the minister of Justice, the minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowment and the minister of Labor and Social affairs to put together a law that regulates and monitors charity organizations and non-profit organizations.
This law would also formulate the bases for gathering donations and aims to constrict these donations.
