“Outside View: Terrorist Financing and Crime” is an egregious piece of ignorance and dhimmitude by Juan Carlos Zarate, U.S. assistant secretary of the Treasury Department for terrorist financing. Among other duties, Zarate is responsible for formulating and coordinating the department’s counter-terrorist financing and anti-money laundering efforts. From UPI, with thanks to EPG:
Washington, DC, Over the last several years, the U.S. Treasury has established an important relationship and dialogue with the Muslim and Arab-American communities as we work together to deal with the corrosive effects and threat of terrorist financing to the United States and the Muslim and Arab worlds. This relationship is acutely necessary as we work to protect and preserve the sanctity of charitable giving and Zakat from terrorist groups like al-Qaida, which have purposely usurped the goodwill and donations of Muslims around the world to fuel their terrorist agenda.
This relationship is also critical to advancing our collective mission of promoting charitable relief and development around the world to those most in need of our assistance. The American Muslim and Arab communities are uniquely situated because they have the powers of the purse and persuasion to affect global practices and perceptions that are essential to advancing both of these goals and winning the long-term battle against terrorism.
Charitable giving is a proud and vibrant component of virtually every community in America, regardless of religion, culture or background. This is especially true in the case of Islam, where Zakat — charity — is a pillar of the faith. The unfortunate reality of the post-9/11 world is that terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Hamas have abused charitable organizations to finance their lethal schemes. Terrorists have created charitable fronts and have sought out corrupt or vulnerable non-profits to raise and move money, to transport operatives and materiel, to recruit and indoctrinate new members, and to support family members of operatives or deceased suicide bombers.
Yes, and nobody — but nobody — who gave money to these groups had any idea of where their money was going. Every last one of them was shocked, shocked!
This is the sad reality of a violent minority that has corrupted the goodwill of the donor community, and in particular, the good faith of Muslims.…
If you plan on reading it all, it might be wise to keep a bottle of Pepto-Bismol handy.