FOCA Condemns Treasury Action

US Law Enforcement Spurned Offers of Cooperation

August 3, 2006

Washington, DC—The Friends of Charities Association (FOCA), a trade association of leading faith-based charities, condemned a recent Treasury Department action designating the Philippine and Indonesian branch offices of the International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia (IIROSA) “for facilitating fundraising for al-Qaida and affiliated terrorists groups.” The association cited the Department’s failure to apply the most basic standards of transparency and due process in making the designation as well as its adamant refusal to accept IIROSA’s repeated offers of cooperation.

“Unfortunately, the Treasury Department’s action further undermines American standing in the Arab and Muslim world by continuing what appears to many to be a war on Islam,” stated Wendell Belew, spokesman for FOCA. “By failing to apply such basic standards of justice as the right to see the evidence upon which an accusation is made the Treasury Department embraces the tactics that the US Supreme Court struck down in the Hamdan case as incompatible with American norms of justice.”

In support of his contention that the current designation process produces ill will in the Arab and Muslim world with gains to law enforcement, Belew pointed to a report from the respected Non-Profit Advocacy Project at OMB Watch on “Muslim Charities and the War on Terror”. The report found that “[t]here is unequal enforcement of the anti-terrorism laws” and that this [t]reatment of Muslim charities hurts, rather than helps, the war on terrorism.”

The Treasury Department’s refusal to meet with IIROSA officials over the past two and one half years creates the impression that Treasury officials are more concerned with press releases than success in its efforts to prevent the misuse of charities. “As recently as February of this year the Secretary-General of IIROSA repeated an offer of full cooperation with US law enforcement and Treasury officials,” said Belew. “He was told by a senior FBI official stationed in Saudi Arabia that US law enforcement had been ordered not to have contact with IIROSA and other charities. The FBI official also stated that US law enforcement agents in the region had recommended that the policy makers in Washington allow such contacts to take place.”

Belew asked, “How is justice served, and how are Americans protected from terrorism if law enforcement officials in the field are forbidden from speaking to groups that may have vital information and are willing to cooperate?”

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