Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage

The Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage (Arabic: ﺟﻤﻌﻴﺔ اﺣﻴﺎء اﻟﺘﺮاث اﻻﺳﻼﻣﻲ‎) (RIHS) is a Kuwait-based NGO with branches in a number of countries.

Spain

According to the Spanish intelligence agency CNI, Kuwait provided funding and aid to Islamic associations and congregations in Spain through its subsidiary branch of RIHS. Kuwait this way funded mosques in Reus and Torredembarra who spread an ideology contrary to the integration of Muslims into Spanish society and fostering hatred of non-Muslims.[1]

Pakistan and Afghanistan branches

Corruption and terrorism

The branches in Pakistan and Afghanistan allegedly became corrupted by members of al-Qaeda; those two branches were embargoed on 9 January 2002 by the United States.[2][3] The government of Russia has banned RIHS from operating anywhere in Russia and has deemed the society to be a terrorist organisation.[4]

A release from the Treasury's Press Office alleged that the Pakistan office, under the direction of Abd al-Muhsin al-Libi, had inflated the number of orphans under its care.[5]

The United States has the organization listed on the OFAC SDN list (as Administration of the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society Committee), thus prohibiting U.S. citizens and permanent residents from doing business with the organization.

Guantanamo captives whose continued detention was justified through connection to RIHS

The continued detention of several Guantanamo captives has been justified, in part, through their association with the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society.

Salim Mahmoud Adem Mohammed Bani Amir
  • Two of the allegations against Amir were:[6]
    • "Detainee was employed with the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) since 1994."
    • "RIHS is suspected of supporting extremist activity, and some employees are suspected of financing terrorism."
Sami Mohy El Din Muhammed Al Hajj
  • Three of the factors used to justify Al Hajj's continued detention were:[7]
    • "While in Azerbaijan, the detainee came into contact with Ashraf, who ran the juice distribution business for the Union Beverage Company in Azerbaijan."
    • "Between 1994-1998, Ashraf Abdulrahim Ayub worked for the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), a non-governmental organization."
    • "The Revival of Islamic Heritage Society has been identified under Executive Order 13224 as a terrorist affiliated organization.
Hammad Ali Amno Gadallah
  • Four of the five allegations against Gadallah were:[8]
    • "The detainee stated that he worked as an accountant for the Society for the Revival of Islamic Heritage (RIHS)."
    • "The RIHS is listed in the United States Department of Homeland Security - Terrorist Organization Reference Guide."
    • "Before being named The Society for the Revival of Islamic Heritage, the office in Peshawar, Pakistan, was called the Afghanistan Support Committee (ASC)."
    • "The ASC was designated on the United States Executive Order Asset Freeze List for suspected support of terrorism financing in late 2001."
  • Gadallah was one of the few Guantanamo captives whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal determined should never have been classified as an "enemy combatant".[9][10]
Mohammed Fenaitel Mohamed Al Daihani
  • Two of the allegations against Al Daihani were:[11]
    • "The detainee worked for the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society."
    • "The Revival of Islamic Heritage Society appears on the Terrorist Exclusion List of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Terrorist Organization Reference Guide."
  • Al Daihani, an accountant at Kuwait's State Audit Bureau, pointed out that the charity was “an official society from the Kuwaiti government”, and that some Kuwaitis donated to it.[11]

References
  1. Cembrero, Ignacio (2011-07-31). "El CNI alerta de que seis países musulmanes financian al islamismo". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-16.
  2. "O'Neill Reports Progress Against Terrorist Financing (Blocks assets of two more organizations)". U.S. Dept. of State Washington HYPER File. U.S. Treasury Office of Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014. The order targets the Afghan Support Committee (ASC) and the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS). According to U.S. officials, the ASC was set up by bin Laden and has offices in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The RIHS is a Kuwaiti-based non-governmental organization whose offices in Pakistan and Afghanistan are associated with the ASC. The Treasury action affects the society's offices in Pakistan and Afghanistan but not in Kuwait. O'Neill said the two groups have portrayed themselves as legitimate charitable organizations but have defrauded donors by diverting money to support terrorist activities.
  3. UN list of affiliates of al-Qaeda and the Taliban
  4. "'Terror' list out; Russia tags two Kuwaiti groups". Arab Times. Kuwait. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2014. Two Kuwaiti organizations are on a list of 17 terrorist groups published by Russia on Friday. This list, carried by “Rossiikaya gazeta “ and signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, includes the Social Reform Society and the Society for Revival of Islamic Heritage. According to an announcement made by Russia these organizations are banned in Russia and acknowledged as terrorist organizations in the Russian Federation.
  5. "FACT SHEET: The Continuing War on Terrorist Assets". U.S. Department of the Treasury. U.S. Treasury Press Center. Retrieved 15 August 2014. Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) The RIHS is a Kuwaiti-based non-governmental organization. In Pakistan and Afghanistan it is affiliated with ASC. The Peshawar, Pakistan office director for RIHS is Abd al-Muhsin Al-Libi, who also serves as the ASC manager in Peshawar. Al-Libi has provided Usama bin Laden and his associates with facilities in Peshawar, and has carried money and messages on behalf of Usama bin Laden. The Pakistan office defrauded RIHS donors to fund terrorism. In order to obtain additional funds from the Kuwait RIHS headquarters, the RIHS office in Pakistan padded the number of orphans it claimed to care for by providing names of orphans that did not exist or who had died. Funds then sent for the purpose of caring for the non-existent or dead orphans were instead diverted to al-Qaida terrorists. There is no evidence at this point that this financing was done with the knowledge of RIHS in Kuwait.
  6. Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Salim Mahmoud Adem Mohammed Bani Amir's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - pages 73-76
  7. "Sami Mohy El Din Muhammed Al Hajj's Administrative Review Board" hearing (entry 20382)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2006.
  8. "Summary of Evidence (.pdf)] prepared for Hammad Ali Amno Gadallah Combatant Status Review Tribunals - December 14, 2004 - page 46" (PDF). 16 November 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2006.
  9. "Guantanamo Bay Detainees Classifed [sic] as 'No Longer Enemy Combatants'". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 August 2006.
  10. OARDEC (2008-10-09). "Consolidate chronological listing of GTMO detainees released, transferred or deceased (see page 5 of 9)" (PDF). Department of Defense. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  11. OARDEC (22 September 2004). "Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal --Al Daihani, Mohammed Fenaital Mohamed" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. pp. 52–53. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
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