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The Chronicle of Philanthropy - March 31, 2005
New Membership Group Will Set Standards
for Islamic Charities
By Ian Wilhelm
To help promote charitable giving by Muslim Americans and other donors, a group of nonprofit organizations are forming a membership association that will set financial and governance standards for Islamic charities.
During a conference in Chicago last week, a group of about 20 Muslim international aid groups, advocacy organizations, and other charities announced their plans to establish the National Council of American Muslim Nonprofits. The meeting was organized by the Islamic Society of North America, in Plainfield, Ind., and the Muslim Public Affairs Council, in Los Angeles.
Many donors have been wary of supporting Islamic nonprofit groups since 2001, when federal authorities closed several Muslim groups following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The U.S. government has since seized the assets of at least five Muslim charities in the United States and accused the organizations of financing terrorism.
"American Muslim donors want to know their groups are working at the highest level of transparency and accountability," said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Mr. Al Marayati said the new watchdog group would be similar to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, in Winchester, Va., which is a membership organization of Christian charities that requires its members to meet standards for financial reporting and ethical governance practices.
But unlike the Christian group, the National Council of American Muslim Nonprofits also will serve as the primary channel Islamic charities will use to advocate for policy changes in the federal government, Mr. Al-Marayati said. The new group will allow such charities "to speak with one voice."
The Islamic council will establish its standards during the next few months and "any kind of Muslim nonprofit entity" will be allowed to apply for membership, he said….
http://philanthropy.com/free/update/2005/03/2005033101.htm
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