Muslims Rank as Most Generous Donor Group in British Survey
July 23, 2013, 9:53 am
A U.K. poll found that Muslims in that nation donate more on average to charity than other religious groups, NBC News reports.
Adherents of Islam gave an average of $567 to charity in 2012, according to the survey of 4,036 U.K. residents by ICM Research. Jews gave $412, Protestants $308, Roman Catholics $272, and atheists $177.
The U.K. findings follow a recent international survey by the Pew Research Center that found that 77 percent of Muslims give to charity, and data from philanthropy Web site JustGiving.com show nearly 70 percent growth in the last two years in Muslims’ use of online methods for Zakat, the Islamic practice of donating to charity.
Charity Commission condemns 'abhorrent' abuse of Muslim Aid by terror plotters
The Charity Commission's head of investigations and enforcement has condemned the abuse of the charity Muslim Aid by terrorist plotters who used bogus collections to fund their criminal activities.
Ashik Ali, Irfan Khalid and Irfan Naseer were convicted in Woolwich Crown Court yesterday of 12 counts of committing acts in preparation for terrorist attacks, which they funded by fraudulently presenting themselves as charity fundraisers. The men used high visibility vests and collection buckets bearing Muslim Aid's name to raise more than £14,000 of which only £1,500 reached the charity.
The plotters planned to set off up to eight explosive devices in crowded areas. Specialist counter terrorism prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, Karen Jones, said the men "had dangerous aspirations and whilst the precise targets remained unclear, the potential for damage and the loss of life from their plot should not be underestimated". Two of the men had travelled to Pakistan for expert training and preparation and assisted four others from Birmingham in doing the same.
At an earlier hearing a genuine Muslim Aid volunteer, 26-year-old Rahin Ahmed had pleaded guilty to assisting the plots. Ahmed registered as a Muslim Aid volunteer in 2009. In Ramadan 2011 he was asked to fundraise for specific dates in which permits were obtained, advised a spokeswoman for Muslim Aid. He was later blacklisted after police informed the charity of his criminal activity. Ahmed deposited £14,000 worth of collections in his personal account before it was transfered into a 'Forex' capital markets trading company in a failed attempt to boost funds, which instead lost £9,000. Muslim Aid received just £1,500.
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