WHILE OTHER nongovernmental organizations get financial support from Western countries, Islamic groups in the Philippines source their funds from donors in the Middle East.

Samira Ali Gutoc, spokesperson of the Young Muslim Professionals, says the lack of government support for Islamic propagation force local Islamic scholars to seek donations from funders in countries like Saudi Arabia. Intelligence reports concede that most of that money is used to build mosques, medical clinics, and schools. But they also say some of the funds have found their way into the hands of terrorist organizations.

One of those accused of channeling funds from Islamic charities to support terror groups is Khalifah, the former head of the IIRO’s Manila office. Khalifah established the Benevolence International, an Islamic charity organization that used to hold office at Room 202 of the United Methodist Church in Manila.

	In South Cotabato, lessons given by Muslim religious leaders usually end with a prayer for peace. [Edwin Mercurio]

Khalifah, who was married to one of bin Laden’s sisters, registered his organization as a rattan-furniture trading company. But intelligence reports say Khalifah used the company to siphon off money from Islamic charities to support the bandit Abu Sayyaf Group.

A “confidential intelligence report” shown to i magazine even links a Balik-Islam organization to several foreigners believed to have financed the “recruitment and indoctrination” of members of a local terrorist cell allegedly connected to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

An intelligence briefing posted in 2002 on the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies website named the “terrorist cell” as the “Rahah Saliaman Movement.” The APCSS is a joint project of the United States Pacific Command and the armed forces of countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Another intelligence report talks of a “Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM),” which it describes as a small cell of “Muslim radicals” that has links to some of the institutions established by Khalifah “in support of Ramzi Yousef, the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF.” According to this report, the “funding and support for the movement came from the (ISCAG) led by (Al-Lahim), a 67-year-old Saudi National, who is thought to be a key conduit of money to terrorist and separatist groups in the Philippines.”

In addition, the report says, “Beneath the ISCAG are three smaller NGOs, the Darul Hijrah Foundation (DHF), (ICC) and the (IWW) Mission.” It says the DHF was founded by “several MILF members” including Abdul Nasser Nooh, reportedly the MILF liaison officer in Manila, and Yusop Alongan, said to be the MILF finance committee chairman.

The report says that the IWW, which is said to be run by Mohammad Amin Soloman Al-Ghafari, took over where Khalifah’s organization left off in 1995, when the Philippine government shut it down. According to the report, the IWW hired Khalifah’s staff and took over much of its “philanthropic” network.

The report also links the IWW to both the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf. One of RSM’s supposed central committee members, Sheikh Omar Lavilla, was reportedly a classmate of Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani at Mindanao State University.

Lavilla traveled to Mindanao in November 2001 where he received P10 million from Janjalani, says the report. It also claims that several RSM leaders went to MILF camps between August 1999 and December 2001 and received training there.

Yet another intelligence report identifies Al-Lahim and Jordanian Nedha Falah Awwad Al-Dhalain as RSM financiers. According to this document, the two funneled funds to the RSM using several layers of fronts and conduits.

Al-Lahim is said to be the head of ISCAG, which is based in Dasmariñas, Cavite, while the report points to Al-Dhalain as the boss of the Darul Hijrah Foundation, as well as the IIC in Makati. Darul Hijrah has been closed after media reports began linking it to terror groups. Al-Lahim has been in and out of the country since Feb. 2, 1998, first arriving as a temporary visitor, then later admitted as permanent resident. His last recorded departure was on April 7, 2002.

Al-Dhalain is a holder of a temporary resident visa issued on July 19, 1995. His visa was extended twice, the first until July 1998, and then until July 2002. The last extension, however, was discovered to be a fake. Al-Dhalain reportedly left the country on Oct. 27, 2001. Authorities believe, however, that he has been able to reenter the country using a false passport.

Other organizations mentioned in the intelligence report are the Fi Sabilillah, the IWW, and the Al Maarif Educational Center. All groups have denied allegations that they have connections with terrorists or terrorist organizations and insist they conduct only legitimate activities.

When i magazine tried to talk recently with members of the IIC and the IWW, they said they would agree to an interview if it would be only about Islam. A member of one of the groups said, “Huwag mo sanang i-associate ‘yung center para ‘di alanganin. Iba ang issue ngayon, ‘pag may konting sablay ka lang ng words mo, pwede kang i-associate sa terrorism (Please don’t associate the center with anything else so we won’t be put in a delicate spot. It’s difficult these days, you say just one small thing, and you can already be associated with terrorism).”