Saudi authorities have banned a major charity group in a continuing crackdown on funds suspected of financing terror groups, officials said yesterday.
The Administration of Mosques and Charity Projects was shut down and ordered to halt all its activities, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The decision was made to control the charities and prevent the ill-motivated from penetrating them," they said.
They said the ban was imposed upon "official request" but declined to say who had requested the shutdown.
The charity claims to have built some 1,500 schools since it started in 1990. Its other main tasks is to finance preachers and print Islamic publications.
Saudi Arabia has cracked down on charities suspected of funnelling money to terrorists, including strict oversight to ensure the money is not misdirected for terror activities, and has sought to quiet some prominent clerics known for anti-Western sermons.
It has set up a joint counterterrorism task force with the United States.
In June, the Saudi government dissolved Al Haramain Islamic Foundation after complaints that it is suspected of bankrolling the Al Qaida terror network.
