Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:51, 2 November 2024

Revision as of 06:29, 11 November 2024

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In 1988 Shukri Abu Baker established a tax-exempt charity, called the Occupied Land Fund, based in [[Indiana]]. The following year the charity raised $300,000. Two years later the OLF was incorporated by Baker, [[Ghassan Elashi]], and Mohammad el-Mezain in California and renamed the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.<ref>Peled. p. 51</ref> In 1992, the HLF relocated to Richardson, Texas.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions%5Cpub%5C09/09-10560-CR0.wpd.pdf|title=Revised January 13, 2012 "The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit" United States of America vs Mohammad El-Mezain; Ghassan Elashi; Shukri Abu Bakr; Mufid Abdulqader; Abdulrahman Odeh; Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, also known as HLF. " No. 09-10560, Filed December 7, 2011, pg. 9}}</ref> It had offices in California, New Jersey, and Illinois, and individual representatives scattered throughout the US, the [[West Bank]], and [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]].

[[Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook]], a political leader of [[Hamas]] and long time US resident, donated $210,000 to HLF in the early 1992. The donation was made before Hamas became a Designated Terrorist Organization.<ref>[[Miko Peled|Peled, Miko]] (2018) ''Injustice. The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five''. Just World Books. {{ISBN|978-1-68257-085-2}}. p. 133</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-1996-06-13/html/CREC-1996-06-13-pt1-PgE1081-4.htm|title=Congressional Record, Volume 142, Issue 87 (Thursday, June 13, 1996) |website=www.govinfo.gov|access-date=2019-10-03}}</ref> During this time, the US government alleged that Marzook led Baker, el-Mezain, and Elashi to create other Hamas-supporting organizations in the United States, including media entity [[Islamic Association of Palestine]], and the [[United Association for Studies and Research]] (UASR).<ref name=":0" /> Abu Baker was reported having been on IAP's board. The 1992 donation was fully disclosed on the HLF's tax returns. Marzook was deported from the US to Jordan in 1997. He was [[indict]]ed on August 20, 2004, by a US federal [[grand jury]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. He and two other individuals were charged with a 15-year conspiracy to raise funds for terrorist attacks against [[Israel]]. Neither HLF nor any HLF officer was charged in the Chicago indictment.

In 1994, the [[Anti-Defamation League]] and the [[American Jewish Congress]] launched a campaign demanding that the [[IRS]] revoke the HLF's tax-exempt status; the campaign was supported by [[Charles Schumer]], [[Nita Lowey]] and [[Eliot Spitzer]].<ref>Peled. p. 56</ref>