Angry in the Great White North

IRFAN, the International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy, may or may not be a front group for Hamas.

The evidence that there is a link between IRFAN and the terrorist organization Hamas is compelling:

IRFAN (International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy, formerly the Jerusalem Fund for Human Services) [Referred to as The Jerusalem Fund] is a Hamas front organization operating in Canada. It enlists contributions and transfers the funds to Hamas' civilian infrastructure ( da'wah ) in the Palestinian Authority (PA)-administered territories. The infrastructure, financed by the donations from Canada and other countries, helps Hamas establish itself as an alternative to the PA and to maintain its terrorism-supporting apparatus. Even during the era of an international battle against terrorism-funding money, and despite the fact that the Canadian government designated the Jerusalem Fund as Hamas-affiliated, it continues its activities uninterrupted under its new name, IRFAN.

IRFAN, the International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy, is a Hamas front organization operating in Canada . It is one of the many funds and foundations in western countries which collect money for Hamas' civilian infrastructure ( da'wah ) in the PA-administered territories, which includes its support for terrorist activities. The Fund's general manager is Hamas-affiliated Rasem 'Abd al-Majid (Abu Basem).

During Israeli army operations against Hamas institutions in the PA-administered territories, many documents were found regarding the money transferred by IRFAN to those institutions, which has been outlawed by Israel . For example, documents were found relating IRFAN to the Jenin Charitable Society, the Tulkarm Charitable Society, the Bethlehem Orphan Care Society, the Qalqilya Charitable Committee, the Dura Charitable society, and the Ramallah-Al-Bireh Charitable Society.

According to an article recently published in the Canadian National Post, in the past Canadian authorities identified The Jerusalem Fund with Hamas.

On May 23, 2000, the Jerusalem Fund was mentioned in a report sent to Jean Chretien, then Prime Minister, discussing what it called groups that had "unsavoury links" with terrorism. The report, some of which was quoted in the newspaper, stated that in a number of instances funds were being raised in Canada for violent struggles [sic] through "the cover of the cover of ethnic, religious or community-based associations and groups, lobbying and even criminal activity." The report mentioned the names of front organizations operating in Canada which aided in financing terrorism, among them The Jerusalem Fund (currently IRFAN), which was specifically mentioned in connection with Hamas.

Despite the fact that the Canadian authorities identified The Jerusalem Fund with Hamas and even curtailed its activities to a certain degree, the Fund continued its operations for ten years until it changed its name. After the events of September 11, the Canadian government initiated a number of measures aimed at impeding terrorist financing in general and that of Hamas in particular. Thus, two weeks after the United States included the Holy Land Foundation and two other Hamas financial institutions in Executive Order 13224, the Canadian government also adopted a policy of freezing assets. Nevertheless, the change of names from The Jerusalem Fund to IRFAN apparently made it difficult for the Canadian authorities to act against the Fund and it continues to transfer funds (in Israeli estimation, hundreds of thousands of dollars annually), to Hamas institutions in the PA-administered territories.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day demanded that the Liberals take action against IRFAN when the Liberals were in power, and for his trouble, he was sued:

A registered charity is suing Conservative foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day for allegedly accusing the group of raising funds for the terrorist organization Hamas.

The International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy, which says it has contributed to aid projects in Indonesia, Palestine and Guyana, alleges it was defamed at a news conference held by Day and two other defendants in Ottawa in November 2004, according to a statement of claim. The claim was filed Sept. 22, 2005, in Toronto, but wasn't served to Day until Jan. 4 in Penticton, B.C., said Naseer Syed, a lawyer for the non-profit organization, based in Mississauga, west of Toronto.

With the evidence of IRFAN's alleged links to terrorism, and with IRFAN's belligerence, you would think MPs would be leery of being connected with the organization. But then the NDP has never shown itself to be a friend of Israel. Indeed, the NDP organized a dinner this past Saturday specifically for the purpose of raising funds for IRFAN:

Al-Asqa Dinner

The local riding associations and the NDP Middle-East Committee have organized an evening to examine and promote freedom of religion and respect in Canada and abroad. The Al-Asqa dinner will feature Alexa McDonough (NDP Peace and Foreign Affairs Critic), Sandra Ruch (Women's Coalition for Peace in Isreal), Irene Mathyssen (MP for London-Fanshawe) and other guest speakers. It will be held this Saturday March 24th in the London Muslim Mosque (151 Oxford St. W.) at 5:45 pm. Tickets are $10 and will be available in the UCC Atrium at the Minimum Wage petition table, at the club exec. meeting this Wednesday or you can call Rob Hepburn to reserve a ticket at 519-639-0974. All ticket proceeds go to benefit Palestinian orphans through IRFAN Canada.

Alexa McDonough and Irene Mathyssen lent their names and the name of their party to a group with strongly suspected terrorist links. Not only that, but raising money to be sent to the Palestinian Authority to be used for who knows what?

Well, they say it will be used for orphans. But the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority has some strange ideas about how to help children How about an Islamic take on Mickey Mouse named Farfur?

Tomorrow's Pioneers is a weekly Palestinian children's program on the official Hamas television station, Al-Aqsa TV. The show deals with Islamist traditions and lifestyles; some as innocuous as the importance of daily prayers and drinking milk to, according to the Palestinian Media Watch, more radical messages of indoctrinating the young viewers with teachings of Islamic supremacy, hatred of Israel and the United States, and support of 'resistance'. The series debuted on April 16, 2007.

April 16, 2007: Farfur remarks to Saraa of the intention of, "[setting the] cornerstone for world leadership under Islamic leadership" with "our beloved children". He also teaches about the importance of prayer. Later on he states, "Yes, we, tomorrow's pioneers, will restore to this nation its glory, and we will liberate Al-Aqsa, with Allah's will, and we will liberate Iraq, with Allah's will, and we will liberate the Muslim countries, invaded by murderers."

"Al-Aqsa" -- the name of the dinner organized by the NDP and the goal of liberation for Palestinian children -- is the mosque complex in Jerusalem that is a major religious site for Muslims. When you raise money in the name of Al-Aqsa, you have to realize that for people in the area, the name is irrevocably attached to the bloodshed of the Second Intifada, known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

But then for the NDP in general, and for Alexa McDonough and Irene Mathyssen in particular, maybe there is a measure of pride involved. I'm just surprised that this goes as far as potentially raising money for these people.

Sorry about the tense confusion. The dinner has already happened. Sometimes when I work on a piece over time, events transition from the future into the past, and I lose track. In any case, the text has been corrected.