http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1140442247268700.xml&coll=2
A KindHearts primer
Monday, February 20, 2006
What is KindHearts?
A Toledo-based nonprofit that collects more than $4 million a year in donations, making it one of the largest Muslim charities in the United States.
Why did the government raid KindHearts' offices and freeze its assets?
The Treasury Department has accused KindHearts of funneling money to Hamas, which the government considers a terrorist organization.
Who runs KindHearts?
Khaled Smaili of Toledo founded it in 2002. He is a former fund-raiser for Global Relief Foundation, a charity that the United States shut down for funding terrorism. Jihad Smaili, Khaled Smaili's brother, serves on KindHearts' board of directors and is the group's attorney from his downtown Cleveland office.
Where does the money go?
KindHearts insists that most of it goes to help needy Palestinians in both the Palestinian territories and Lebanon. The U.S. government claims that KindHearts is also supporting Hamas.
How does KindHearts raise money?
Through its Web site, www.kind-hearts.org, and at fund-raisers held across the country, usually at mosques.
When did KindHearts open?
In 2002, after the U.S. government closed the three largest Muslim charities in the country, accusing each of supporting terror.
Global Relief - NY Times reporters Judith Miller and Philip Shenon allegedly leaked enough info to alert that organization of an impending raid. [Could have been someone else, though] In any case Fitzgerald's Grand Jury investigation into GRF must still be active.