The Holy Land Foundation - the self-proclaimed largest Muslim charity in the United States - has been charged in a U.S. Federal Court on 42 counts of funding terrorist activities. Seven of the organization's officers are accused of providing more than $12.4 million to individuals and organizations linked to Hamas between 1995 and 2001. Hamas has perpetrated dozens of suicide bomber attacks in Israel, claiming hundreds of victims.
The US government froze about $4 million of the charity's assets in December 2001. Italy and Canada took similar steps. U.S. President George Bush announced at the time, "The message is this: Those who do business with terror will do no business with the United States, or anywhere else the United States can reach. Hamas is one of the deadliest terror organizations in the world today," using money it raises to "support schools and indoctrinate children to grow up into suicide bombers, and also to recruit suicide bombers and support their families."
Five of the seven Holy Land Foundation officials have been arrested, and the other two are not in the U.S. and are considered to be fugitives of the law.
The "charity organization" has insisted that the millions it raised went only for relief to refugees, orphans, disaster victims, and social programs in PA-controlled areas and other mainly Islamic nations.
"To those who exploit good hearts to secretly fund violence and murder, this prosecution sends a clear message," U.S. Attorney-General John Ashcroft said yesterday at a news conference. "There is no distinction between those who carry out terrorist attacks and those who knowingly finance terrorist attacks."
The US government froze about $4 million of the charity's assets in December 2001. Italy and Canada took similar steps. U.S. President George Bush announced at the time, "The message is this: Those who do business with terror will do no business with the United States, or anywhere else the United States can reach. Hamas is one of the deadliest terror organizations in the world today," using money it raises to "support schools and indoctrinate children to grow up into suicide bombers, and also to recruit suicide bombers and support their families."
Five of the seven Holy Land Foundation officials have been arrested, and the other two are not in the U.S. and are considered to be fugitives of the law.
The "charity organization" has insisted that the millions it raised went only for relief to refugees, orphans, disaster victims, and social programs in PA-controlled areas and other mainly Islamic nations.
"To those who exploit good hearts to secretly fund violence and murder, this prosecution sends a clear message," U.S. Attorney-General John Ashcroft said yesterday at a news conference. "There is no distinction between those who carry out terrorist attacks and those who knowingly finance terrorist attacks."