Bangladesh government legalizes suspected Islamist organization

by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
February 8, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/499/bangladesh-government-legalizes-suspected

At the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Steven Emerson, identified IIRO as a major radical Islamic institution, in part, "responsible for fueling Islamic militancy around the world", and, Rohan Gunaratne, Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, Singapore, stated, "... Mohammad Jamal Khalifa is the brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden. He arrived in the Philippines in 1988 and he became the first director, the founding director, of the International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia. He used the IIRO to funnel al Qaeda funds to the Abu Sayyaf group and the Moral [sic] Islamic Liberation Front."

Association with IIRO has been raised by the Canadian and U.S. governments against people accused of association with terrorism. These include Mustafa Ahmed Hamlily, Mahmoud Jaballah, and Mammar Ameur

The Philipine and Indonesian branches of IIRO are included on a list of proscribed individuals and entities associated with the Taliban or Al Qaida, maintained by United Nations Security Council Committee 1267.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accorded approval to Saudi based controversial group named Islamic Relief Organization [IRO] to re-start its operations in Bangladesh. Osma Bin Laden's brother-in-law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifah was working as the Finance Director of this group in Phillipines in 1988. He played important role in strengthening Al Qaida through IRO. This organization is also known as International Islamic Relief Organization [IIRO].

The IIROSA is an affiliate of the Muslim World League (MWL). A Saudi royal decree issued on 29 January 1979 approved the decision of MWL to form IIROSA. The United Nations has listed its branch offices in Indonesia and the Philppines as belonging to or associated with the al-Qaida.

In 2006, Bangladesh government banned activities of this group for its allleged links with Al Qaida and other Islamist terror outfit. United States raised question about the Islamic Relief Organization stating that this group is patronizing various forms of terrorist activities in the world. According to US, IRA is engaged in spreading Jihadist activities around the world.

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