Muslims Say Charity is Pinched by U.S. Oversight

c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly LOS ANGELES _ Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region is one of the most desolate and dangerous places on earth, as Anwar Khan of Islamic Relief USA knows all too well. His group is one of the few charities working inside Darfur’s teeming refugee camps. For Khan, such work is a […]

c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

LOS ANGELES _ Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region is one of the most desolate and dangerous places on earth, as Anwar Khan of Islamic Relief USA knows all too well. His group is one of the few charities working inside Darfur’s teeming refugee camps.

For Khan, such work is a way to live out his faith.


“To us, the way that you see a Muslim is not by the size of his beard or the clothes _ it’s not a fashion statement,” Khan told Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. “It’s helping others to make this world a better place.”

But for Muslims, doing charity work has become much more complicated.

In the wake of 9/11, many Islamic groups say they’ve been unfairly targeted in Washington’s war on terrorism. Several Muslim charities have been shut down because of alleged links to groups the U.S. considers terrorists. There is a lot of fear among potential donors that they could come under suspicion as well.

“I think a lot of people have fears about giving,” said Salam Al-Marayati of the Muslim Public Affairs Council here. “And I think it’s justifiable.”

Muslim leaders say the situation is putting new constraints on one of the most basic obligations of their faith _ helping the needy. Charitable giving, known as zakat, is one of Islam’s five pillars. Under the laws of zakat, Muslims must give 2.5 percent of their yearly income and total assets, after their basic needs have been met.

“Like in many of the churches, you have to give a certain percentage of your income to the church _ the zakat is a tithe,” Khan said. “It’s an obligation to give back to God. But you’re not giving just to him, you’re giving actually to the needy.”

According to the Quran, there are specific categories of people who should receive the money. In some Muslim countries, the government automatically deducts zakat from people’s bank accounts to use for state-sponsored welfare work.

Charity is especially important during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims believe they get extra rewards in this life and the next.

“Any act of worship we do, any good action we do in Ramadan, we have been told we will receive 70 to infinite times the number of reward,” Khan said. “So, if I smile at you, that’s a form of charity. But if I do it in Ramadan, I get 70 times the reward. It’s the blessed month.”


Khan said Ramadan is a good time of year for humanitarian groups like his.

“In Ramadan, people want to come and they want to give us money,” he said. “The rest of the year, we have to go to them and say, `Hey, hey, hey. People still have to eat.”’

Islamic Relief USA is affiliated with the British-based Islamic Relief Worldwide. It is the largest Muslim charity in America, with projects at home and abroad. The group, like others, has come under increased monitoring from the U.S. government.

Since 9/11, the Treasury Department has stepped up investigations of Muslim charities, and officials say links have been found to terrorist groups including Hamas, al-Qaida and Hezbollah.

“These organizations are, quite frankly, taking advantage of the impulses of the American Muslim community,” said Daniel Glaser, the Treasury Department’s deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes.

One of the most prominent Muslim nonprofits, the Holy Land Foundation, was shut down by the government in December 2001, and all of its assets frozen. The group and its leaders are now on trial in Texas. Five other Muslim groups have also been designated as supporters of terrorism.

Glaser said charities are uniquely suited to be exploited by terrorists.

“They deal in raising money and moving (it) across borders often,” Glaser said. “They often deal in cash. They have perfectly legitimate reasons to be in conflict regions and post-disaster regions. So for a terrorist organization they provide a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of.”


Al-Marayati said the increased scrutiny _ while “understandable” _ has provoked deep concern within the American Muslim community.

“The question is, can we allow for a safe harbor for Muslim charities to operate under without the fear of getting harassed, targeted, and shut down by the U.S. government?”

Many Muslims believe the government has been overzealous, relying on little evidence and making very indirect connections between legitimate charity work and terrorists. There’s a widespread perception that the U.S. government wants to shut down all Muslim nonprofits.

Glaser acknowledged the government faces a “great challenge” in countering those perceptions.

“The easy answer is, of course we are not targeting Muslim charities as a whole,” he said. “Unfortunately, it is the terrorist organizations that are targeting Muslim charities.”

The Treasury Department has released a set of charitable guidelines for donors and nonprofits, and Muslim leaders are urging more dialogue between top federal officials and their communities.

“We want to develop a partnership between the Muslim community and the U.S. government,” Al-Marayati said. “Treat us as partners, not as suspects.”


KRE/RB END LAWTON

A photo of children making zakat donations is available via https://religionnews.com.

A version of this story first appeared on the PBS program Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly and is available to RNS clients.

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