FOCA Expresses Need for Dialogue

Submits Written Testimony in Senate Judiciary Hearing on US-Saudi

November 8, 2005

Washington, DC—The Friends of Charities Association (FOCA), a trade association based in Saudi Arabia of leading faith-based charities, addressed key points before today’s Senate Judiciary Committee on “Saudi Arabia: Friend or Foe in the War on Terror” through the attached written testimony submitted for the record.

FOCA was created in January 2004 with the goal of implementing best practices, accountability and transparency among its members. As part of that effort, FOCA has sought to engage with law enforcement officials, policy makers, and the media in order to address allegations of charities and terror finance.

Since its creation, FOCA’s members have reached out to US law enforcement officials with an offer to allow them to inspect records and question charity employees or officers regarding specific allegations of wrong-doing. Yet officials from Treasury, FBI and other agencies have not taken FOCA up on its offer. “Notwithstanding strong bilateral cooperation among US and Saudi authorities on terror finance, there is an inherent value in having charities engaged with law enforcement,” stated FOCA spokesman Wendell Belew. “If the goal of our respective governments is as they claim, namely, to preserve and perfect faith-based charities in the Kingdom and the Muslim world, there is really no other way than cooperation and information sharing to identify and correct problems,” added Belew.

Steps taken by US and Saudi law enforcement agencies run the risk of unintended consequences. Dr. Saleh Al-Wohaiby, Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, was quoted recently in the Kuwait Times that Saudi charities have been stifled by the post-September 11 clampdown and donors have resorted to unregulated channels to give money. “Donors will come to WAMY and find it is too slow. So the only solution for them is to find a young man to go to (Niger or Pakistan) and buy tents for people,” stated Al-Wohaiby.

In the context of the Saudi Arabia Accountability Act, FOCA seeks to raise awareness of various misconceptions contained in the legislation and offers itself as a resource to members of Congress and their staff to have an accurate perspective on the matters at hand.

FOCA appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony to the Judiciary Committee and looks forward to advancing the dialogue on behalf of its members with law enforcement officials and other stakeholders in the area of international humanitarian work.

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