Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi

Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi (Abderrahman Al Nuaimi), (born 1954)[1] is a Qatari human rights advocate and co-founder of Alkarama. He previously taught Islamic Studies at Qatar University and once served as President of the Qatar Football Association.[2] He also was a founding board member of the Eid bin Mohammed Al Thani Charitable Association and a past board member of Qatar Islamic Bank.[3][4] He has been accused of being “one of the world’s most prolific terrorist financiers.”[5]

Political views

Al-Nuaimi was a staunch critic of the domestic policies of the former of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa. In 1998, he circulated a letter condemning the emir's decisions to enfranchise women and to allow the sale of alcohol, as well as other policies undertaken by the emir which he described as being contrary to Islamic tradition.[6][7] The letter was published in local newspapers and was signed by twelve other men, three of whom were members of the ruling family. He was detained without charge the same year, prompting protests in Britain by Islamic activists. He was released in 2001.[6]

Human rights advocacy

In 2004, al-Nuaimi co-founded Alkarama, a Geneva-based human rights organization.[8] Its mission is to “assist all those in the Arab World subjected to or at risk of extra-judicial executions, disappearances, torture and arbitrary detention,” by connecting them with “international human rights mechanisms.”[9] Alkarama has worked with United Nations human rights bodies including the Committee Against Torture and the Human Rights Committee, as well as prominent international human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.[8][10][11] Although he denied the accusations leveled against him, he resigned as president of Alkarama after being named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States Department of the Treasury.[11][12]

Terrorism accusations and international sanctions

On December 18, 2013, al-Nuaimi was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the United States Department of the Treasury, which described him as “a Qatar-based terrorist financier and facilitator who has provided money and material support and conveyed communications to al-Qa'ida and its affiliates in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen for more than a decade.” The Treasury Department alleged that, for an unspecified period of time, al-Nuaimi funneled over $2 million per month to Al-Qaeda in Iraq. He is also accused of providing $600,000 to Al-Qaeda representatives in Syria and $250,000 to Al-Shabaab in Somalia, in addition to an undisclosed amount to a Yemeni charity that funneled money to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. While the accusations of financial support to terrorist organizations received the most attention, U.S. authorities also accused al-Nuaimi of providing communications and other support to the Iraqi insurgency between 2003 and 2004.[1] Subsequent media reports noted al-Nuaimi’s history of extremist views, particularly with regard to women’s rights.[10][13]

Al-Nuaimi has steadfastly denied the allegations, and the executive director of Alkarama—which is not itself accused of any wrongdoing—has argued that al-Nuaimi’s designation as a terrorist financier and facilitator is a politically motivated attempt to silence a critic of United States policy in the Middle East. As part of its human rights work, Alkarama has documented civilian casualties resulting from U.S. drone strikes in Yemen.[11] Human rights groups stress that Alkarama itself is a legitimate organization that has provided important access to information in cases of human rights violations in the region.[10][11]

The designation by the United States was followed by similar designations by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Turkey, resulting in a travel and ban and a freeze of al-Nuaimi’s assets.[14][15][16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 "Treasury Designates Al-Qa’ida Supporters in Qatar and Yemen" (Press release). U.S. Department of the Treasury. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Former head of human rights charity accused of leading double life as terrorist fundraiser". The Telegraph. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Mendick, Robert (12 October 2014). "Al-Qaeda terror financier worked for Qatari government". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  4. ↑ Dettmer, Jamie (10 December 2014). "U.S. Ally Qatar Shelters Jihadi Moneymen". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  5. ↑ Ross, Tim; Mendick, Robert; Malnick, Edward (18 October 2014). "Terrorist paymaster targeted by Britain". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Detained Qatari Islamist Opposition Figure Released". Al Bawaba. 9 April 2001. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2000". US Department of State. 23 February 2001. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Alkarama's History". en.alkarama.org. Alkarama Foundation. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "About Us - Alkarama Foundation". en.alkarama.org. Alkarama Foundation. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Lake, Eli (20 December 2013). "Terrorists for Human Rights". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Kerr, Simeon (20 December 2013). ; http://dohanews.co/us-adds-qatari-human-rights-advocate-to-terrorist-watch-list/ "US sanctions prominent rights activist for alleged al-Qaeda links" Check |url= value (help). Financial Times. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  12. ↑ Khatri, Shabina S. (22 December 2013). "US adds Qatari human rights advocate to ‘terrorist’ watch list". Doha News. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  13. ↑ Blair, David; Spencer, Richard (20 September 2014). "Former head of human rights charity accused of leading double life as terrorist fundraiser". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Fourteen Individuals and Two Entities to Its Sanctions List" (Press release). United Nations Security Council. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 1058/2014 of 8 October 2014, amending for the 221st time Council Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities associated with the Al Qaida network". EUR-Lex. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Consolidated list of financial sanctions targets in the UK". Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  17. ↑ "Turkey adds more than a dozen names to al-Qaeda list". Hurriyet Daily News. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
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