KindHearts Charity Closes Its Doors

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The Investigative Project is reporting that the KindHearts Islamic charity has been dissolved. According to the report:

An Islamic charity incorporated in Toledo, Ohio, still fighting a case a U.S. Treasury Department asset freeze, published a notice Thursday saying it has been dissolved. It is not clear why the move was made. Treasury froze the assets of KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development in 2006. KindHearts made contributions to Hamas-affiliated organizations and was supporting Hamas in Lebanon and the West Bank. The NGO was called “the progeny of Holy Land Foundation and Global Relief Foundation, which attempted to mask their support for terrorism behind the façade of charitable,” by then-Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Stuart Levy. The Holy Land Foundation (HLF) was shut down by the U.S. government in 2001. HLF and five officials were convicted in 2008 of illegally funneling more than $12 million to Hamas. In October 2008, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit against the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on behalf of KindHearts, seeking to lift the freeze. KindHearts won an injunction in 2008 preventing Treasury from labeling the organization a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) without providing it with “constitutionally adequate due process.” In 2009 a federal judge temporarily restrained the Treasury Department from designating KindHearts as an SDGT, and ruled that the government violated the organization’s constitutional rights by failing to obtain a warrant based on probable cause and failing to provide KindHearts with adequate notice before the freeze. In May 2010, the same judge ruled that the government needs to show probable cause for the freeze. KindHearts was created in January 2002, just a month after Treasury shut down HLF and the Global Relief Foundation, which had connections to Osama Bin Laden and allegedly funneled money to al-Qaida. Former HLF Chairman Mohamed El-Mezain served as “the sole professional fundraiser that has been utilized by KindHearts,” tax records filed by KindHearts in 2002 show. “Mr. El Mezain is contracted by KindHearts and is asked to appear at events and conduct fundraising activities…” El-Mezain was convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to Hamas in the HLF trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison. KindHearts is still negotiating a settlement with Treasury over its frozen assets.”

For an IP report on KindHearts, go here.

A previous post reported on a 2009 ruling by a federal judge that the Treasury Department had acted unconstitutionally when it froze the assets of KindHearts, a Muslim Brotherhood-linked charity suspected of helping to raise money for Hamas.

Investigative research posted on GMBR detailed some of the links between KindHearts, the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas:

  • KindHearts and the Holy Land Foundation Foundation (HLF) as well as the Global Relief Foundation were strongly connected. The founder and CEO of KindHearts is an individual identified as Khaled Smaili who established KindHearts from his residence in January 2002. According to the Treasury Department, Mr. Smaili was a former official of the Global Relief Foundation, designated by the U.S. government a terrorist organization for its support of both Hamas and Al Qaida Other KindHearts leaders and fundraisers also once held leadership or other positions with HLF and GRF according to the government. HLF and its leaders were later convicted of financing Hamas.
  • The KindHearts fundraising coordinator was identified as Mohammed El-Mezain convicted in the HLF trial providing material support to Hamas. According to the Treasury Department, Mr. El-Mezain spoke and encouraged donations at a September 2003 KindHearts fundraising event at which a “KindHearts fundraiser spoke and encouraged the crowd to appreciate the efforts of the terrorist group Hizballah in supporting Hamas. The fundraiser then encouraged the crowd to give money and manpower as support against Israel.”
  • KindHearts listed the IAP, said by the government tobe a “mouthpiece” for Hamas in the U.S., as its “Fundraiser Organizer” in its tax filings and th IAP displayed an ad for KindHearts on its website. According to one organization, IAP distributed an email from KindHearts CEO Khaled Smaili. The ties between the IAP and the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood/Hamas are discussed in a Hudson report on the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood.
  • According to its spring 2004 newsletter, KindHearts presented the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation with its “Mosque of the Year” award in recognition of their members’ tremendous support” and KindHearts President Khaled Smaili presented the award to Mosque Foundation President Osama Jammal.The newsletter stated that “this community as a whole donated $195,000 for KH to fund its relief efforts for the innocent victims of home demolitions in Rafah Refugee Camp, Gaza.” The Chicago Tribune has documented extensive connections of the Bridgeview mosque to support of Hamas terrorism.

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