RIYADH, 18 August — Two Saudi charity organizations yesterday categorically denied any role in funding terrorism and branded a lawsuit by relatives of the victims of Sept. 11 attacks as a new plot against Islamic charities.
"This is yet another part of a series of accusations which started after Sept. 11 against Islamic charities," Secretary-General of the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) Adnan Basha told AFP. "We never had any relation with Osama Bin Laden or any other illegal organizations ... They are targeting Islamic charitable work," Basha said.
IIRO, one of several Islamic organizations charged in the lawsuit filed Thursday, says it is active in the field of charity and relief works mostly for orphans in about 95 countries.
"Our work is official. Our financial records are well monitored and audited through international auditors and in cooperation with governments," Basha added.
Last year, IIRO spent some $33 million on 2,800 projects and more than 44,000 orphans. It maintains offices in many countries, mostly in Africa and Asia.
Assistant Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, Abdulwahab Nour Wali, said the lawsuit was part of a "fierce campaign to discredit Islamic charity organizations."
"This is an organized and well-prepared campaign. Their ultimate goal is (to target) Islam as a religion and its charity organizations," Wali told AFP. He said the Saudi government regularly monitors WAMY’s accounts and its fund-raising operations. Basha and Wali both said joint action was needed to confront the lawsuit.
