Authority Freezes Accounts Of Islamic Charity Groups

Fathi Sabbah      Al-Hayat      2003/08/29

Gaza   

Thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, gathered in front of the Palestinian Legislative Council headquarters in Gaza yesterday, to denounce the Palestinian Authority's decision to freeze the accounts of five Islamic charity organizations that offer aid to thousands of people in need. Hamas criticized this step saying that "it only serves the enemy." On the other hand, the Authority was seeking to limit the repercussions of this step, noting that it "took specific measures to avoid causing harm to the beneficiaries of these organizations."    

In parallel, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced yesterday that he ordered the Israeli army to take "all necessary measures" towards the Palestinian activists, after these launched a missile on the city of Ashkelon, in an unprecedented operation.

He described the situation saying that the Hamas "terrorist movement" had escalated the situation to a new stage, when it launched for the first time a rocket on a city, south of the country, Ashkelon, seeking to hit a strategic target, which is one of the largest power plants.

The decision to freeze the funds was issued by the Palestinian Monetary Authority, based on a decision by the Palestinian Deputy General, and as a result of U.S. and Israeli pressure. The organizations targeted are the Islamic Goodness Organization, the Islamic Organization, Young Islamic Girls Organization, Nour Charity and the Organization of Students' Friends.

"Who will protect our orphans?"

In the court of the Legislative council, thousands of Palestinians were shouting slogans, and the banners they held summed up the nature of the crisis, as some asked "who will protect our orphans?" while others read: "we want to eat," "we are not terrorists," and hundreds of voices were chanting: "There is only one God, and the orphan is God's most beloved," "there is no substitute to orphans' protection."

Among the crowd, Omran stopped a wheelchair, where his 13 year-old daughter was sitting, and he held the picture of his children, and told his story: "I am a father of 11 children, three of them are disabled and sick, and we haven't yet found food today," adding, "we will not be able to provide them with food and medication after today" because the Islamic Goodness Organization, which assets have been frozen, used to provide financial and material aid and help us "lead a decent life." He added angrily: "I will not wait to see my children die before my eyes; they are pushing us to escalate the opposition, and to other things we never used to think of before." He also said: "We ask everybody to help us and have pity on us," wondering: "Where is this society that calls itself democratic," to see how our children and Palestine's children are living?"

Mahmud, a 12-year-old orphan has another story. His mother "was unable to get the school uniform for me and to my four brothers and sisters, because she can't afford it. He explained that his family's situation was going to get worse after the decision to freeze the assets; "isn't it enough that I was deprived of my father and now they are depriving me of my right to live in dignity and to be like all the other children?!"

Despite the lack of reliable statistics about the number of orphans, underprivileged, needy, martyrs' children and families and injured, to whom dozens of charity organizations were providing with help to lead a decent  life, it is clear that two thirds of the Palestinian people (around three million) are living under the poverty line, while the rate of unemployment reaches 60%.

By freezing the funds, thousands of families are going to find themselves left without the financial and material aid these organizations were bringing them, and which helped them survive and lead decent lives, and not go on the streets to beg. Despite the Authority statement, made by Information Minister Nabil Amro, that the Authority "has taken special measures to avoid any prejudice caused to the beneficiaries of these humanitarian organizations," these statements will remain promises until they are fulfilled.

In a region like Gaza, where around 1.5 million people live, two thirds are poor, and live on a land that has no resources, no more than 360 km2, one third of which is taken up settlements, such a decision is going to cause new social, political and security burdens.

Psychologists and sociologists say that the main motives for violence are feelings of injustice, repression, poverty, and political, opinion or other forms of discrimination. Such an environment is one of the major causes of violence and reactions. If the Monetary Authority does not retract its decision, thousands of Palestinians will have to be added to the list of hungry and needy people, while stepping up the tension between these people and the Palestinian Authority, which is believed to be under strong U.S. and Israeli pressure to target social institutions, and groups such as Hamas and Jihad. Many people familiar with the issue doubt that the Deputy General had issued a decision on which was based the decision of the director of the Monetary Authority, knowing that the Deputy General is still refusing to make any comments on the situation.