Interpal
Encyclopedia
Interpal is the working name for the British charity
Palestinian Relief and Development Fund founded in 1994 which states that it is a non-political charity to alleviate problems faced by Palestinians, and focused solely on the provision of relief and development aid to the poor and needy Palestinians the world over, but primarily in the Palestinian territories
, Lebanon
and Jordan
.
There have been allegations that Interpal is funding or supporting terrorism, but these have not been substantiated in the British courts or by the Charity Commission. United States citizens and permanent residents are however prohibited from doing business with them via a 2003 SDN listing.
Interpal's program has four main points of focus: Community Development – which tries to lift communities out of poverty with long-term, sustainable solutions based on their needs; Humanitarian work – assisting those immediately affected by conflict, especially in the field of water and sanitation; Health & Medical – Distributing funds to hospitals, medical centers and local clinics to ensure continued service provision; Education programmes – in order to empower the youth of Palestine, and as a means of providing them with a better education and future.
Interpal is currently the largest British charity supplying humanitarian aid to Palestinians and is "one of the largest Muslim
-led charities in Europe".
Interpal has a number of successful fundraising channels in addition to its mail and online campaigns. Tens of thousands of people in the UK make a regular financial contribution towards its work and many thousands more sponsor orphans and needy children on a regular giving scheme. Vital funds are received from mosque and street collections and through live TV appeals. Interpal also receives funds in return for providing and organizing volunteer stewards at events such as IslamExpo and the Global Peace & Unity events. As a seller of fair trade products, Interpal helps developing communities in the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank
.
, Mr. M Rafiq Vindhani and Dr. S Husain.
. A Charity Commission inquiry found no evidence that donations could not be accounted for or were made for political reasons. Subsequently the Telegraph issued the following apology and retraction on 29 November 1997:
; this list included Interpal which was defined as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist
" that aids Hamas
. The Publication of this list led to the charities assets being frozen on 26 August and a full investigation by the Charity Commission. The investigation lasted five weeks and Interpal was cleared of any illegal activities, while the U.S. Treasury "...were unable to provide evidence to support their allegations..." to the Charity Commission. Interpal remains on the OFAC "Specially Designated Nationals" list of individuals and organizations with whom United States citizens and permanent residents are prohibited from doing business.
After the Board of Deputies of British Jews
repeated this allegation, it was sued by Interpal. The parties settled out of court, with the Board of Deputies making a public apology and posting the statement on its website for 28 days. The statement on their Web-site concluded:
broadcast a Panorama
programme, Faith, Hate and Charity, alleging that Interpal donated funds to voluntary organisations in Occupied Palestine that supported the ideology of Palestine's ruling party Hamas
.
The head of the Charity Commission said on the Panorama programme that the presenting journalist had raised some "pertinent" issues concerning the organisation's links to Hamas that should be investigated. On 4 January 2007 the Commission "reiterated its 1996 conclusion that Interpal is 'a well run and committed organisation which carries out important work in a part of the world where there is great hardship and suffering'."
After an extended investigation, in February 2009 the Charity Commission report dismissed allegations by Panorama that Interpal was funding organisations involved in terrorism. Again the U.S. Treasury did not supply any evidence to the Charity Commission inquiry, though the Israeli government did provide an outline of its concerns. However the inquiry concluded that Interpal “had not put in place adequate due diligence and monitoring procedures to be satisfied that these organisations were not promoting terrorist ideologies or activities. Where procedures were in place, they were not sufficient nor fully implemented”. The inquiry concluded that they "could not verify that the material it examined suggesting certain partner organisations funded by the charity may be promoting terrorist ideology or activities".
Interpal has been ordered by the Charity Commission to end its links to The Union of Good, which had been designated by the U.S. Treasury as “an organization created by Hamas leadership to transfer funds to the terrorist organization”. In May 2010 the Charity Commission found Interpal to be in full compliance with directions.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
Palestinian Relief and Development Fund founded in 1994 which states that it is a non-political charity to alleviate problems faced by Palestinians, and focused solely on the provision of relief and development aid to the poor and needy Palestinians the world over, but primarily in the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
.
There have been allegations that Interpal is funding or supporting terrorism, but these have not been substantiated in the British courts or by the Charity Commission. United States citizens and permanent residents are however prohibited from doing business with them via a 2003 SDN listing.
Interpal's work
Interpal is currently the largest British charity supplying humanitarian aid to Palestinians and is "one of the largest Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
-led charities in Europe".
Fundraising
The charity organises several events throughout the year including charity bazaars, university talks, auctions, and fundraising dinners. Other annual campaigns include Ramadan and Qurbani appeals.Interpal has a number of successful fundraising channels in addition to its mail and online campaigns. Tens of thousands of people in the UK make a regular financial contribution towards its work and many thousands more sponsor orphans and needy children on a regular giving scheme. Vital funds are received from mosque and street collections and through live TV appeals. Interpal also receives funds in return for providing and organizing volunteer stewards at events such as IslamExpo and the Global Peace & Unity events. As a seller of fair trade products, Interpal helps developing communities in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
.
Administration costs and policies
Interpals policy is not to deduct administration costs from specified donations. Administration costs for the past 7 years have been less than 10% of the total annual budget, and they are met from the following sources;- Donations into the administration account
- Unwanted interest (ribaRibaRiba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
) money - Tax reclaimed from British HM Revenue and Customs schemes such as Gift AidGift AidGift Aid is a UK tax incentive that enables tax-effective giving by individuals to charities in the United Kingdom. Gift Aid was originally introduced in Finance Act 1990 for donation from 1 October 1990, but was originally limited to cash gifts of £600 or more...
.
Trustees
Interpal is chaired by Mr. Ibrahim Hewitt. The other trustees are Mr. G Faour (also a trustee of the Palestinian Return Centre), Dr. E Mustafa, Mr. I Y Ginwala MBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Mr. M Rafiq Vindhani and Dr. S Husain.
Facts and figures
- Last reported income was £5,064,280
- Accounts were submitted 2003 (late), 2004 (late), 2005 (late), 2006, 2007.
- Interpal's child sponsorship programme covers over 40 committees linking over 10,000 needy Palestinian children to donors all over the world.
- In 2006 Interpal had a gross income of over £5.2m
- Interpal is currently the largest charity in the UK working solely on the provision of humanitarian aid to Palestinians
Allegations against Interpal
Interpal has on three occasions, following allegations, been the subject of investigations by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. In all three investigations evidence was not found to prove alleged links between Interpal and organisations involved in terrorism.1996 inquiry
In 1996 allegations were made against Interpal and its Trustees in the Sunday TelegraphSunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
. A Charity Commission inquiry found no evidence that donations could not be accounted for or were made for political reasons. Subsequently the Telegraph issued the following apology and retraction on 29 November 1997:
"On 26 May 1996, in an article entitled "London fatwa backs suicide bombers", we suggested that the Palestinian Relief and Development Fund (INTERPAL) was run by Hamas activists who encourage and support terrorist activities in Israel. We also reported claims which were being investigated by the Charity Commission that INTERPAL was used to raise money to fund the training of suicide bombers in Gaza and the West Bank.
We now accept that the Trustees of INTERPAL are not Hamas activists. We also accept that the Charity Commission's investigations found there to be no evidence of any pro-terrorist bias in the charity or of any channelling of its funds towards the training of suicide bombers. The Commission concluded that the charity is a "well run and committed organisation which carries out important work in a part of the world where there is great hardship and suffering" and that INTERPAL takes every possible step to ensure that its donations go only to charitable purposes, helping the poor and needy. We withdraw the allegations that appeared in our article and apologise to the Trustees of INTERPAL for the embarrassment caused."
2003 inquiry
On 22 August 2003 the U.S. Treasury published a list of charities it alleged to have links to terrorismTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
; this list included Interpal which was defined as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist
Specially Designated Global Terrorist
Specially Designated Global Terrorist is a designation authorized under U.S. Executive Order 13224 , among other executive orders, and Title 31, Parts 595, 596, and 597 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, among other U.S. laws and regulations. SDGT designations are administered and enforced...
" that aids Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
. The Publication of this list led to the charities assets being frozen on 26 August and a full investigation by the Charity Commission. The investigation lasted five weeks and Interpal was cleared of any illegal activities, while the U.S. Treasury "...were unable to provide evidence to support their allegations..." to the Charity Commission. Interpal remains on the OFAC "Specially Designated Nationals" list of individuals and organizations with whom United States citizens and permanent residents are prohibited from doing business.
After the Board of Deputies of British Jews
Board of Deputies of British Jews
The Board of Deputies of British Jews is the main representative body of British Jews. Founded in 1760 as a joint committee of the Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jewish communities in London, it has since become a widely recognised forum for the views of the different sectors of the UK Jewish...
repeated this allegation, it was sued by Interpal. The parties settled out of court, with the Board of Deputies making a public apology and posting the statement on its website for 28 days. The statement on their Web-site concluded:
..We referred to “terrorist organisations such as Hamas and Interpal”. We would like to make it clear that we should not have described Interpal in this way and we regret the upset and distress our item caused.
2006 to 2009 inquiry
In July 2006 the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcast a Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
programme, Faith, Hate and Charity, alleging that Interpal donated funds to voluntary organisations in Occupied Palestine that supported the ideology of Palestine's ruling party Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
.
The head of the Charity Commission said on the Panorama programme that the presenting journalist had raised some "pertinent" issues concerning the organisation's links to Hamas that should be investigated. On 4 January 2007 the Commission "reiterated its 1996 conclusion that Interpal is 'a well run and committed organisation which carries out important work in a part of the world where there is great hardship and suffering'."
After an extended investigation, in February 2009 the Charity Commission report dismissed allegations by Panorama that Interpal was funding organisations involved in terrorism. Again the U.S. Treasury did not supply any evidence to the Charity Commission inquiry, though the Israeli government did provide an outline of its concerns. However the inquiry concluded that Interpal “had not put in place adequate due diligence and monitoring procedures to be satisfied that these organisations were not promoting terrorist ideologies or activities. Where procedures were in place, they were not sufficient nor fully implemented”. The inquiry concluded that they "could not verify that the material it examined suggesting certain partner organisations funded by the charity may be promoting terrorist ideology or activities".
Interpal has been ordered by the Charity Commission to end its links to The Union of Good, which had been designated by the U.S. Treasury as “an organization created by Hamas leadership to transfer funds to the terrorist organization”. In May 2010 the Charity Commission found Interpal to be in full compliance with directions.
The Media, Banks and Interpal
- On 6 January 2006 the Wall Street Journal reported that a suit was filed by an individual in the Brooklyn Federal CourtUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the entirety of Long Island and Staten Island...
in New York against the NatWest, part of the Royal Bank of ScotlandRoyal Bank of ScotlandThe Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
for providing banking services to Interpal, claiming that the group has been identified as linked to terrorism. NatWest is hoping to have the charges, which it claims are spurious and absurd, dismissed.
- On 15 January 2006 the Sunday TelegraphSunday TelegraphThe Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
reported that Zvi Heifetz, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's ambassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to London, would hold urgent talks with Ivan LewisIvan LewisIvan Lewis is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bury South since 1997. Lewis served in a variety of junior ministerial positions, including as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.-Personal life:Lewis was born to a British Jewish...
, the Economic Secretary to the TreasuryEconomic Secretary to the TreasuryThe Economic Secretary to the Treasury is the fifth most senior ministerial post in the UK Treasury, after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster-General and the Financial Secretary...
and a Vice-Chair of Labour Friends of IsraelLabour Friends of IsraelLabour Friends of Israel is a lobby group promoting support within the British Labour Party for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the British and the Israeli Labour party...
, in order to demand action be taken against Interpal after George GallowayGeorge GallowayGeorge Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
entered the reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show Celebrity Big Brother UK to earn money for his charity of choice, Interpal. Interpal reacted to the claims by issuing a statement saying "Regrettably, there are many who want to stop the little charitable support we give from actually getting to needy Palestinians. We believe we are targets of the Israeli and US governments purely because we are a Muslim-run charity".
- On 2 July 2006, The Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
also issued an apology to Interpal regarding a defamatory article it published.
- On 29 July 2006 the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Panorama programme investigated to find out how Interpal's donations have allegedly helped build support for HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, the elected government of the Palestinian people. It claimed that Interpal was funding organisations that proclaimed a "jihadist ideology", and that there were personal links between Interpal's chief trustee and Hamas figures.
- On 20 March 2007 Interpal’s bank accounts with British bank NatWest/Royal Bank of ScotlandRoyal Bank of ScotlandThe Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
(who Interpal have had a mutually beneficial banking relationship with for over a decade) were closed by the bank, which cited pressure from the US legal system as the reason. The suit, filed in the federal court in Brooklyn in January 2006, made claims on behalf of 15 families of Americans wounded in attacks. It said NatWest, owned by RBS, allowed Interpal to raise funds on its website knowing the US government identified the charity as a fundraiser for Hamas, violating US anti-terrorism laws.
- Interpal was being investigated in Australia as of September 2008 for its alleged links with HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
.
- The Islamic Bank of BritainIslamic Bank of BritainThe Islamic Bank of Britain plc is a commercial bank in the United Kingdom, established in August 2004 to offer Sharia compliant financial service products to British Muslims. The bank has seven branches in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leicester...
has been put under pressure from its clearing bank, Lloyds TSBLloyds TSBLloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
, been forced to cease all dealings with Interpal and will close the charity’s bank account as of 8 December 2008. IBB has expressed full support for Interpal. No explanation has been given for this action by Lloyds TSB and Interpal’s work is under threat of closure unless the decision is reversed.
- On 22 July 2010, Interpal’s lawyers, Carter-RuckCarter-RuckCarter-Ruck is a British law firm founded by Peter Carter-Ruck.According to their website they specialise in libel, privacy, international law and commercial litigation....
issued a press release to mark the close of the charity’s libel case against the Sunday Express. A statement read in the High CourtHigh Court of JusticeThe High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
before Mr. Justice Eady confirmed the paper’s acceptance that the allegations it made that Interpal supported Hamas were false, to make an apology, and to pay Interpal £60,000 plus legal costs in settlement.
External links
- Interpal Website
- US Designates Five Charities Funding Hamas, including Interpal
- Bond: advocacy for interpal
- epolitix: Interpal
- IHRC – Interpal
- Intelligent Giving profile of Interpal
- From the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
: - Interpal have no case to answer, Rolled-up trousers blog