Muslim Aid Outraged With 7.30 Report - Press Release

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Friday 27 June 2003 Muslim Aid Outraged With 7.30 Report - Press Release by Muslim Aid Australia MAA is outraged that The 7.30 Report has misused and misrepresented MAA’s name and activities to gratuitously decorate its alarming story on Kompak and its activities in Indonesia. Through a series of omissions of fact and context, the 7.30 Report has unfairly painted and tarnished MAA into the same background as the “terror network”, for the sake of cobbling a “link” to Australian charities. 1. The 7.30 Report wrongly claimed that MAA actively raised funds for Kompak, per se. The fact is that MAA had preexisting funds for which it sought an Indonesian-based partner, to assist recent earthquake victims in Bengkulu (Sumatra). Dewan Dakwah (which incorporates Kompak) presented itself as a viable organisation to deliver Food Packs and Hygiene Packs, and so MAA in expediency ran with them. The 7.30 Report also knowingly failed to report that Dewan Dakwah had subsequently provided MAA a credible report (including photographs) accounting for the $5000 disbursement. The 7.30 Report failed to produce evidence that the $5000 did not go to earthquake victims, but was happy to run with an unquestioned assumption that it was misspent. 2. The 7.30 Report knowingly failed to contextualise that MAA’s association with Dewan Dakwah: Kompak was a “one-off”, which was simply borne of expediency and crisis response. MAA is not a conduit, a source of on-going supply, of funds to Kompak. MAA is only a conduit of funds to bona fide aid organisations and bona fide aid activities; and, will do all in its power to prevent the contrary from occurring. 3. The 7.30 Report knowingly failed to contextualise the time frame in which MAA made that “one-off” disbursement to Dewan Dakwah: Kompak. Funds were remitted 3 years ago, in June 2000. This predates the alertness and caution against terror organisations and activities which September 11 (2001) and the Bali Bombings had brought to centre stage. To underline MAA’s bona fides as an overseas aid/development agency even more, MAA has, since September 11, legislated into its constitution, policies & procedures, and funding agreements, a "Disassociation from Militarist/Terror Organisations and Activities" clause. It is worthwhile also to reiterate that MAA is proudly a member of ACFOA and is signatory to its Code of Conduct, both of which place imperatives of probity, accountability, and propriety on our part. We should recount that the director-general of ASIO, Dennis Richardson, told the Senate committee regarding the case of Bali, that there had been a failure to discern early enough that JI had become a terrorist organisation able to launch an attack. He said: It was not on our radar screen as a terrorist organisation before December 2001 and combined with the differences within Indonesia about JI, there was insufficient time before Bali to do what might have been able to be done if JI had been identified a year or two earlier as a terrorist threat If this is the difficulty faced by ASIO, our pre-eminent security and intelligence agency, how much more difficult is it for the radar screens of aid agencies and other NGOs? What chance did MAA have 3 years ago, which was well before the raising of the international terror alert per 11 September 2001? Indeed, the 7.30 Report failed to establish this context in which MAA, and all other bona fide Australian aid agencies, operate under. MAA is also disturbed at the implications of the conclusion reached by The 7.30 Report, which questions and taints all funds raised for overseas aid activities. MAA cannot but conclude that the 7.30 Report was reckless and indifferent to MAA per se, the Australian Muslim community at large (whom are typical media soft-targets), and the Australian NGO community (whom have a noble and difficult mission before them). We pray for the well-being of those whom will have to endure the backlash arising from the irresponsible journalism exhibited in The 7.30 Report, of Tuesday 24 June 2003. MAA will be actively seeking redress from the ABC regarding the defamatory portrayals and misrepresentations.
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