RIYADH, 12 January 2003 — The French Embassy here refused to issue visas for 13 Islamic charity officials who were planning to attend an international conference for humanitarian organizations, one of the officials said yesterday.
The officials, representing leading Saudi Islamic charities, were consequently unable to attend the Paris Conference for Humanitarian NGOs held Jan. 9-10, said Saleh Al-Wohaibi, head of the World Assembly for Muslim Youth (WAMY).
“The French Embassy refused to provide any explanation. We requested to meet with the ambassador or the consul but were denied. They refused to give any reason for the rejection,” Wohaibi said.
According to Wohaibi, the embassy granted only one visa to a member of the country’s Shoura (consultative) Council based on his diplomatic status, but he declined to go.
Those who were denied the visas are either officials of the Saudi Islamic charities or academics associated with them.
The conference discussed problems facing humanitarian and charitable organizations around the world, as well as the increase in the number of Islamic charities and their role in the Muslim world.
“We hope that reason would prevail in dealing with these matters ... We thought the French government was different from the United States, but it appears it is influenced by the media campaign,” Wohaibi added.
Islamic charities, particularly in Saudi Arabia, have come under fire since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks over their alleged role in funding terror networks.
A number of Saudi charities have figured on a list of organizations and individuals being sued for trillions of dollars by families of the Sept. 11 victims.
The Saudi charities have strongly denied funding terror organizations, insisting that their accounts are strictly audited and supervised by the government. (AFP)
