by Ganesh Sahathevan
Much has already been said on this blog about Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim, the International Institute of Islamic Thought of which he is a founder and director, and their role in the financing of jihadist and Islamist organisations known to be involved in acts of terrorism.( See http://www.terrorfinance.org/the_terror_finance_blog/2007/02/yassin_alkadia_.html)
The events following the most recent complaint and his subsequent arrest in Malaysia for sodomy throws some further light on the part he plays in the financing of jihadism, Islamism and the consequent acts of terrorism. Some of these events are as follows:
a) A who' who of the Islamic world have signed a petition citing The Quran essentially demanding that the charges against Anwar Ibrahim be dropped. These include Yusuf Islam (or "Dr"Yusuf Islam as seems to be addressed these days), founder of Muslim Aid. Muslim Aid and its links to terrorist financing have been extensively reported here-see http://www.terrorfinance.org/the_terror_finance_blog/2008/06/sdgt-interpal-1.html
Another is Grand Mufti of Bosnia, Mustafa Ceric, who is reported to be amongst those in charge of the Third World Relief Agency, a known conduit for the financing of terrorism-http://www.nato.int/sfor/media/2003/ms030725t.htm
From Indonesia is Prof. Dr. Din Syamsuddin ,President, Central Board of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia, who has openly supported Ustaz Abu Bakar Bashir the leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah, the South-East Asian arm of the Al-Qaeda.
See www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2368802)
One name that is absent, at least for the time being, is that of Sheik Yusuf Al-Qardawi, for whom Anwar has great admiration. Qaradawi is also a board member of the IIIT. (see http://www.qldmuslims.org.au/modules/news/article.php?storyid=269 AND http://www.qldmuslims.org.au/modules/news/article.php?storyid=269)
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak recently signed an order declaring 36 funds around the world, members of the "Union of Good" organization, to be banned associations in Israel since they are part of Hamas's fundraising network, and both support and assist it. Qaradawi is said to be founder and chairman of the "Union of Good."
-see http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2008/Defense+Minister+signs+order+banning+Hamas-affiliated+charitable+organizations+7-Jul-2008.htm and http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1132475632364&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
b) Anwar Ibrahim has lodged a report at the Federal Territory (Malaysia) Religious Department against his accuser, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan saying the 23-year-old former aide has falsely accused him of fornication.
He made the report under Section 41 Qazaf (false accusation) of the Federal Territory Syariah Criminal Offence Act 1997.
Under Section 42, if someone accuses another person of fornication "without providing four male witness or the iqrar (oath) of the person who is accused" the accuser has committed an offence in which he (the accuser) can be fined up to RM5,000 or jailed up to three years or both.
http://thestar.com.my/services/printerfriendly.asp?file=/2008/7/9/nation/20080709112956.asp&sec=nation
The requirement for four male witness or the iqrar (oath) of the person who is accused appears to make irrelevant evidence usually admissible in a civil court including , DNA, medical reports and CCTV recordings.
Anwar has since refused to have DNA samples extracted from himself, even if this were to be done by an independent non-Malaysian expert: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/18/nation/21856305&sec=nation
Yet, many Westerners believe Anwar to be a liberal who would prefer the rule of civil law rather than Sharia. This belief is often relied on to argue against any evidence of his involvement in the financing of terrorism , or at the very least, structures that lead to acts of terrorism.
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