Monday, February 20, 2006

Kind Hearts and Jihad Bombs

 
The Toledo Blade reports:

Federal agents padlocked a Toledo-based Muslim charity and froze its assets yesterday, citing a government investigation into possible links with Hamas terrorists. KindHearts, a $5 million-a-year charity with headquarters in West Toledo will not be able to access any of its funds or property while the investigation is under way.

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Of course, KindHearts has been under suspicion for awhile. The Militant Islam Monitor has been outing this organization for awhile, with headlines like this:

Kind Hearts for Terror : Arab American Chamber of Commerce helps 'charity' tied to Al Qaeda with Islamist fundraisers tied to Jihad recruiting

And here’s the trail they follow, from Pipes’ site in December last (have you noticed that Islamofascist news can be updated but it never really staledates? You just change names and amounts. The narrative remains the same).

I am posting this in full so you can get an idea of the convoluted connections among these groups and individuals. To cut any of it is to miss a great deal of the depth and breadth of the problem of Islamofascist-run “charities” in this country.

I believe the following is by William A. Mayer & Beila Rabinowitz, but follow the Militant Islam Monitor link (above) to pick up other sites, since I have not hyperlinked everything in this long piece:

Kind Hearts for Terror

'Charity' under law enforcement scrutiny schedules new fundraising tour in U.S. with Al Qaeda linked Jamaat Tableeghi missionary/ recruiters from abroad.

The gloating by radical Islamist organizations in the United States that a Senate Committee investigation into 26 Islamic charities is has exonerated them appears to be premature. According to an article in an Ohio paper: ".The Senate Finance Committee is done reviewing Internal Revenue Service records it requested two years ago, but that "does not mean that these groups have been cleared by the committee," chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement Tuesday.

" Grassley said the committee will continue to examine the charities' operations, reversing a statement he made two weeks ago that the committee "did not find anything alarming enough that required additional follow-up beyond what law enforcement is already doing...

According to Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the scrutiny is ongoing and one article singled out the Kind Hearts 'charity' base in Toledo Ohio as a group which is of special interest to law enforcement. The same article also mentioned another salient fact: That it was none other then Jihad Smaili, a lawyer from Cleveland who testified in front of the Senate Committee hearing. "KindHearts' lawyer, Jihad Smaili of Cleveland, said testimony before the Senate Banking Committee this summer amounted to unfair "guilt by association," he told The Plain Dealer. "

Smaili acknowledges that some of the testimony before the Senate Banking Committee raised mistakes KindHearts had made. An employee of a charity closed by the government worked for KindHearts until he was charged with conspiracy, aiding a terrorist group and money laundering.." What the article failed to mention is that Jihad Smaili is the brother of Khalid Smaili who is the director of Kind Hearts.
When journalists tried to reach Khalid Smaili for comment they were told he was in Lebanon. Which begs the question as to if he plans to come back, since Kind Hearts is simply a continuation of the Global Relief Foundation, which was closed down by the Department of Treasury for ties to Al Qaeda. A look at the Kind Hearts website shows why law enforcement might take more then a passing interest in the Toledo Ohio based charity with the warm fuzzy name.

A banner headline on the KH website (since removed) recently announced that Zulifiqar Ali Shah,(the former president of the Islamic Circle of North America / Muslim American Society,linked to Al Qaeda) and CEO of the Universal Heritage Foundation, is coordinator for the Kind Hearts South Asia Division.

Shah ran a School for Islamic Studies in Broward, which launched the terrorist career of Jose Padilla - the dirty bomber wannabe set to go on trial together with Adhan Hassoun ( the man who raised the money to send him to Jihad training camp) It is believed that Jose Padilla and Adnan Hassoun met each other as the SISB mosque.
The co founder of the school, Mohammed Javed Qureshi, who, besides his role as co founder of a Saudi backed Islamic school, also supervised the Taco Bell where Padilla (and his wife) were employed. Last year Qureshi admitted that it was him and his wife who helped the Padillas convert to Islam. Hassoun ran the office of the Benevolence International Foundation ( an Al Qaeda funding front started by the jailed Arnaam Arnout, who married a Florida woman. The BIF offices which were convienently located across the road from Qureshi's Taco Bell.

Shah was recently in Pakistan and the Kind Hearts website informs us that: "As announced by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, KindHearts fully support Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistani Governments Relief initiatives, Junaid Jumshaid Foundation, Sahara Foundation, Al-Khidmat and other NGOs who are efficient and completely transparent for the accountability of their financial transactions, their Relief Work and Development projects to alleviate suffering of the survivors of this natural disaster."

...an article entitled "Militants make mileage out of earthquake relief" revealed that the 'relief funding', was indeed literally ending up in the hands of terrorists, who were also using orphanages as recruiting grounds for new Jihadis. Not surprisingly a large part of Kind Hearts 'charity' funding goes to 'orphans'.

Numerous newspaper accounts revealed that U.S. soldiers called on to help were working side by side with terrorists from the Laskar e- Taybaa and Jammaat and it's Jamaat e Da'wa front. A manifestation of this was seen in a BBC television report, which showed that aid efforts were being hindered after confrontations broke out between Muslim aid workers and clerics who insisted that Muslim quake survivors could not be given food during Ramadan despite the life and death situation. The situation was so volatile that the workers had to promise that they would make sure the aid recipients would not break the Ramadan fast.

"...In the shattered cities and toppled villages of Pakistan's earthquake zone, a new front has opened in the "war on terrorism".

As the world played aid catch-up at the weekend, pledging US$5.8 billion ($7.9 billion) in assistance, and with the Prime Minister, John Howard, due to arrive in Islamabad today, Muslim extremist groups are basking in what Pakistani commentators say is a new-found legitimacy courtesy of their quick response to the disaster.

A stream of reports since the October 8 catastrophe, which killed more than 73,000 people and left more than 3 million homeless, suggest Islamic charities linked to extremists have taken over much of the relief effort across a wide area of northern Kashmir and adjoining areas.."

"...A prominent member of the JUD relief effort is Dr Amir Aziz Khan, arrested on suspicion of al-Qaeda links but later released.

Militants are also reportedly taking orphaned children under their wing for indoctrination in holy war in their extensive network of orphanages...."

"... All of which places the military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, in a tight spot.
His government acknowledges the JUD's good works and denies it is exploiting the disaster.

Yet visiting the region with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, on
Friday, he felt compelled to warn the victims to be wary of help from militants.
"If someone shows extremism here, you should rise up against it," he said...

Which begs the second question as to if the United States government was reluctant to go after Kind Hearts because of the support it boasts of having from NGO's and the Pakistani government, abroad, but from the U.S. based, Saudi backed, Arab American Chamber of Commerce, which lists Kind Hearts twice on their website once as a curiously named "appraiser resource" and on the business directory of their website.

Kind Hearts' South Asian coordinator Zulfiqar Ali Shah, has returned from Pakistan and is embarking on US fundraising tour for Kind Hearts together with 'two Islamist missionaries' . Saeed Anwar - who is billed as "a famous cricketer" and Junaid Jamshed, listed a a "famous personality".. Cricketeer Saeed Anwar, who was on the same team as Imran Khan (the player turned politician who started the Koran flush rumor which resulted in riots resulting in many deaths) is also connected to a group which is linked to terrorism -Tableeghi Jammat Islami an article informs us that:

"( Anwar )turned to religion and spirituality and took to the Tableeghi Jamaat (missionaries), who practise a stricter adherence to the codes of Islam than most.

Anwar's influence spread among senior players such as Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq and the group travel together regularly to Raiwind, a small town near Lahore, where the Tableeghis congregate for prayer and dialogue..". Famous personality Junaid Jamshed was a pop singer in Pakistan who may also be tied to the Tableeghi Jamaat since he " formally announced his decision to quit singing to be a full-time preacher.

Explaining his decision, he said, for years he had felt guilty of being a poor role model. Recently, he said, some young people, who had started with religious learning, had told him he had inspired them to seek careers in music.

Mr Jamshed said his family were a religious kind and that he had been the exception. He also said it had taken him nearly five years to arrive at the decision. That finally, he had listened to his heart. His family, he said, supported his decision.." Another website informs that " Junaid gave up singing a few years ago, grew a beard and joined the Tableeghi Jamaat, saying singing did not fit into his lifestyle anymore."

Zufiqar Ali Shah brings ICNA, MAS, and Al Qaeda into the Kind Hearts equation. Both Jamshed and Anwar are members of the Islamic Tableeghi Jamaat which has been described as : 'Recruiting Ground For Al Qaeda Muslim Tablighi Jamaat missionaries proclaim their apolitical views and separation from politics and political causes. Yet Al Qaeda finds the organization's associates a ripe recruiting ground for members.

According to Michael J. Heimbach , the deputy chief of the F.B.I.'s international terrorism section: "We have a significant presence of Tablighi Jamaat in the United States, and we have found that Al Qaeda used them for recruiting, now and in the past..."

The terrorist affiliations of Shah , Anwar and Jamshed are more then enough reason to close down Kind Hearts and halt their fundraising roadshow in the United States.

Adding Khalid and Jihad Smaili to the equation is further proof that Kind Hearts (aka Global Relief) is not only fundraising for terrorism - it is being run and supported by potential terrorists and Jihad recruiters in the guise of Tableeghi Jamaat preachers.

Kind Hearts has also announced that the three men will return in 2006 for more fundraising in the United States after their recent effort raised more then 1 million dollars:

"...Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, the President of KindHearts' South Asia Division, toured more than ten cities in ten days, along with Brs. Junaid Jamshed and Saeed Anwar, raising $1.5 million in checks and pledges. Donors are requested to contribute generously, so that together we can put solid, safe roofs over the heads of thousands of homeless children and families.

Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah will again be leaving for Pakistan on December 11, 2005. While there, he will visit KindHearts' ongoing projects, and expedite financial aid that is imminently required because of winter's arrival.

In March 2006, Brs. Junaid Jamshed and Saeed Anwar will return to the US, along with the Pakistani Cricket team's Vice-Captain, Mohammad Yousaf (the former Yousaf Yohanna). Thought to be the backbone of the current Pakistani Cricket team, Mohammad Yousaf recently scored the highest number of runs of his career against the visiting English Cricket team in Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

This impressive trio of celebrities will be traveling across America and Canada during March 2006 to raise funds for the Brick Houses.[emphasis, Gates of Vienna] KindHearts invites all community leaders to contact our office to obtain a program list for their visit

By singling out Kind Hearts for continued scrutiny it is clear that the Senate Committee (and the groups lawyer himself), acknowledge that KH is tied to terrorism. The question is why the government is unable and/ or unwilling to act.and is so reluctant to clarify the status of the investigation and the groups under scrutiny.

The travesty of having the brother of the director of Kind Hearts testifying in his capacity as the group's lawyer in front of the Senate Committee and admitting to what he terms "mistakes" such as money laundering and associates jailed for terrorism, shows that it is time to investigate why the government has failed to act. One can only speculate that the organisation claims of 'supporting Musharraf's efforts' and indication that they are sanctioned by the Pakistani government are intended to warn the United States not to interfere with their activities.
Which begs four obvious but urgent questions:

If Kind Hearts is known to be the new face of Global Relief which was closed down by the United States Government because of terrorism funding why hasn't the same thing happened to Kind Hearts?

Why were two 'missionaries' from Tableeghi al Jamaat, an organisation known as a recruiting grounds for Al Qaeda, allowed into the US in the first place?

How can the United States allow Zufiqar Ali Shah, the ex president of the Islamic Circle of North America, and president CEO of the Universal Heritage Foundation, who has been linked to Jose Padilla, Sheik Abdur Rahman Al Sudais and Jerusalem Mufti Ikrima Sabri, to fundraise and control millions of dollars in donations when it was recently revealed that funding for earthquake victims had found it's way to the Kashmiri separatist terrorists aligned with the Taliban and Al Qaeda?

Has Kind Hearts' director Khalid Smaili, who declined to be interviewed for an article about the terrorist funding charges directed at his 'charity' ever returned to the United States from his 'holiday' in Lebanon?

The fact that Kind Hearts is still fundraising with impunity after cloning Global Relief, (and brazenly uses the template of the GRF newsletter, which is a designated a terrorist funding entity), is epitomised by this cynical and mocking 'caveat donateur' at the bottom of their donations webpage':

"...All fraudulent translations will be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law..."

Kind Hearts must be laughing all the way to bank - and the terrorists are sharing their glee.


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Well, that was in December. Now, two months later, Kind Hearts’ assets have been frozen and their doors padlocked. Maybe it's no longer so amusing?

What is amazing is the way all these insidious people are connected to one another and when you trace the red thread allllll the way back, where do you end up?

Why, Dorothy, look! First we were in Toledo and now here we are right in downtown Riyadh! Now how do you suppose that happened?

Shut up and button your burqa, girl.


Hat Tip: Lizardoid Center--ronaldusmagnus

4 comments:

Wally Ballou said...

D - I was going to bust you for misusing the phrase "begs the question" but I realized it was in the looooong excerpt, not in your text. Shoulda known better.

Those stories that never get stale - in the newspaper biz, they are referred to as "evergreens" and editors always keep a pile of them handy to plug a hole on a slow news day.

I'm sure we could come up with a long list of always-recylable news stories.

Dymphna said...

This isn't an evergreen. It's new: KindHearts has actually been closed. Of course, it only took them two years...and when I looked at what Daniel Pipes' cohorts had put together WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS it didn't look like an evergreen to me.

It becomes deciduous when the leaves drop off and the authorities freeze the assets and lock the doors.

Naif that I am, I found the connections amongst and between these people --the biggies and their stooges -- fascinating.

Wally Ballou said...

The evergreen I was thinking of was something along these lines:

"US says Muslim charity front for terror funds - indicted leader was respected community leader - claims charges politically inspired by anti-Muslim hysteria"

You just need to change a few names and dates. It's the evergreen template.

It's interesting to note that this is a strike against Hamas - and in today's news, our disesteemed ex-president, Jimmuh "goober" Carter, came out all gooey for Hamas. As I told the Baron recently, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jimmuh start appearing on platforms with Ramsey Clark pretty soon.

Dymphna said...

Well, since *you* say Jimmuh and Ramsey are going to dance together, I believe it. I distinctly remember, when Clinton was running in the very first N.H. primary you said he was "an empty suit" but that he would win because he could hypnotize the press.

You wuz all too correct. Of course, the suit wasn't entirely empty, as we discovered from the navy blue dress. But not even Wally B. could've predicted that...I mean it being exposed, so to speak.