Cooperation With U.S.-Based Hamas Leader
Mohammed El-Mezain, who allegedly coordinated KindHearts’ fundraising, a claim that is disputed by KindHearts, and is a former HLF official indicted by a federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas on charges of providing material support to Hamas. However, Mr. El-Mezain was acquitted on all counts against him in the first Holy Land trial in Texas, and was convicted on November 24, 2008 of a single conspiracy count. None of the allegations against any Holy Land defendant, including Mr. El-Mezain, were based on any connection to KindHearts since KindHearts did not exist until after the Holy Land Foundation was shut down. Information indicates that SDGT Khalid Mishaal, Hamas’ Secretary General based in Damascus, Syria, allegedly identified El-Mezain as the Hamas leader for the U.S. At the time, Mishaal advised that all financial contributions to Hamas from individuals in the U.S. should be channeled through El-Mezain.
Following the closure of HLF, U.S.-based Hamas leader El-Mezain transferred his fundraising skills to Kindhearts. El-Mezain allegedly assisted other KindHearts senior leaders in directing the coordination of KindHearts’ fundraising strategy. Allegedly, During a 2003 Islamic conference, KindHearts leaders, including Smaili, met with El-Mezain to discuss KindHearts fundraisers. The leaders concluded that there would be only two fundraising dinners for KindHearts in September 2003 and thereafter, all fundraising efforts would target Friday prayers at mosques and Islamic centers throughout the U.S. KindHearts asserts that Mr. El-Mezain was an independent contractor with no control over any KindHearts money raised at events.
At a September 2003 KindHearts fundraising event, a KindHearts fundraiser allegedly spoke and encouraged the crowd to appreciate the efforts of the terrorist group Hizballah in supporting Hamas. The fundraiser then encouraged the crowd to give money and manpower as support against Israel. El-Mezain also spoke at this KindHearts fundraiser, encouraging people to donate to KindHearts.
In October 2003, El-Mezain spoke at an event held in Baton Rouge Louisiana where $500,000 was pledged. Though El-Mezain’s speech reportedly focused almost entirely on raising funds for a new mosque in Baton Rouge, only a small amount was to be retained locally and the vast majority was to be sent to Hamas overseas. The connection with KindHearts at this event is unclear.
The Government's action freezes any assets KindHearts may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with the NGO.
Read more about this topic: Kind Hearts For Charitable Human Development
Famous quotes containing the words cooperation with, cooperation and/or leader:
“We should have an army so organized and so officered as to be capable in time of emergency, in cooperation with the National Militia, and under the provision of a proper national volunteer law, rapidly to expand into a force sufficient to resist all probable invasion from abroad and to furnish a respectable expeditionary force if necessary in the maintenance of our traditional American policy which bears the name of President Monroe.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“The common erotic project of destroying women makes it possible for men to unite into a brotherhood; this project is the only firm and trustworthy groundwork for cooperation among males and all male bonding is based on it.”
—Andrea Dworkin (b. 1946)
“The most important quality in a leader is that of being acknowledged as such.”
—André Maurois (1885–1967)