International Islamic Relief Organization
The International Islamic Relief Organization, (Arabic: هيئة الإغاثة الإسلامية العالمية, also International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia, IIRO and IIROSA), is a charity based in Saudi Arabia. It is a member of The Conference of NGOs, where it serves on the board.[1] The IIRO is included in a list of some of the UNHCR's major NGO partners, which states, "Mention or omission does not imply any form of endorsement by UNHCR.".[2]
(IIRO is not to be confused with Islamic Relief - UK (IR-UK), an English NGO with offices in about 15 nations.)
Mohamed S. Omeish, the brother of Dr. Esam Omeish, is President of the US branch of IIRO.[3][4]
The United Nations has listed its branch offices in Indonesia and the Philippines as belonging to or associated with al-Qaeda.[3]
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[edit] History
The IIROSA is an affiliate of the Muslim World League (MWL). A Saudi royal decree issued on 29 January 1979 approved the decision of MWL to form IIROSA.
It is a member of the International Islamic Council for Da’wa and Relief (IICDR), has observer status at Organisation of the Islamic Conference, consultative status at United Nations Economic and Social Council[5] (ECOSOC) and links to Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) among many others.[6]
[edit] Activities
In 2003/2004 approximately US$36 million was spent on 2258 projects involving 4,586,085 recipients in 81 countries. IIROSA seven main programs received:
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- Social Welfare: US$13 million.
- Engineering Department: About US$7 million.
- Society Development and Seasonal Projects: About US$6 million.
- Emergency Relief: About US$4 million.
- Health Care: US$2 million.
- Educational Care: US$2 million.
- Qur’an Memorization: US$1 million.
It worked in projects with the World Health Organization, United Nation International Children’s Emergency Fund, United Nation High Commission for Refugees and the World Food Program.[6]
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- In 2005, IIRO provided a number of relief packages for 2004 tsunami and earthquake victims in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Thailand.
- IIRO also provided assistance to the victims of 2005 earthquake in the affected areas and regions of Pakistan which were virtually isolated and inaccessible.[7]
[edit] Claims of links to terrorist groups
At the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Steven Emerson, identified IIRO as a major radical Islamic institution, in part, "responsible for fueling Islamic militancy around the world", and, Rohan Gunaratna, Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, Singapore, stated, "... Mohammad Jamal Khalifa is the brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden. He arrived in the Philippines in 1988 and he became the first director, the founding director, of the International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia. He used the IIRO to funnel al Qaeda funds to the Abu Sayyaf group and the Moral [sic] Islamic Liberation Front."[8]
IIRO is designated by the US OFAC as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, which allows the US to block the assets of foreign individuals and entities that commit, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism.[9]
Association with IIRO has been raised by the Canadian and U.S. governments against people accused of association with terrorism. These include Mustafa Ahmed Hamlily[10], Mahmoud Jaballah[11], and Mammar Ameur[12]
The Philippine and Indonesian branches of IIRO are included on a list of proscribed individuals and entities associated with the Taliban or Al-Qaeda[3], maintained by United Nations Security Council Committee 1267. IIRO petitioned the Security Council for removal from the list in January 2010,[13] but was unsuccessful.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ 23rd CONGO General Assembly. 5–7 December 2007, Geneva.[1] retrieved 30 December 2007
- ^ A UNHCR Handbook for the Military on Humanitarian Operations 1995 retrieved 30 December 2007
- ^ a b c United Nations List of proscribed individuals and entities, accessed December 30, 2007
- ^ Infiltration: how Muslim spies and subversives have penetrated Washington, Paul E. Sperry, Thomas Nelson Inc, 2005, ISBN 1595550038, 9781595550033, accessed December 10, 2009
- ^ University of Copenhagen Islamic NGOs in Africa: The Promise and Peril of Islamic Voluntarism retrieved 30 December 2007
- ^ a b IIROSA Annual Report for the Fiscal Year 2003/2004 retrieved 30 December 2007
- ^ IIRO Assists Earthquake Victims In Pakistan. The Saudi Arabia Information Resource, 24 October 2005.
- ^ National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Public Hearing, Wednesday, July 9, 2003 retrieved 30 December 2007.
- ^ Specially Designated Global Terrorist list
- ^ Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Mustafa Ahmed Hamlily's Combatant Status Review Tribunal – pages 16–20
- ^ Jaballah admits he knew Khadr, canada.com, May 19, 2006
- ^ Summarized transcript (.pdf), from Mammar Ameur's Administrative Review Board hearing – page 230
- ^ "IIRO wants UN to remove it from terror list." (9 January 2010) Arab News
