Thread by @DisinfoLab

US based Pak-linked ‘Charity’ Orgs started collecting funds in name of helping India in Covid. After collecting millions $, sent peanuts in help! And the money looted could go to terror finance.
#CovidAidScam2021 examines this colossal loot.
(1/n)

thedisinfolab.org/covid-aid-scam…

This was a well-planned operation - to exploit the tragedy as opportunity - and this was not first time such heist was taking place, but one of the biggest till date. (2/n)

Capitalizing on India’s goodwill, several charity grps collected huge funds worldwide in the name of Covid help. One such org was IMANA-Islamic Medical Ass. of North America. It launched fund raiser campaign #HelpIndiaBreath on Insta, Gofundme & its website(3/n)

IMANA

It is Illinois (US) based medical relief organization established as Islamic Medical Association (IMA) in 1967 & renamed to IMANA. It was formed by the core members of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). IMANA Relief Chair is Dr Ismail Mehr-Pak origin, US Citizen.
4/n

The collection was so much that IMANA kept revising its target. IMANA Relief Chairman Dr Mehr claimed on May 7th that they got $100k first day, and thereafter $100k per hour! meaning anywhere bw INR 30 cr – 150 cr was collected by IMANA alone. #IMANACaresFraud
5/n

What happened to all the money?

IMANA was opaque about how this huge sum was to be spent. They made rather tall claims, including tie up with @airindiain,@DRDO_India and @AgriGoI – but there has been nothing to show on ground at all.
6/n

Farce in the Name of Help

IMANA did claim to send 100 Oxy-Concentrators to Shifa Hospital, Ahmadabad in collaboration with another US based ‘charity’ Saiyad Fdn. Ironically, SF was a defunct org which separately collected $ 80k aprox in name of #HelpGujratBreath!
7/n

So together IMANA & Saiyed Fdn sent 120 Conc. from Crores of rupees collected. Ironically, Saiyed fdn earlier had claimed to have purchased 125 Concentrators before IMANA pitched in! Shifa is run by Gujarat Sarvajanik Welfare Trust (non-FCRA) & was in news for wrong reasons
8/n

An institutionalized deception

Its nt 1st time IMANA was bluffing. It has claimed several charity in India in past– but provides no details abt quantity, places, & beneficiaries. IMANA’s financial statements submitted to tax authorities (2016-19) show ZERO expenses in India!
9/n

Fakery Goes Deeper:

IMANA be so fake, not only it fabricates stories of help, they have stolen images of others’ charity work to show as theirs – not once but twice. A pic from Chinar Fdn was used in Mar 2021 as diabetic camp in India – and in May 2021 – as Covid help!
10/n

9 – Bluff goes Global

While no help came to India, IMANA launched another fund-raiser for Gaza! On 19th May, IMANA claimed $2 Mn of help to Gaza, edited to $7.6 Mn within 2 days! So it delivered $5.6 mn in 2 days or was bluffing. BDW total collection in name of Gaza-$23k!
11/n

The timeline of lies

The lies were intricate, and the cover up seemed good – with all videos of equipment in 'Chicago warehouse' & 'ready to be shipped' that it was hard to get to bottom. And anyone questioning was accused of #Islamophobia!
12/n

Free for All

India’s crisis became money minting machine – even the orgs who work against India’s interests didn’t hesitate to seek fund in name of helping India including Islamic Circle of North America, Helping Hand for Relief & Development & Human Concerns International.
13/n

Terror Links:

All these organizations have strong links with Pak based radical Islamists and terror groups including Al-Qaeda, HM, Let. The linkages have been detailed in Report as well as in our Report on USCIRF. (14/n)

https://twitter.com/DisinfoLab/status/1384900032839700482

Then There are more:

It was found that 66 Fund Raisers were being run on a single platforms – Launch Good – in name of India - and collected another $800k+. None of the groups gave details abt help and beneficiaries, except scanty facts here and there.
#CovidAidHeist
(15/n)

Launch Good

It was founded in 2013 by people associated with ISNA – the parent body of IMANA. Launch Good claimed to have helped raising over $243.8M US in 149 countries. It is rather lax in ensuring any transparency on fund collection and its expenditure.
16/n

Pak Military Links (Milbus)

One of the orgs that IMANA ‘helps’ is Al-Mustafa Welfare Trust - which Pak 'Milbus' uses for benefits of fraternity. AMWT is run by retired military officials. Incidentally IMANA’s Operations Director Zahid Mahmood is Ex-Pak Naval Officer.
17/n

Global Terror Links – JeI/ Hamas

IMANA/ ISNA have also been funding Al-Khidmat, the ‘charity wing’ of JeI, and has also been funding Hamas. ISNA has also links with Holy Land Foundation, banned in USA for HAMAS links.
18/n

The Loop Closes

No surprise that these ‘Charities’ having linked with terror groups r also associated with grps, actively lobbying against India – Indian American Muslim Council, Justice for All, Sound Vision & Islamic Circle of North America. (Rfr our USCIRF Report)
19/n

A Dreadful Scenario:

The fund collected in name of helping India could go to one of these places – what would be your choices?
(20/n)

Conclusion:

Orgs with terror links able to collect funds in name of India w/o having any capacity to help & without accountability. Provide no help & yet continue to run operations in US &elsewhere, collect funds. AND social media & Fund-raisers continue to enable them! (21/n)

Postscript:

If its any consolation, the donations have helped AT LEAST one man – Chairman IMANA. Latest update – he is probably vacationing in Pakistan, as per his latest social media post. (22/n)

50 days since fund collection started. India was in need and ppl were waiting, hoping for helps to arrive. We also waited for long before publishing the story, hoping this not be a scam.

No help came.

Its a crime against humanity – and cud make people lose faith in charity.