• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Muslims raise money for Pittsburgh synagogue victims, send $10,000 to synagogue, $150,000 to Islamic Center

Nov 27, 2018 11:34 am By Robert Spencer

Are these ostentatiously announced and lavishly reported fundraisers merely dawah vehicles intended to fool the Infidels and keep them ignorant and complacent regarding the jihad threat? Or will all this money eventually make its way to those for whom it was donated? We shall see.

“Muslims Have Raised Lots Of Money For Jews Recently. Here’s Where It’s Going.,” by Aiden Pink, Forward, November 25, 2018:

CelebrateMercy is a small Muslim not-for-profit with only three full-time staffers, but in the past year and a half, it has created crowdfunding campaigns that have raised $400,000 for Jewish cemeteries, synagogues and a Holocaust memorial.

The campaigns started in February 2017, after more than 100 headstones were overturned at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis amid a nationwide spike in anti-Jewish hate crime. Within months, though, a Jewish politician in New York City, Dov Hikind, started asking whether the money was really going to its purported beneficiaries. He implied that the campaign was suspect because Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American activist who supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, was helping to lead it.

Most of the money — from that first campaign and a second one inspired by the massacre of 11 Jews in a Pittsburgh synagogue — has been distributed, the Forward has determined by speaking with CelebrateMercy founding director Tarek El-Messidi, as well as Jewish leaders who have been working with him. The rest is still available because of the complicated nature of disbursing and spending large chunks of money, but El-Messidi has plans for it.

“It’s almost like you’re applying for a grant. You don’t give out that money within a week,” El-Messidi said. “Unfortunately, it turned political. People were trying to question her integrity, our integrity, in terms of, ‘Are you pocketing the funds?’ No, we’re trying to be careful and make sure it’s going to deserving causes without handing it out right away.”

Hikind did not respond to a request for comment.

The first project reached its $20,000 goal in less than five hours and eventually raised $162,468.

Celebrate Mercy says it distributed $55,000 of the cemetery crowdfunding in the subsequent months: $40,000 the St. Louis cemetery, Chesed Shel Emes; and $5,000 each to the Chicago Loop Synagogue, Britton Road Cemetery in Rochester, and the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, all of which had been vandalized as well.

And as the Forward reported last year, Celebrate Mercy sent $30,000 at the end of 2017 to Golden Hill Cemetery, a historic Jewish cemetery in Colorado that had fallen into disrepair, to fix fencing around the property. CelebrateMercy says it sent an additional $15,000 this past March to repair gravestones. The cemetery’s executive director, Neal Price, declined to disclose the exact amount he had received, but confirmed to the Forward that the Muslim group had “provided all the money” that they had asked for.

Price lauded El-Messidi and the work they had done together. He had told the Forward last year that both groups had encountered delays in finalizing the project because of their small sizes and difficulties finding contractors to do the repairs.

So what about the remaining $62,000? El-Messidi says the original plan was for the remaining money to be used for landscaping improvements at Golden Hill. Price told the Forward last year about a possible “Phase Three” involving landscaping, but said last month that he never asked for it. El-Messidi and Price both said on Tuesday that any “Phase Three” has in any event hit a roadblock because the cemetery caretaker has gone blind.

El-Messidi said he had held off on spending down the money because he wanted to reserve it for Golden Hill, in case they decide to proceed on Phase Three after all. But after a conversation with Price on Tuesday, he is now considering using the money as a “rapid-response fund” to be used after “any hate crimes or vandalism that take place at synagogues, or any kind of Jewish institution.”

To that end, El-Messidi said on Tuesday, one of his employees had that very day mailed a $10,000 check to Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were killed last month. He hopes the money will be used to repair the building, which was damaged with bullet holes from the shooting. He predicted it would arrive in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

That donation is separate from the second, $238,634 campaign, initiated to help victims of the shooting and their families. It reached its goal of $150,000 in 50 hours; El-Messidi wrote at that point that he would send that amount to the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh to be distributed locally, and the rest would be kept for “projects that help foster Muslim-Jewish collaboration, dialogue, and solidarity.”

The money “is in the process of being distributed to the Jewish community,” the director of the Pittsburgh Jewish Federation’s Community Relations Council, Josh Sayles, told the Forward in an email. The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh did not respond to a request for comment by publication time….

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: Featured, Islamic charities, War is deceit Tagged With: CelebrateMercy, Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, Tarek El-Messidi, Tree of Life Congregation


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Comments

  1. Kathleen Wallace says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 11:49 am

    Right, anyone who was stupid enough to give to a Muslim so-called charity for Jewish causes doesn’t understand the game at play here. This is all about spreading Islam. Eventually, any non-believer who gave will find that they were funding their own demise.

    • Andy says

      Nov 27, 2018 at 11:57 am

      Meanwhile…..

      U.S. court orders a place of Jewish life to be demolished

      https://israelunwired.com/u-s-court-orders-a-place-of-jewish-life-to-be-demolished/

    • gerald zavage says

      Nov 27, 2018 at 3:01 pm

      So true and well put….

    • mortimer says

      Nov 27, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      – “Taqiyya permeates almost all the activities and dealings of Muslims with non-Muslim societies…” – a former sheikh Sam Solomon

    • Carolyne says

      Nov 27, 2018 at 10:56 pm

      The Clinton Foundation must be administering this “Charity.”

      • Greg Murphy says

        Nov 28, 2018 at 9:24 am

        They learned from the best.

    • Sherry says

      Nov 29, 2018 at 9:20 pm

      Right on Kathleen…..when will everyone wake up?

  2. jayell says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 11:51 am

    This is bare-faced fraud, obtaining money through false pretenses. I don’t think that this is a new or isolated case, as funds raised by muslims for (say) international disasters usually end up where they weren’t intended.

    • Halal Bacon says

      Nov 27, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      shitslam is a fraud

      • mortimer says

        Nov 27, 2018 at 4:27 pm

        – “Taqiyya permeates almost all the activities and dealings of Muslims with non-Muslim societies…” – a former sheikh Sam Solomon

        • gravenimage says

          Nov 27, 2018 at 6:08 pm

          +1

  3. P. Douglas says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 11:56 am

    Why is anyone surprised by this?
    We know a big portion of the cash will go to those brave soldiers of Satan that rape children, torture dogs and murder the innocent.
    Then, when finally confronted by “Real” soldiers, flee the battlefield DRESSED IN WOMANS CLOTHES!
    Ha Ha Ha ! 🐷

  4. revereridesagain says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 12:40 pm

    Overdoing it with the jizya.

  5. Walter Sieruk says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 1:41 pm

    Those Muslims who raised such large sum of money under the cover and smokescreen that the funds to would go to the aid of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre victims and then instead of sent most of the money an Islamic center had received money under false pretext this is dishonest unconscionable and in Pennsylvania law this may also be illegal and may be classified ad “Theft by Deception.” Legal actions should be taken .Nevertheless, most likely nothing will be done about this specific case of fraud.
    Likewise, the Muslim members of the Islamic center are despicable by attempting many obtain under false a pretexts .Those Muslims of that Islamic center willfully taking that money have proven themselves to have no ethic s ,and therefore they have no honor

  6. A_M_Swallow says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    What is the state and federal laws on embezzling money from a charity in Pittsburgh?

    If the organisation is being honest then the money will be in bank accounts and the safe where it can be audited.

    • gravenimage says

      Nov 27, 2018 at 6:09 pm

      Good question.

  7. Salome says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    Of all the Jewish causes, cemeteries must be most dear to the Muslims’ hearts.

    • gravenimage says

      Nov 27, 2018 at 6:09 pm

      Grimly true, Salome…

  8. gerald zavage says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    “…crowdfunding campaigns…” so who donated the money? Is this a case of Infidels donating to an Islam initiated funding effort while Islam takes credit for the generosity?

    • gravenimage says

      Nov 28, 2018 at 10:17 pm

      In most cases yes.

  9. mortimer says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 4:45 pm

    FORENSIC AUDIT !!!

  10. Alexios Comnenos says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    There are many naive and very generous stupid people in America. And they are easily mislead and robbed through the so called charity. This is also how the voting system goes in our country. The citizens are seen merely as human toys to play with. This is why the candidates spend hundreds of millions to advertise, which in fact is ‘mass media brainwashing’ just to get the votes. After that, mostly the democrats congressmen and senators don’t give a pup on the nation. All of them are multi millionaires with ‘Cadillac’ health insurance, but they make law for the people.

  11. livingengine says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    CAIR is not your friend.
    https://youtu.be/uTjQKpddt1o

  12. gravenimage says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    Muslims raise money for Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims, send $10,000 to synagogue, $150,000 to Islamic Center
    ……………………….

    I had heard about this charitable Muslim fund-raising effort for Jews–who hadn’t? It has been touted far and wide.

    Here’s a representative story from the NYT:

    “Muslim Groups Raise Thousands for Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Victims”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/us/muslims-raise-money-pittsburgh-synagogue.html

    Here’s the same CelebrateMercy spokesman you see above:

    “Putting our religious differences or even your political differences aside, the core of all of us is that we have a shared humanity,” Mr. El-Messidi said in an interview. “We really wanted to reach out as human beings to help.”

    How broad minded! Except that all the good people who sent in money–few of them apt to be Muslim–have been defrauded. This was just a way to steal money from the “filthy Infidels” while pretending to help them.

    The first story about the fundraising was covered by the NYT, CNN, the Guardian, Fox, NPR, NBC, the Huffington Post, the Times of Israel, and many others.

    How many of these high-profile news outlets will report *this* story? Probably few…

    Snopes affirms as “true” that Muslims raised more than $190,000 for the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting victims–without, of course, ever asking how this money was distributed.

    “Did Muslim Groups Raise More than $190,000 for Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Victims?”

    https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/muslim-funds-synagogue-victims/

  13. Mateen Elass says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    While I am often suspicious of Islamic fundraising, in this case it seems that the monies pledged and raised have indeed been delivered. According to the fundraising website (https://www.launchgood.com/project/muslims_unite_for_pittsburgh_synagogue#!/), on Nov. 25th, a check for $155,000 was delivered by the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh to the Tree of Life Synagogue, passing along the money it had received from CelebrateMercy, the Islamic fundraising site.

    As for the extra monies collected, Celebrate Mercy was not expecting such amounts to come in, and they had to readjust their target goals a number of times. After they set the goal to 150K, they announced on their site on Oct. 30th that any monies collected beyond that would be used “…on projects that help foster Muslim-Jewish collaboration, dialogue, and solidarity.”

    So, while it is right to closely follow the money trail any time that Muslim groups raise money, it is also right to give credit where it is due. It seems the monies raised in this case were handled properly with families of those murdered being granted $10,000 apiece ($110,000) and the remaining funds ($45,000) distributed as the synagogue sees fit, most likely to the others injured in the attack.

    • gravenimage says

      Nov 28, 2018 at 10:24 pm

      Mateen Elass, if the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh has indeed passed this money on to the Tree of Life Synagogue, that is a good thing.

      But even this article vaguely says that “additional funds” “will be spent on projects that help foster Jewish-Muslim solidarity, collaboration, and dialogue”.

      Why would monies raised to help Jewish victims suddenly be earmarked for this kind of “interfaith” taqiyya?

      • Mateen Elass says

        Nov 29, 2018 at 5:25 pm

        Graven,

        I am not a fan of how the “additional funds” may be spent — fostering Jewish-Muslim solidarity sounds like a way for Muslims to crow about how they are so kind-hearted to their fellow monotheists… — but to be fair, the fund-raisers determined to end their target for the synagogue victims at $150,000, after raising that target several times, and they announced on their website that any funds that came in above and beyond would go to ‘blah, blah, blah.’ So, they made their intentions clear; if people continued to donate, thinking their gifts would go to the synagogue victims, that is an unfortunate error, but not the result of taqiyya.

        I suppose donors could request a refund of their gifts. I wonder how Celebrate Mercy would respond.

  14. Lydia Church says

    Nov 27, 2018 at 10:14 pm

    Their idea of mercy?

    Not killing EVERYTHING that moves!

  15. infidel says

    Nov 28, 2018 at 5:49 am

    Cheating and deceiving endlessly is the Islamic way…Extremely depraved and cunning over and above being violent and hateful.. They are the epitome of all that is despicable in humanity. They bring out the worst.

  16. Meturaf says

    Nov 28, 2018 at 9:22 am

    A synagogue that accepts money from any organization that associates with the Linda SarRoachsour is not fit to be a whorehouse and should be shunned.

  17. Rhonda Hack says

    Nov 28, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    No where in this article does it confirm the accusation made in the headline. I was about to share this article with my 5500 followers. Thank goodness I read the article first. Your credibility, Jihad Watch, just tanked.

    • Robert Spencer says

      Nov 28, 2018 at 10:14 pm

      Obviously you didn’t actually read the article.

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • Crusades Were Right on New study reveals that Muslim religiosity strongly linked to hatred towards the West
  • Naildriver on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • Crusades Were Right on Canadian Mental Health Association studies Muslim women’s mental health due to ‘discrimination’ and ‘hate crimes’
  • Crusades Were Right on Muslim cleric: ‘We welcomed the takeover of ISIS because they wanted to implement the Sharia’
  • curious george on Israel At A Crossroads?

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.