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�The current monitoring of money
transfers and donations to Islamic projects is hindering
contributions,� Sayed said.
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By
Nasreddine Djebbi, IOL Correspondent
THE
HAGUE, May 17, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) � Muslim dignitaries in Europe have
announced the establishment of the World Islamic Club in the Netherlands
with the ultimate goal of serving the interests and the causes of Muslims
in the West.
�We
are a group of Muslim activists in Europe who put their heads together and
came up with the idea of establishing this club and succeeded in winning
the support of a number of Islamic institutions,� club chairman Mohammad
Mahmoud El-Sayed told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, May 17.
�We
are an open forum which holds conferences and seminars,� said the
Egyptian-born activist.
�We
don't target a specific ethnic or sectarian group,� he said, adding that
they are not an all-preaching society.
The
body describes itself in its charter as �an international non-governmental
organization that works on reaching out to all Islamic institutions,
organizations and societies around the world to serve Muslims� causes.�
Sayed
said the fledgling club basically relies on moderate Islamic organizations
that try their best to unify the Muslim nation.
�We
also seek to coordinate with governments for the sake of Muslim unity,� he
added.
The
club aims to cement cooperation between Islamic authorities, institutions,
scholars and individuals across the world.
It
also will seek to clear stereotypes and misconceptions about the Muslim
faith as well as promote inter-faith dialogue.
Burning
Issues
Sayed
said that the club would be a strong advocate of burning Muslim issues in
the West like the hijab, women's status under Islam and associating Islam
with terrorism.
�It's
the [Muslim] woman's right to decide what to wear in compliance with their
religious beliefs just like other women in the West.�
Muslim
women and human rights activists gathered Wednesday, May 11, outside the
Strasbourg-based European Parliament, urging MEPs to back a parliamentary
bid obliging France and other European countries to overturn a ban on
hijab and religious symbols.
France's
lower house of parliament adopted a controversial bill in February last
year, which banned hijab in public schools.
Islam sees
hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying
one�s affiliations.
Sayed
also stressed that Muslims need to exert diligent efforts to debunk
allegations associating Islam with terrorism.
The United
Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted on Tuesday, April 12, a
resolution calling for combating defamation campaigns against Islam and
Muslims in the West.
A recent report released by
the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) said that
Muslim minorities across Europe have been experiencing growing distrust,
hostility and discrimination since the 9/11 attacks.
Media
Outlets
The
World Islamic Club chairman said the fledging body plans to launch major
media projects to serve Muslims, including a satellite channel.
Sayed
said Al-Bayan channel would be transmitted via the upcoming Muslims� holy
fating month of Ramadan via the Arabsat, the leading provider of satellite
communications to the Arab world.
�It
will be the mouthpiece of Muslims� in the West in addition to addressing
the major cause of the Muslim nation�.
The
activist further said that the club intends to launch an Islamic satellite
to carry Islamic channels in a bid to overcome �unjust� conditions usually
attached to transmission license.
The
club hopes to establish cultural and media centers in all western states,
Africa and developing countries to promote Islamic culture and sciences.
Funding
Problems
On
the club's finances, Sayed said that the body is sponsored by numerous
Islamic organizations in Europe and the Arab world.
He
said it is further supported by a cohort of prominent Muslim figures like
Abdullah Al-Turki, the chairman of the Muslim World League, Jaafar Abdel
Salam, the Secretary General of the Union of Islamic Universities, Jamal
Al-Samarrai, the Secretary General of the European Council of Islamic
Media and Press, and Ahmad
Al-Rawi, the chairman of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in
Europe.
Sayed
added that contributions also come from board members, Muslim businessmen
in Europe and club subscriptions.
He
hoped members of the Muslim minorities in the West would also help in
footing the bill.
Sayed
admitted, however, that finance remains the main obstacle to achieving all
these goals and projects.
�The
current monitoring of money transfers and donations to Islamic projects is
hindering contributions.�
The New
York Times
reported on
Sunday, April 10, that the Bush administration is crafting a plan to gain
access to international banking records allegedly to trace terror funding,
raising concerns among bankers already feeling besieged by anti-terror
rules.
Since 9/11,
Washington has been putting pressures on Muslim countries to clamp down on
Islamic charities under the pretext that they were channeling funds to
terrorists and extremists.
The
charities have complained that restrictions were affecting their work to
reach out to poor and needy Muslims.
Saudi
Arabia has closed all overseas charities and relief organizations and
placed their funds and properties under the control of a newly established
governmental body.
