Anti-terror laws interfering with Muslim charity: ACLU
Federal terrorism finance laws are interfering with the ability of American Muslims to give to charity as required by their faith, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Zakat, or alms giving, is one of the five pillars of Islam. But the ACLU says terrorism finance laws that were expanded after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to stop the flow of U.S. dollars to violent groups have made American Muslims afraid to give to any organization, lest it come under government suspicion and those who support it face criminal prosecution.
“Widespread intimidation of Muslim donors and the arbitrary blacklisting of charitable organizations trample on Muslims’ free exercise of religion through charitable giving and tarnish America’s reputation as a beacon of religious freedom,” said Jennifer Turner, who wrote the 164-page report, entitled “Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity.”
"Post-9/11 policies have created a climate of fear that prevents Muslims from practicing their religion, and unless the Obama administration takes action, this legacy of the Bush administration will persist."
The government has closed seven Muslim charities since Sept. 11, 2001, and two others have shut down after government raids on their offices, according to the Associated Press. In Dallas last month, a federal judge sentenced five members of the now-defunct Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development to prison after they were convicted of funneling money to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The defendants said they only gave much-needed aid to a volatile region.
Two other high-profile terrorism-financing trials, in Chicago and Florida, ended without convictions on the major counts.
President Barack Obama raised the issue during his speech this month in Cairo.
“Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together,” he said. “We must always examine the ways in which we protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That's why I'm committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat.”
