Gifts to Islamic Charity Ruled OK Despite Raid

Federal officials say donors can still feel free to give to a prominent Islamic charity in Michigan whose offices were raided by federal agents on September 18, reports The Detroit News.

Law-enforcement officers from the terrorism task force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the raid on Life for Relief and Development, a 15-year-old Muslim relief organization. But the FBI has not placed the group on a list of charities that support terrorism.

Observant Muslims are directed by their religion to make charitable gifts during the month of Ramadan, an Islamic holiday that began on September 24.

In a related story, The Plain Dealer reports that Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has given a qualified endorsement to the group in question. “Based on what we know, and their track record, we recommend them to the community,” he says. “They have not been charged with any crime.”