The Web site of the Institute for Middle East Democracy (IMED) has posted a report titled “UNRWA and Friends” which looks at the relationship between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and Human Appeal International (HAI). The report begins:
Human Appeal International (HAI) is a ‘British International development and relief charity’, founded in 1984. According to the United Kingdom Charity Commission, the charity’s goals are ‘The relief of poverty and sickness and the protection of good health and the advancement of education of those in need or from impoverished countries overseas and in particular Sudan, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Lebanon and Afghanistan.’ Most recently HAI has teamed up with the UN agency that deals with Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, to launch an education project in Gaza. Should we be surprised that a United Nations body is taking part in a joint venture with a charity the USA has deemed complicit with terrorism? Human Appeal International is accused of a number of Hamas connections. In 2005, Hamas openly admitted receipt of funds from HAI on their website. Later that year, HAI was named on the charge sheet against Ahmed Saltana – a Hamas activist from Jenin, and head of the Jenin Zakat Committee – who was imprisoned after being found guilty of providing some £6.2 million of funds to Hamas suicide bombers and their families in order to glorify their actions. Saltana has previously been involved in transferring bomb making materials in 1992, a car bombing in Jerusalem’s Sbarro Restaurant in 1993, and recruiting young men working for his charity committee into Hamas. This is not the first time Human Appeal International has been accused of funding terrorist actions: a 1996 CIA report identified Human Appeal International as one of a number of Islamic charities used as conduits for funds to terrorist organizations, and tied it to the Saudi-based Muwafaq, an Al-Qaeda front group. Not only is Human Appeal International accused of transferring funds to Hamas; but here in Europe, it also has close relations with extremists who openly support Hamas. One of the Human Appeal’s current trustees is Dr. Nooh al Kaddo, who also serves as the executive director of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI), and is a member of the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe. Both of these are considered to be part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s European network, with the ICCI hosting the European Council for Fatwa and Research, which is headed by the notorious anti-Semitic hate preacher Yusuf Al-Qaradawi. Qaradawi is a supporter of suicide bombings in Israel.
Read the rest here.
A 2009 NEFA Foundation report identifies HAI UK as a part of the Union of Good, the coalition of charities headed by Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi that raises money for Hamas:
The U.K. branch of Human Appeal International (HAI) has been a member of the UG since the UG’s 2001 inception, and an HAI web page says that it was one of a “group of international charities” that collaborated in launching the original UG 101 Days Campaign. HAIUK was listed on a recent UG webpage as a member organization.
The NEFA report goes on to identify the leadership, activities, and Global Muslim Brotherhood ties of HAI UK.