Article published Wednesday, March 1, 2006
KINDHEARTS
Muslim charities targeted, group says
Coalition seeks talks with Treasury chief
By DAVID YONKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060301/NEWS08/603010506An American Muslim coalition is seeking to meet with Treasury Secretary John Snow to discuss the padlocking of the Toledo-based charity, KindHearts, and "the continued targeting of Muslim charities without due process of law."
Federal agents, using the power of an executive order, closed KindHearts' West Toledo headquarters on Feb. 19 and froze its assets while authorities investigate the Muslim charity for alleged support of Hamas terrorists in the Middle East.
The funds, which KindHearts said were more than $1 million, were frozen "to prevent asset flight" while the federal investigation is under way, according to Stuart Levey, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence
...
While AMT officials "support our government's efforts to thwart terrorist financing, we find it unfair that our government has yet made another extrajudicial decision to effectively wipe out more than five years of humanitarian assistance to the world's needy by the mere stroke of a pen."
"What happened to due process laws," Jihad Smaili of KindHearts asked last night. "Corporations have rights just as individuals do under our Constitution. It's clear that you should at least ask a question or two before you shoot."