Muslim Charity Challenges Patriot Act

A Michigan-based Muslim charity, Life for Relief and Development, which was raided by the FBI back in September has filed suit which, in part, challenges the Patriot Act.

The charity, Life for Relief and Development, also seeks an injunction to stop Comerica Bank from giving other banks any information it might have about the organization. The charity is challenging the constitutionality of a section of the Patriot Act, which allows financial institutions to share information about suspected money laundering or terrorist activity.

The founders and administrators of the charity have a history of linkage to terror organizations, including Hamas. The group is also believed to be strongly anti-semitic. Most of its aid has been focused on Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s been alleged that they offered financial support to terrorists in Iraq.

A worker for the group was killed in Iraq in October:

It is with great sadness I report that Abdul-Sattar Abdullah Al-Mashhadani, Director of Programs for Life for Relief and Development in Baghdad was killed at a checkpoint run by one of the sectarian militias on Saturday. He was buried yesterday. There is an article below.

You will recall that in September the Southfield office of LIFE as well as the home of the executive director Khalil Jassemm was raided by FBI, IRS, joint task force on counter-terrorism and local police. In September, the NGO coordinating Committee in Iraq released figures that 73 aid workers had been killed in Iraq since the invasion in 2003.

Debbie Schlussel has written extensively on the group. She noted the FBI raid here.

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