Terror Finance Expert's Allegations of Ramadan -- Zawahiri Link Confirmed by Swiss Newspaper

A Swiss newspaper has independently confirmed Jean-Charles Brisard's charge that Tariq Ramadan had links with Ayman al-Zawahiri in the early 1990s.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 23, 2006 -- A Swiss newspaper has independently confirmed that al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri had links with Tariq Ramadan's brother Hani, when the brothers were leaders of the Islamic Center of Geneva. These allegations were recently made by Jean-Charles Brisard of the Terror Finance Blog (http://terrorfinance.org) in September.

According the online version of the Blick newspaper, a Swiss informant was able to confirm that Ayman al Zawahiri met at least three times with Hani Ramadan starting in March 1991. At the time, Hani Ramadan was director of the Islamic Center of Geneva, where Tariq is still an executive director. In other words, there is independent confirmation of links between Ayman al Zawahiri, the Islamic Center of Geneva, and the Ramadan brothers – yet another sound reason to bar Tariq Ramadan from entering the U.S.

Brisard made a number of other findings regarding Tariq Ramadan, such as the fact that Ramadan had contacts with at least 6 convicted terrorists and terrorist designated entities, including:

1. Ahmed Brahim (sentenced to 10 years in prison in Spain in April 2006 for incitement to terrorism)
2. Djamel Beghal (sentenced to 10 years in prison in France in March 2005 for his participation to a foiled terrorist attack against the US Embassy in Paris)
3. Menad Benchellali (sentenced to 10 years in prison in France in June 2006 for his participation to a foiled chemical attack in Paris)
4. An abstract of the (terrorist-designated) Al Taqwa Bank phonebook mentions Ramadan and his brother.

In addition to the above, Tariq Ramadan issued statements or publications in support of terrorism:

1. The website of the Islamic Center of Geneva (of which Tariq Ramadan is still an executive director) released a sermon on Iraq in August 2005 calling "to support our brothers in Fallujah and Southern Iraq against this unjust occupation, in reality the terrorists are the US administration, the Sharon government and the Putin government". This statement was clearly referring to the only insurgency force stationed at the time in Fallujah, Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (Al Qaeda in Iraq), in opposition to the "true" terrorists.
2. Muhammad Hamidullah, co-founder of the Islamic Center of Geneva, wrote that Jihad, whether it be defensive, punitive or preemptive, is allowed by religion, and that Muslim jihad is acted upon a « spirit of sacrifice to impose the voice of Allah »
3. In his book "Islam in questions" (published in 2002) he refers to suicide bombers as a "sacrifice" that "finds its justification in decades of accumulated suffering and Western passive responsibility"
4. He also refers in this book to Palestinians fighting "military targets", including non-combatants, to justify their terrorist acts
5. In an article published by the Spanish daily "El Pais" in 1996, while condemning the abuses of the Taliban he refers to this regime as "exemplary."

Finally, two co-founders of the Islamic Center of Geneva, Said Ramadan (Tariq Ramadan's father), and Abu al-Hassan Ali al-Nadawi, were founding members of the Muslim World League in 1962, which is a Saudi NGO associated with Al-Qaida operations since 1988, and labelled as a supporter of terrorism by several governments. The U.S. government recently decided to take action against several offices of its subsidiary organization, the IIRO.

The original article can be found at: http://www.terrorfinance.org/the_terror_finance_blog/2006/10/a_swiss_intelli.html

Jean-Charles Brisard revealed a number of new links between Tariq Ramadan and terrorist entities on September 13, 2006, shortly before the U.S. government banned Ramadan from entering the United States. Brisard is one of six independent experts on terror finance, based in the USA, Britain, France, Israel and Australia, who recently launched a professional blog (http://terrorfinance.org) that examines how terrorist groups worldwide fund their recruitment, training, and operations. The blog's experts have given expert evidence to the US Senate and House of Representatives, and to the European Parliament. The importance of understanding terror financing was proved as recently as mid-August, when British police arrested a group of suspects in a plot to blow up 10 American airliners in mid-air, thanks to analysis of their financial transactions.

For further information, or for media interviews, find contact information for Jean-Charles Brisard at http://terrorfinance.org, or contact the blog's editor, Ilan Weinglass, at (202) 203-8183.

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