MOSCOW, October 22 (RIA Novosti) - The UK's Prime Minister David Cameron has announced new efforts to shut down charities funding terrorists such as the Islamic State (IS) on Wednesday.
"Today's changes will help make sure that when people donate to charity, their money always goes to genuinely good causes. They will help us become a country that stands even taller in the world, and prouder and stronger too," Cameron was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
Measures will allow the Charity Commission to prevent criminals from misusing funds donated to charities, according to The Telegraph. Cameron also announced some 8 million GBP ($12.9 million) of funding would be given to the Charity Commission to expel charity trustees which have included convicted terrorists and pedophiles in the past.
"The additional funding and the new powers will help us promote public trust in charities and ensure that charities continue to play their vital role in our society," chairman of the Charity Commission, William Shawcross was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
The Commission will work towards strengthening charities' measures countering exploitation including increased diligence checks on individuals and organizations as well as the monitoring of charity fund use and ensuring money reaches its appropriate destination.
Some 16 British charities have been investigated by the Commission in recent years on suspicion of using charity funds for terrorist or extremist groups.
Bolstered measures are targeting incidents such the charity organization, Muslim Aid, which raised 12,000 GBP by three British Islamists posing as street collectors in 2013. The money was raised to aid in a mass suicide plot in the United Kingdom. The three men were jailed in February of 2013 upon discovery of the al-Qaeda approved terrorist plans.
The Charity Commission has welcomed Cameron’s announcement, however charities that work within Muslim communities said the policies may be perceived as Islamophobic across the country, Russia Today (RT) News Agency reported.
“The new laws will add suspicion on Muslim charities and will lead to suffering, and potentially a loss of life for people on the receiving end”, CAGE UK communications officer Amandla Thomas-Johnson told RT.
