Keep an Eye on the American Muslim Council John Berlau Insight Monday, December 17, 2001 Less than three weeks before President George W. Bush froze the U.S. assets of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) — a group suspected of being the largest American fund-raiser for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas — one of the most prominent Muslim advocacy groups was soliciting contributions on its behalf, Insight has learned. On Nov. 14, in an e-mail and in an "Action Alert" still on the group's Website, the American Muslim Council (AMC) urged American Muslims to give to Islamic relief organizations to aid Afghani refugees. Included in the recommended list was the HLF's Website address and telephone number. In an urgent tone, the AMC exhorted Muslims: "Your immediate response to aid our suffering brothers and sisters in this devastated country is an act of charity and compassion, which is the hallmark of our holy month of Ramadan." It then quoted the Koran, "Verily, God does not fail to reward the doers of good." Critics are outraged that, because of the AMC's appeal, some well-intentioned American Muslims may inadvertently be funding terrorists. Stephen Schwartz, author of the forthcoming Doubleday book, The Two Faces of Islam, notes that the HLF does almost all of its international relief work in the territory of the Palestinian Authority, not Afghanistan. "This seems like either a scam, or collecting money for an equally extremist group [Hamas] in Afghanistan," says Schwartz. Hamas has called for the destruction of Israel, compared Jews to monkeys and claims responsibility for suicide bombing against Israeli civilians. The New York Times also has called Hamas a conduit for funds to Osama bin Laden. Terrorism experts such as Steve Emerson have fingered the HLF for providing what they say amounts to a life-insurance policy for Hamas suicide bombers by promising to take care of their families. He testified before Congress that the Israeli government has obtained a master list of payments from a charity supported by the HLF to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. In his Rose Garden announcement last week, Bush agreed with these assessments. "Money raised by the Holy Land Foundation is used by Hamas to support schools and indoctrinate children to grow up into suicide bombers," he said, standing next to Attorney General John Ashcroft and Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. "Money raised by the Holy Land Foundation is also used by Hamas to recruit suicide bombers and support their families." But, even after Bush's edict, the AMC and other groups still stand by the HLF, which itself has issued a statement denying "allegations that it provides any financial support to terrorist groups or individuals." The AMC and other groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Society of North America, issued a joint statement asking Bush to "reconsider what we believe is an unjust and counterproductive move that can only damage America's credibility with Muslims in this country and around the world." In an interview with Insight, Faiz Rehman, communications director for the AMC, admits that some of the HLF's money does go to children of suicide bombers but says kids can't help what their parents do. "Should a family be disqualified because the children's father was a criminal or was perceived to be a criminal?" Rehman asks. "I think charity work doesn't discriminate." But Schwartz says if AMC really were interested in helping all children it should recommend reputable charities. "I'm all in favor of money for any children in need, but if the money is going through the organization that acts as a front for Hamas, it's unacceptable," he says. "The money for Palestinian children should go through recognized international relief agencies like the United Nations and the nonpolitical international relief agencies." In addition to the HLF, the AMC also urged Muslims to give to the Global Relief Foundation, another charity the New York Times has said was under scrutiny by the government for possible terrorist links, although its assets have not been seized. This isn't the first time AMC has been connected to Hamas. At an anti-Israel rally in front of the White House in 2000, AMC's former executive director and current board member Abdurahman Alamoudi, shouted: "We are all supporters of Hamas!" In the 1990s, it cosponsored two conferences with the United Association for Studies and Research, which a convicted Hamas operative called "the political command of Hamas" in the U.S., according to the New York Times. John Berlau is a writer for Insight.