Sheikh Eid bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association

Eid Charity Foundation

مؤسسة عيد الخيريةArabic
Founded at	Qatar
Type	NGO Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Qatar
Region	Global
Official language	Arabic English Urdu
Slogan	Leadership in charitable and development work nationally and internationally
Website	https://www.eidcharity.net

Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association is a NGO and considered to be one of the largest charitable organizations in the Middle East, and was established in 1995 in Doha, Qatar.^[1] Was named after his excellency Sheikh Eid Ibn Mohammad ibn Thani ibn Jasim ibn Mohammad Al Thani (1922-1994).

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, it is one of several Qatari charities that comprise a “fairly well-developed sector providing aid and support at home and abroad.”^[2]

The association is alternatively known as the Sheikh Eid bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Organization, or the Eid Charity Foundation. Its mission, as described by the Gulf Times, is “to execute charitable and benevolent projects, develop volunteer work, and preserve noble values through skilled human resources, dynamic administrative systems and strategic organization.”^[3]

The Eid Charity Foundation has been described as a Government Organized Non-Governmental Organization (GONGO) with close ties to government institutions.^[4] Eid Charity has been suspected of having ties to individuals and groups engaged in activities in support of terrorist organizations or individual terrorists.

Relief and Humanitarian Efforts

Eid Charity provides a wide range of services to people in need in Qatar and elsewhere in the Middle East from food collection and distribution to the poor to supporting drug awareness and rehabilitation programs.^[3][5] It has also supported relief efforts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the Palestinian territories.^[6]

In August 2016, Eid Charity announced that the organization has obtained contracts to build 335 mosques in 17 countries around the world.^[7] According to reports, some of the 335 mosques have been built while others will be built throughout 2016. The construction of the mosques will cost about QR 21 million.^[8]

Eid Charity has also been active in supplying humanitarian aid to Aleppo during the 2016 Aleppo campaign. In August 2016, Eid Charity sent QR 1 million of humanitarian aid to Syrians in Aleppo.^[9] Earlier in 2016, Eid Charity had announced that they had 40 ambulances and approximately 150 paramedics operating in northern Syria.^[10]

In September 2016, Gulf Times reported that Eid Charity had successfully distributed sacrificial meat to approximately 500,000 people in 35 countries. The project cost QR 5.76 million and reached citizens in Myanmar, Yemen, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Somalia and others.^[11]

In 2015, Eid Bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association has conducted relief and development projects with a total cost of QR454 million during 2015 in 59 countries around the world. The association carried out more than 5700 projects. Relief aids topped the list of these projects, with an amount in excess of QR 118 million. The majority of the amount was directed towards Syrian refugees. ^{[12] [13] [14] [15] [16]}

In 2014, Eid Charity implemented more than 4000 humanitarian and development projects in 50 countries. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

In 2013, Eid Charity implemented around 4525 humanitarian and development projects in 27 countries . ^[20]

Leadership

Ali bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi is the Director General of Sheikh Eid bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association.^[21]

Ali bin Khaled al Hajri is the Executive Director of Foreign Projects at Eid Charity.^[22]

Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi, is a founder of the Sheikh Eid bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association in addition to previously serving as a President of the Qatar Football Association, and a history professor at Qatar University,^[23][24] In 2013, the U.S. Department of Treasury added al-Nuaimi to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) and described al-Nuaimi as a “a Qatar-based terrorist financier and facilitator who has provided money and material support and conveyed communications to al-Qa'ida and its affiliates in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen for more than a decade.”^[25] The announcement also claimed that al-Nuaimi had provided financial support to a charity headed by Al-Qaeda financier and SDGT Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Humayqani.^[26] Similar designations from the UN Security Council, EU, UK, and Turkey followed.^{[27][28][29][30]} Al-Nuaimi is also the Secretary General of the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign, an NGO that has repeatedly hosted Hamas leaders, and a founding member and former president of Alkarama, a Geneva-based human rights NGO that works with the UN to advocate for civil rights in the Arab World.^{[31][32][33][34]} In 2013, the Washington Post claimed that Alkarama “lobbies on behalf of Islamist detainees around the world”, including Islamist militias active in Syria, and accuses Western and Arab governments of undermining groups that promote Islamic rule.^[35] Humayqani is also an Alkarama founding member.^[36]

Hashim bin Mohammad al-Awadhy serves as the adviser to the Director General of Eid Charity.^[37] Al-Awadhy is a Qatari businessman and CEO of Qatar-based Retaj Hotels & Hospitality.^[38] He is also the owner of Rabea TV, a TV network broadcast from Istanbul in support of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.^[39] Hashim al-Awadhy’s son, Mohammed bin Hashim al-Awadhy, led an Islamic charitable organization and was reportedly killed while fighting with ISIS.

Partnerships

Qatargas

In April 2012, Qatargas announced it would donate to Eid Charity’s ‘Arshedny Center.’^[40] The announcement came during a brief ceremony held at Qatargas’ primary office in Doha between Qatargas Public Relations Manager Mansour Rashid al-Naimi and Eid Charity Director General Ali bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi. Qatargas’ donation will be used to support drug awareness and rehabilitation programs.

Al-Furqan Schools

The al-Furqan Schools is a boy’s only grades 1-12 academic institute located in Doha, Qatar and established in 1988. In 2014, the al-Furqan Schools qualified for the Qatari government’s educational voucher system for the 2014/15 academic year.

Eid Charity has extensive connections to the Doha-based al-Furqan Schools. The General Manager of the al-Furqan Schools, Khalifa bin Mohammed al-Rabban is a member of Eid Charity.^[41] Al-Rabban is also a Member of the Council of Alkarama along with Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi.^[42] Abd al-Wahhab al-Humayqani is a founding member of Alkarama.^[43] Al-Rabban is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign and has been pictured with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.^[44][45]

Eid Charity and the al-Furqan Schools have partnered on several initiatives. In January 2009, the al-Furqan Schools submitted a QR 1 million check to Eid Charity for aid relief in Gaza and Eid Charity led a three program course named “Gaza, a Code of Honor” with al-Furqan’s preparatory and secondary schools.^[46][47]In 2013, the al-Furqan Schools donated QR 1 million to Eid Charity which led Eid Charity to establish the Furqan Summer Center under the supervision of the Qatari Ministry of Islamic Affairs. ^[48][49] The al-Furqan Schools have been recognized by Eid Charity for their close partnership and support.^[50]

The “Union of Good”

The Union of Good is an umbrella organization with over 50 charities and organizations that financially support Hamas.^[51] The Union of Good was founded in May 2001 and is based in Saudi Arabia.^[52]In a 2008 speech by then Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Barak announced that members of the “Union of Good” organization led by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, were part of Hamas’s fundraising network.^[53] Qaradawi is a controversial figure for views such as the perceived legitimization of suicide attempts and is widely considered to be the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.^[54] Eid Charity was named in the list of the Union of Good member organizations along with designated terrorist organizations such as the al-Aqsa Foundation, Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Developmen, Interpal, and others.^[55] In 2008, The U.S. Department of the Treasury described the Union of Good as an organization created by Hamas leadership in order to receive funds and was thus subject to U.S. sanctions.^[56]

Madid Ahl al-Sham

Madid Ahl al-Sham is a defunct, Qatar-based online fundraising campaign suspected of supporting al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra.^[57][58]Madid Ahl al-Sham was affiliated with U.S. Treasury SDGT Sa’d bin Sa’d Muhammad Shariyan al-Kabi and Abd al-Latif Bin Abdallah Salih Muhammad al-Kawari.^{[59][60][61][62]} Al-Kabi and al-Kawari are both SDGT for their roles in financing and facilitating al-Nusra Front and al-Qaeda, respectively. Al-Kawari worked closely with US- and UN- designated terrorist financiers Hassan Ghul and Ibrahim Issa al-Bakr to transfer money to al-Qaeda in Pakistan.^[63] In 2014, the Department of State described Madid Ahl al-Sham as an “online fundraising campaign that was suspected of sending funds to violent extremist elements in Syria.”^[64]

In June 2014, a solicitation for donations from Qatari citizens on behalf of Madid Ahl al-Sham was announced under the supervision of Eid Charity. The solicitation requested donations of QR 20 or QR 200 to fund another person’s Iftar meal.^[65]

Ooredoo

Ooredoo, an international telecommunications company based in Qatar, has also partnered with Eid Charity. As of 2016, Ooredoo customers can donate to Eid Charity through Ooredoo Self-Service Machines (SSM).^[66] The partnership is intended to make donations in Qatar easy and instantaneous.

References