Friday, March 29, 2024

Qatar Charity with alleged links to Al-Qaeda funds millions to Islamists in India

A Qatar-based Eid Charity, flagged by the United Nations Security Council for links to Al-Qaeda, has sent almost Rs 60 crores to almost eight Islamist organisations in India. 

According to a report published in The Guardian by Usanas Foundation, it has been revealed that Eid Charity has been funding millions of dollars to organisations associated with the Wahhabi school of thought since 2008-2009.

The U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned Al-Rahman al-Nu’aymi, one of the founders of Eid Charity and named him as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGTs) in December 2013 for providing financial support to Al-Qaeda, Lebanon-based Asbat Al-Ansar, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and Al-Shabab. 

As a chief al-Qaeda financier, Nu’aymi has also sent millions of dollars from primarily Qatari-based donors to al-Qaeda affiliates in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and Iraq. In October 2014, he was dubbed as “one of the world’s most prolific terrorist financiers.”

A Kerala-based organisation, Salafi Charitable Trust Narikkuni, received the largest chunk of the funds, involving around USD 4.9 million between 2008-17, from Eid Charity. 

The funds are externally used for projects directly linked to the Muslim community, including building supporting mosques, however, internally these organisation allegedly work to promote extremist and radicalisation environment in India. 

The Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Al Thani Foundation for Humanitarian Services or RAF, another Qatar based organisation has also been sending funds to Salafi. It is noteworthy that Arab Nations had banned RAF in 2017 for its involvement in funding terrorist organisations. 

Another Kerala based organisation named Al Safa Educational, Industrial and Islamic Charitable Society has also received funds from Eid Charity.  Maulana Sheikh Meraj Rabbani, who was also arrested in 2010 over hate speech against other Muslim sects, runs the Al Safa charitable trust. 

Apart from Salafi and Al Safa, Symposium Educational Charitable Society of Uttar Pradesh has received maximum funding from Eid Charity. While the organisation has no presence in the public domain, it has received over USD 2.01 million from Eid charity. 

The investigation also revealed that the funds transferred to these organisations were sent using ghost individuals and shell organisations in order to escape the scrutiny of law enforcement agencies and tax regulatory bodies.

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