By IRNA,
London : British banks are being accused of systematically targeting Muslim charities after a second humanitarian organisation had its accounts closed this month.
The Ummah Welfare Trust (UWT), which carries out relief operations in more than 20 countries, expressed its ‘dismay’ in receiving a 30 day notice from Barclays Bank without any apparent reason.
The closing of its accounts comes after Interpal, Britain’s leading charity operating in the occupied territories, had a similar notification about Lloyds TSB no longer clearing its checks.
UWT, which has been banking with Barclays since its inception in 2001, criticized the decision to close its accounts as being ‘without justification’.
“This decision will not only affect the great work carried out by UWT but will affect millions of people who rely on UWT,” the trust’s director of operations, Mohammed Ahmed said.
“Targeting charities in this way shows there is a conceited attempt to stop the good work in politically-sensitive regions by leading British Muslim charities,” Ahmed said in a statement obtained by IRNA.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) criticized what it called the ‘summary closures and denial of services’ by the banks towards institutions affiliated to its umbrella organization.
“We are deeply worried by these developments because in every reported instance no explicit reasons are given by the banks,” said MCB deputy secretary general, Daud Abdullah.
“Clearly those worst affected would not be the officials who administer the charities but the tens of thousands of impoverished people who rely on their humanitarian aid and support,” Abdullah warned.
“We have already communicated our concerns to the highest level of government, the Charity Commission and the banks concerned and have been assured that the matter is dealt with utmost urgency,” he added.
Some organizations are so incensed by the closure that they are calling on Muslims to petition British bank and review who they are banking with.
UWT said that despite the measures it was still able to use conventional banking facilities to disperse funds for its projects and urged donors to continue to support its projects across the Muslim world.