Muhammad Al-Baladi
Have you ever financed a terrorist cell before? I know this is a shocking question. Before answering in the negative, let me tell you that you may have financed a terrorist cell without knowing it. It could happen to anyone. Our money could be used, without our knowledge, to finance terrorists. That does not mean we support terrorism or that we are gullible. No, it means that some terrorist groups use very sophisticated methods to trick us by disguising themselves as charity organizations. We have to be aware of these methods.
One of the ways these groups do this is by exploiting religious and humanitarian rhetoric to achieve their goals. They steal money by claiming to carry out charity work, such as building mosques, digging wells, constructing hospitals or schools and helping orphans and victims of wars. We should differentiate between official licensed charities and those run by terrorist groups, mostly online and specifically through social media websites.
Some real estate investments that promise quick and high returns are run by terrorist groups who look for quick and easy money. The groups sometimes operate under the cover of investment companies or money exchange agencies to launder money to terrorists. It is difficult for most governments to track down such operations let alone crack down on those who run them. Some terrorist groups are engaged in the drug trade. Examples of such groups include Hezbollah in Lebanon, Afghan warlords and Al-Qaeda in Morocco.
A report issued by the World Bank states that Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) managed to plunder over $400 million from Iraqi banks in 2014. Iran supports and finances terrorism to achieve its political and economic goals. Some terrorist groups engage in human trafficking and kidnapping. We have to open our eyes wide and be careful not to be deceived by terrorists.
