Fears of Inquiry Dampen Giving by U.S. Muslims -- NYT

[Bozita]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/30/us/30CHARITY.html?hp&ex=1162270800&en=b7e2277c4942f32c&ei=5094&partner=homepage

October 30, 2006

Fears of Inquiry Dampen Giving by U.S. Muslims
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

DEARBORN, Mich. — By the end of Ramadan last year, Najah Bazzy remembers having more than $10,000 in cash donations to distribute to the needy, and a vast auditorium ringed with tables groaning with enough free food for 400 poor families to celebrate the holiday.

This year, Mrs. Bazzy formalized the good works she had been doing for a decade among the tens of thousands of Muslims who live in the Dearborn area by establishing a charity, Zaman International.

But by the end of the holiday, charitable contributions were meager. She said cash donations amounted to less than $4,000, and for the first time since she began her charity work she bought food to feed about 85 needy families instead of counting on gifts.

There are similar stories in Muslim communities across the country. Fearful that donations to an Islamic charity could bring unwanted attention from federal agents looking into potential ties to terrorism, many Muslim Americans have become reluctant to donate to Islamic causes, including charities.

more...