“The current monitoring of money transfers and donations to Islamic projects is hindering contributions,” Sayed said.

By Nasreddine Djebbi, IOL Correspondent

THE HAGUE, May 17, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Muslim dignitaries in Europe have announced the establishment of the World Islamic Club in the Netherlands with the ultimate goal of serving the interests and the causes of Muslims in the West.

“We are a group of Muslim activists in Europe who put their heads together and came up with the idea of establishing this club and succeeded in winning the support of a number of Islamic institutions,” club chairman Mohammad Mahmoud El-Sayed told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, May 17.

“We are an open forum which holds conferences and seminars,” said the Egyptian-born activist.

“We don't target a specific ethnic or sectarian group,” he said, adding that they are not an all-preaching society.

The body describes itself in its charter as “an international non-governmental organization that works on reaching out to all Islamic institutions, organizations and societies around the world to serve Muslims’ causes.”

Sayed said the fledgling club basically relies on moderate Islamic organizations that try their best to unify the Muslim nation.

“We also seek to coordinate with governments for the sake of Muslim unity,” he added.

The club aims to cement cooperation between Islamic authorities, institutions, scholars and individuals across the world.

It also will seek to clear stereotypes and misconceptions about the Muslim faith as well as promote inter-faith dialogue.

Burning Issues

Sayed said that the club would be a strong advocate of burning Muslim issues in the West like the hijab, women's status under Islam and associating Islam with terrorism.

“It's the [Muslim] woman's right to decide what to wear in compliance with their religious beliefs just like other women in the West.”

Muslim women and human rights activists gathered Wednesday, May 11, outside the Strasbourg-based European Parliament, urging MEPs to back a parliamentary bid obliging France and other European countries to overturn a ban on hijab and religious symbols.

France's lower house of parliament adopted a controversial bill in February last year, which banned hijab in public schools.

Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.

Sayed also stressed that Muslims need to exert diligent efforts to debunk allegations associating Islam with terrorism.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted on Tuesday, April 12, a resolution calling for combating defamation campaigns against Islam and Muslims in the West.

A recent report released by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) said that Muslim minorities across Europe have been experiencing growing distrust, hostility and discrimination since the 9/11 attacks.

Media Outlets

The World Islamic Club chairman said the fledging body plans to launch major media projects to serve Muslims, including a satellite channel.

Sayed said Al-Bayan channel would be transmitted via the upcoming Muslims’ holy fating month of Ramadan via the Arabsat, the leading provider of satellite communications to the Arab world.

“It will be the mouthpiece of Muslims’ in the West in addition to addressing the major cause of the Muslim nation”.

The activist further said that the club intends to launch an Islamic satellite to carry Islamic channels in a bid to overcome “unjust” conditions usually attached to transmission license.

The club hopes to establish cultural and media centers in all western states, Africa and developing countries to promote Islamic culture and sciences.

Funding Problems

On the club's finances, Sayed said that the body is sponsored by numerous Islamic organizations in Europe and the Arab world.

He said it is further supported by a cohort of prominent Muslim figures like Abdullah Al-Turki, the chairman of the Muslim World League, Jaafar Abdel Salam, the Secretary General of the Union of Islamic Universities, Jamal Al-Samarrai, the Secretary General of the European Council of Islamic Media and Press, and  Ahmad Al-Rawi, the chairman of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe.

Sayed added that contributions also come from board members, Muslim businessmen in Europe and club subscriptions.

He hoped members of the Muslim minorities in the West would also help in footing the bill.

Sayed admitted, however, that finance remains the main obstacle to achieving all these goals and projects.

“The current monitoring of money transfers and donations to Islamic projects is hindering contributions.”

The New York Times reported on Sunday, April 10, that the Bush administration is crafting a plan to gain access to international banking records allegedly to trace terror funding, raising concerns among bankers already feeling besieged by anti-terror rules.

Since 9/11, Washington has been putting pressures on Muslim countries to clamp down on Islamic charities under the pretext that they were channeling funds to terrorists and extremists.

The charities have complained that restrictions were affecting their work to reach out to poor and needy Muslims.

Saudi Arabia has closed all overseas charities and relief organizations and placed their funds and properties under the control of a newly established governmental body.