> FBI eyes Muslim student groups > > December 24, 2001 Associated Press > http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20011224-949619.htm > > > SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Muslim > student organizations on college campuses > around the country have openly raised money > for groups whose assets have been frozen by > the U.S. government because of terrorism > ties. > > While authorities have identified no direct > connection between the campus groups and > terrorism, some security analysts and officials > are calling for closer scrutiny. > > > The FBI refused to comment on the > student organizations. But federal > investigators following the money trail are > looking at such groups, said George Vinson, > California's homeland security adviser and a > 23-year FBI veteran. > > > In light of the September 11 terrorist > attacks, he said, "shame on law enforcement > if we didn't do this." > > > He would not give details of what is being > done. > > > Anti-terrorism consultant Larry Johnson, > who once directed the State Department > counterterrorism office, said he is advising his > clients in the federal government to monitor > the campus groups' phone calls, bank > accounts and fund raising. > > One organization that has raised money > for groups targeted by the U.S. government is > the Muslim Student Association, which has > more than 100 campus chapters around the > country and raises funds by way of rallies, > meetings and Web sites. > > The MSA urges donations to such groups > as the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and > Development, and the BenevolenceInternational > and Global Relief foundations. > All three groups have had their assets > frozen by the Bush administration because of > reported connections to the al Qaeda terrorist > network or the militant Hamas. > > > All three have denied they are > terrorist-front organizations, insisting > they raise money for food, schools and other social > services. > > The MSA's Ohio State University chapter > produces a Web newsletter called MSA > News, which has included press releases from > the Algerian Armed Islamic Group, which is > on the State Department's list of terrorist > organizations that Americans are forbidden to > support or finance, and the Islamic Salvation > Front, a militant party banned in Algeria. > > Altaf Husain, national president of the > MSA, said his organization has no plans to > stop raising money for various groups unless > federal authorities crack down. He called > suspicions about terrorist links post-attack > "hype," and said it was up to the government > to trace the money. > > "We are as American as anyone else. Why > should we be the ones looking for all these > so-called 'sleeper cells' or whatever?" he said. > > Mr. Husain said federal investigations > after September 11 stem from the belief "that > any group raising money for Muslims is > funneling money to terrorists." > > The president of the Islamic Association > for Palestine often gives speeches sponsored > by university groups. Israel has said the > Texas-based group is a front for Palestinian > militants, and federal authorities have > subpoenaed the group's records for a look > into Hamas connections to U.S. organizations. > > The association's president, Rafeeq Jaber, > said his aim is "to let people know the truth" > about Israel and the occupied territories. > > At the University of California at Los > Angeles, the latest issue of the MSA's > magazine, Al-Talib, features three full-page > color ads soliciting donations for the Holy > Land, and the Global Relief and Benevolence > International foundations. > > If the money raised on campus "goes to > families of those who have died in the > Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I don't see > anything wrong with that," said the > magazine's publisher, Mohammad Mertaban, > 20, a junior from suburban Chino Hills, Calif. > "I don't understand how people can label > Palestinians terrorists."
=== > Muslim Student Association Resents Irresponsible > Allegations > > (Washington D.C. 12/25/01). The Executive Committee > of > the MSA of the US and Canada is outraged at the > allegations that it or its chapters have any direct > or > indirect links with terrorism or terrorist groups as > alleged in Don Thompson's "Muslim Student Groups > Probed for Terrorist Links" (Associated Press, > 12/22/01). The statement attributed to the MSA > president clearly shows malice. The quote is taken > out > of context because it was communicated originally > via > a telephone interview on November 9, 2001 and only > when asked to respond to increased government > scrutiny > of a Muslim relief agency. This misplacement of the > president's words leaves the reader with the > impression that MSA is recklessly defying our > government's attempt to cut the source of funds for > terrorism. The unfortunate timing of this deplorable > article has only worsened the already high > anti-Muslim > sentiment in North America after the 9-11 attacks. > > This particular article is also inflammatory because > it instigates government scrutiny of an > American-based > student organization and its chapters, outlines an > Orwellian style surveillance of the telephone calls, > bank accounts and fundraising of those chapters and > targets Muslim student organizations in general > throughout the country. > > MSA National has been in existence since 1963 and > has > served the Muslim community throughout North > America. > The MSA News referred to in the article is an > independent service. MSA National has no oversight > and > is not responsible for the content, opinions and > views > expressed on the MSA News website. > > Contact: > Altaf Husain > President, Muslim Students Association of the US and > Canada > http://www.msa-natl.org/ _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
