JEDDAH â Somali Consul General Muhammad Elmi Omer on Thursday expressed concern over the closure of the Riyadh-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundationâs office in Somalia. The charity, which the United States suspects of having links to terrorist groups, said it had decided to shut three of its offices abroad. The Islamic agency closed its doors in Somalia on Saturday after the Saudi government ordered its international staff to leave the country, Nur Alasow a Somali employee of the agency told the IRIN news agency. âI am deeply shocked by the news of the closure of Al-Haramainâs office in Somalia,â Omer told Arab News. âThe Foundation has continued to be the only lifeline for the Somali people despite the lack of a functioning government. In a country with no effective government, no formal education system and health care, aid agencies are essential for ordinary peopleâs social and economic well-being. The absence of these charities directly affects the very survival of many Somalis,â he added.
Al-Haramain began its Somali activities in wake of the civil war in 1992. The organization ran a total of eight orphanages â five of them in capital Mogadishu â housing about 3,500 children throughout the country. It also financed over 100 schools and distributed thousands of tons of foodstuffs annually. âSince the collapse of Somali government, Arab and Islamic aid agencies have focused on providing humanitarian assistance to the needy people in the country,â Omer said. âThe Al-Haramain foundation has been one of the largest aid groups in Somalia.â He added that the aid agencies had invested in a series of important welfare projects including the renovation of schools and the payment of salaries for health personnel and schoolteachers. The consul general said the Western allegations that Islamic charities funded local Al-Qaeda cells in Somalia were based on misconceptions about the realities in the country. âThe Western countries should study the realities in Somalia. Any misconception can only exacerbate the poor conditions in the country.â
| I'm sure they'll be back, probably with another name and directors. Shipments of arms and ammunition will resume, and the madrassahs will go back to turning out jihadis. |
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