Saturday, January 12, 2008

Three leaders of Islamic charity convicted of duping U.S. government into getting tax-exempt status by hiding group's pro-jihad activities

Note the Useful Idiots at the end of the article. War Is Deceit Update: "3 Men Convicted In Muslim Charity Probe: Prosecutors: Care International Was Pro-Jihad," from AP (thanks to Jeffrey Imm): BOSTON -- Three former leaders of an Islamic charity were convicted Friday of duping the U.S. government into getting tax-exempt status by hiding the group's pro-jihad activities.

Care International Inc., which is now defunct, described its mission as helping war orphans, widows and refugees in Muslim nations. But prosecutors said the organization also distributed a newsletter promoting jihad and supported Muslim militants involved in armed conflicts around the world.

Emadeddin Muntasser, the founder of Care International; Muhammed Mubayyid, the group's former treasurer; and Samir Al-Monla, the president of Care from 1996 to 1998, were charged with tax code violations, making false statements and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

After a two-month trial and more than two weeks of deliberations, a federal jury found them guilty on all counts, except a false statements count on which Al-Monla was acquitted. Each of the charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Kenneth Wainstein, an assistant attorney general for national security in Washington, called Friday's verdict "a milestone in our efforts against those who conceal their support for extremist causes behind the veil of humanitarianism."

Wainstein said the case "serves notice that we will not tolerate the use of charities as a means of promoting terrorism."

[...]

Prosecutors alleged that Care was raising money to support mujahideen, defined in the indictment as "Muslim holy warriors," and that it published the pro-jihadist newsletter called "al-Hussam," which means "The Sword" in Arabic.

Prosecutors acknowledged Care did some legitimate charity work, but said the group concealed non-charitable activities from the government. Specifically, prosecutors said the men did not tell the government it supported mujahideen in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Pakistan and other countries. Care also used a portion of its donations to publish an English translation of "Join the Caravan," a pro-jihad book.

Harvey Silverglate, a prominent Cambridge civil rights attorney, and Susan Estrich, the former presidential campaign manager for Gov. Michael Dukakis who is now a professor at the University of Southern California Law School, also had argued that Care's activities were protected by the First Amendment.

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