SHUT DOWN ICNA

(Coral Springs, FL) Americans Against Hate (AAH), the terrorist watchdog group, is calling on the United States government to shut down the offices and freeze the assets of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) for its role in the financing of Hamas. As well, AAH is calling on the U.S. government to place the Muslim Brotherhood of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), on the State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) for the same.

In August of 2006, just nine short months ago, JI announced on its website that it had presented, via its charity Al-Khidmat Foundation (AKF), a check for $99 thousand (six million rupees) to the head of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal. Mashaal thanked JI and stated that Hamas would continue to wage Jihad (war) against Israel.

ICNA was founded in 1971 as the American arm of JI. On AKF's website, ICNA is listed as the charity's two top donors, ICNA Relief USA and ICNA Relief Canada. Another of the listed donors is ICNA's charity, Helping Hand.

AAH Chairman Joe Kaufman stated, "We have incontrovertible evidence that ICNA is part of JI and that JI is funding Hamas through a charity that ICNA is the top donor for. Given this proof, there is no reason whatsoever for the future existence of ICNA. In addition, given JI's financing of Hamas and given JI's communiqués with the leader of Hamas, there are clear grounds for the placement of JI on the State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. We call on the United States government to take immediate action, with respect to both of these organizations."