Faisal Kutty and Marc Duguay deny that Benevolence International and Human Concern International could be linked to terrorism

Source: Canadian Press NewsWire, October 2, 2001

Excerpt about Benevolence International Foundation:

A Muslim charitable group with a new office in southern Ontario adamantly denied newspaper reports suggesting it has ties to terrorists.

Faisal Kutty, a lawyer for the Canadian arm of the group, called Benevolence International Fund Canada, says the New York Times’ source is wrong.

“It’s totally false allegations,” he said in an interview Monday, adding he was not aware of any investigations into the organization’s activities in Canada or the United States.

The Benevolence International Foundation, which has an office in Illinois, is a purely humanitarian organization, he says.

[…] The Times reported Monday that the Benevolence International Foundation has repeatedly glorified martyrdom by Muslims in pursuit of a holy war or jihad against the western world.

Kutty said the American commentator, Steve Emerson, who the newspaper cites as a source in the accusations lacks credibility.

“I think he has an agenda and I don’t see any need to respond to him,” he said.

[…] But Kutty said the idea that terrorists would use his charity to raise money for illegal activity was “ridiculous.”

“If these terrorists want to get money, they have ways of doing it illegally,” he said.

Kutty said the foundation operates in co-operation with local governments in needy areas to help people harmed by war or natural disaster.

Statements by the organization’s representatives, as well as videos and written information distributed by it, glorify martyrdom by Muslims in pursuit of jihad or holy way, say observers.

But Kutty said while he hasn’t seen the videos, he thinks the sentiment is being misread.

“Whether Muslim or non-Muslim … giving life for the sake of helping people is very positive,” he said calling the firefighters who died in New York martyrs.

The fund has just begun to establish itself in Ontario, recently opening an office in Waterloo, Ont. It has registered as a non-profit group, and Kutty said the fledgling group is working towards becoming a registered charity.

“I hope Revenue Canada doesn’t use this kind of false allegation to deny us charitable status,” he said.

Excerpt about Human Concern International:

And an official with another Canadian aid organization says he’s flabbergasted his organization may be on the U.S. list of groups that fund terrorists, the National Post reported Tuesday.

Marc Duguay, a lawyer representing Human Concern International, an Ottawa-based charity, said neither he nor the organization were aware of potential financial sanctions in the United States.

“They’re flabbergasted if it is true,” said Marc Duguay. “And I would be completely shocked myself.”

HCI has received $300,000 from the Canadian International Development Agency, and distributed $20 million in aid since its formation in 1980.

However, it has faced allegations that its regional director in Pakistan funnelled money through the aid agency to pay for a 1995 bomb attack at the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad that killed 17, the Post reported. The official was released from jail in Pakistan and not charged, said Duguay.

ORIGINAL TITLE: Ontario Muslim charitable foundation denies alleged links to terrorism

WATERLOO, Ont. (CP) – A Muslim charitable group with a new office in southern Ontario adamantly denied newspaper reports suggesting it has ties to terrorists.

Faisal Kutty, a lawyer for the Canadian arm of the group, called Benevolence International Fund Canada, says the New York Times’ source is wrong.

“It’s totally false allegations,” he said in an interview Monday, adding he was not aware of any investigations into the organization’s activities in Canada or the United States.

The Benevolence International Foundation, which has an office in Illinois, is a purely humanitarian organization, he says.

And an official with another Canadian aid organization says he’s flabbergasted his organization may be on the U.S. list of groups that fund terrorists, the National Post reported Tuesday.

Marc Duguay, a lawyer representing Human Concern International, an Ottawa-based charity, said neither he nor the organization were aware of potential financial sanctions in the United States.

“They’re flabbergasted if it is true,” said Marc Duguay. ” And I would be completely shocked myself.”

HCI has received $300,000 from the Canadian International Development Agency, and distributed $20 million in aid since its formation in 1980.

However, it has faced allegations that its regional director in Pakistan funnelled money through the aid agency to pay for a 1995 bomb attack at the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad that killed 17, the Post reported. The official was released from jail in Pakistan and not charged, said Duguay.

The Times reported Monday that the Benevolence International Foundation has repeatedly glorified martyrdom by Muslims in pursuit of a holy war or jihad against the western world.

Kutty said the American commentator, Steve Emerson, who the newspaper cites as a source in the accusations lacks credibility.

“I think he has an agenda and I don’t see any need to respond to him,” he said.

The paper said unnamed federal officials in the United States have recommended the foundation be included among 27 individuals and organizations whose assets have been frozen due to suspected links to Osama bin Laden, the chief suspect behind the deadly attacks in the U.S.

U.S. officials tracking bin Laden’s al-Qaida network say they have found a sophisticated financial infrastructure that stretches from the United Arab Emirates to Europe to Indonesia and uses mechanisms including charitable organizations to raise money and move it around the globe.

But Kutty said the idea that terrorists would use his charity to raise money for illegal activity was “ridiculous.”

“If these terrorists want to get money, they have ways of doing it illegally,” he said.

Kutty said the foundation operates in co-operation with local governments in needy areas to help people harmed by war or natural disaster.

Statements by the organization’s representatives, as well as videos and written information distributed by it, glorify martyrdom by Muslims in pursuit of jihad or holy way, say observers.

But Kutty said while he hasn’t seen the videos, he thinks the sentiment is being misread.

“Whether Muslim or non-Muslim … giving life for the sake of helping people is very positive,” he said calling the firefighters who died in New York martyrs.

The fund has just begun to establish itself in Ontario, recently opening an office in Waterloo, Ont. It has registered as a non-profit group, and Kutty said the fledgling group is working towards becoming a registered charity.

“I hope Revenue Canada doesn’t use this kind of false allegation to deny us charitable status,” he said.

Ottawa is currently pushing through a bill that would strip charitable status from groups identified with funding terrorism.

It is also considering putting together an omnibus anti-terrorism bill that would define terrorist organizations, list banned groups and criminalize terrorist activity and fundraising.

In a release issued Monday the group said it was among the first agencies to respond to the events of Sept. 11, “by encouraging and organizing doctors and other medical personnel from among our volunteers in the New York area to provide aid and assistance to victims of this atrocity.”

The group raised almost $2.2 million in the United States last year, according to its financial statements.

Several local Muslims and officials from other relief agencies, including the Waterloo Region branch of the Red Cross, said they had never even heard of the organization or its Waterloo office before the media reports.

Mohamed Elmasry, national president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, said most fund-raising in the country’s Muslim community is done through mosque-based, grassroots campaigns.

And while he admitted he has no idea if BIF has anything to hide, he said he is worried premature reports might jeopardize legitimate charitable causes.

“It is unfortunate that people who are innocent – whether organizations or individuals – will pay the price of names being made public in connection to terrorist activities,” said Elmasry, a professor at the University of Waterloo.

Staff Sgt. Dan Anderson, spokesman for Waterloo regional police, would not say whether police are looking into the Waterloo-based group.

He said local police had been in contact with other police organizations, but refused to name them.

“There are ongoing discussions with federal authorities. We are not prepared to discuss any information regarding current investigations,” he said.

Anderson would not say whether the federal authorities are the RCMP or Canadian Security Intelligence Service.