RIYADH, 27 August — A Saudi charity, blacklisted by Washington
for suspected links to Al-Qaeda network, has denied reports that its
Kabul headquarters housed a terrorist laboratory, Al-Watan newspaper
reported yesterday.
International peacekeepers in Kabul said on Sunday that Afghan
police had found a store of chemicals in offices once used by the Al
Wafa Humanitarian Organization. The local press said they had been
used for terrorist purposes.
Al-Watan quoted Mohammed Eidah Al-Matrafi, a member of Al Wafa
and brother of its director, as saying the organization had no links
to Al-Qaeda.
Matrafi, who did not comment on the report that chemicals had
been found, said Al Wafa was considering suing the United States for
alleging that it funded terrorists in Afghanistan.
Al Wafa is on a US blacklist for suspected links to Osama Bin
Laden, accused by Washington of masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks
on the United States.
“My brother and I have repeatedly said we have no terrorist
links and that any organization, official or non-governmental, is
free to come and investigate our headquarters,” he said.
“We are only helping the Muslim people of Afghanistan.”
Afghan authorities say Al Wafa provided aid to Al- Qaeda and
Afghanistan’s former ruling Taleban, driven from power by US-led
air attacks and local opposition forces last year.
The charity’s director, Abdullah, is among 125 Saudis detained
at a US base in Guantanamo for allegedly supporting Al-Qaeda.
The Arman-e-Millie daily newspaper carried a report from the
official Bakhtar News Agency saying the discovery included 36 types
of chemical, explosives, fuses and terrorist guide books.
WAMY keen to boost its activities
despite smear campaign: Wohaibi
By Javid Hassan, Arab News Staff
RIYADH, 27 August — The Riyadh-based World Assembly of Muslim
Youth has declared that it will expand its presence despite lawsuits
filed against it and other Muslim organizations by the victims of
Sept. 11 attacks in the US.
“We are going to set up offices in New Zealand, Eastern Europe
and Central Asia, where there is a growing interest in Islam,” Dr.
Saleh Al-Wohaibi, the new secretary-general of WAMY, told Arab News.
Currently, it has offices in 59 countries around the world. He
said Western media attacks against WAMY and other charitable
organizations had sparked greater interest in Islam and related
activities. As a result, they have decided to launch new activities,
such as organizing educational and training camps, Dawah caravans as
well as undertaking support activities in terms of building mosques,
schools, orphanages and drilling wells.
Referring to the lawsuit filed against it, Dr. Wohaibi said they
were seeking legal advice in the matter. He regretted that the case
was being filed on the basis of a “basket of accusations”
against them despite long-standing friendship between Saudi Arabia
and the US going back to 70 years. He blamed the Zionist-controlled
media and anti-Islamic organizations in the US for jeopardizing
these relations. Asked about the impact of such attacks on WAMY, the
secretary-general said it had the opposite effect of triggering
greater interest in Islam and WAMY activities.
“We are receiving queries from Hispanic Americans, Mexicans and
the people of Eastern and Southern Europe, including Serbia. We have
distributed Islamic literature and copies of the Holy Qur’an. Our
number of summer activities will also be increased from 200 to over
250 next year,” he said, adding that an important element in the
growth and development of WAMY is the decentralization of its
activities. This has enabled the regional heads in their
decision-making process.
Dr. Wohaibi disclosed that WAMY is planning to bring out French
and Spanish editions of its monthly magazine, ‘Muslim Youth’, to
cater for the needs of Hispanics, the French and French-speaking
population of Africa. “They are receptive to the message of Islam
and we feel it necessary to reach out to them through the ‘Muslim
Youth’. Similarly, the needs of the Muslims of Central Asia need
to be addressed. So we will be moving in that direction.”
In reply to a question on WAMY activities in the US, the
secretary-general said that as yet there were no restrictions either
on their representative office or its funds. Similarly, no
complaints had been received from its offices in Brazil, Canada, EU
countries, South Africa and South America, where its activities are
progressing smoothly. “
We continue to function normally. After all, we have no hidden
agenda. There is transparency in our operations and accounting
system. People trust and support us despite all the media
bashing.”
Asked about the upcoming conference on “Muslim youth and
Globalization”, he said it would be held as scheduled at the King
Faisal Hall, Riyadh, from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. Over 500
participants from outside the Kingdom are expected to attend the
conference, which will also feature panel discussions and in-depth
analysis from researchers. “We are expecting over 1,000 guests
from 78 countries. Some 10 hotels have been booked for the event,
which will focus on the challenges facing the Muslim youth,” he
added.