The International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) is one of the largest organizations working in the humanitarian field in the Islamic world, and it is an independent organization. Its website says that it provides its services and assistance without discrimination or intolerance, away from interference in politics or ethnic conflicts, and this is not entirely accurate.

The establishment of the commission dates back to 1984, and had it not been for the support of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad, it would not have seen the light, and attributing credit to others is also incorrect. Although it was the Kuwaiti National Assembly that approved the authority’s law, it was lax, as it reduced supervision over it to the lowest levels, and therefore its biography was not devoid of administrative corruption, theft of its property by some members of its board of directors, and the issuance of prison sentences against them, and against employees working for it! In the end, the authority is a charity organization that owns a lot of money, and it is run by someone who represents the State of Kuwait.

The rest of the members of its board of directors, who belong to several countries, have no choice but to attend a few of its meetings, and Kuwait is the most generous with it! Due to the loss of prior or immediate control over its work, the greed of some of those in charge of it, and its recent endeavor to collect the largest possible collection of donations, despite its great wealth, it was not difficult recently for representatives of the Department of Charitable Societies and Foundations, in the Ministry of Social Affairs, to monitor the establishment of the International Islamic Charitable Organization by publishing fundraising advertisements on its official website and various social media, without submitting an official request from the Ministry, nor obtaining its prior approval before publishing, the last of which was announcing the collection of donations for the benefit of the “urgent relief for Jenin camp - Palestine” project.

According to the Social Affairs sources such advertisements are considered an explicit violation of the laws, decisions, controls and requirements for regulating charity work in the country, as individuals or groups may not collect donations from the public by any means for the purpose of spending them, or helping the affl icted, except after obtaining a prior license from the Ministry, at least one month before the start of the collection campaign, provided that the duration, method and purpose of the collection are determined by the project organizer.

It was stated by the Ministry of Social Affairs that it will take the necessary and speedy legal measures against unauthorized individuals or entities, who announce the collection of donations, or launch charity projects without its prior approval, and away from the eyes and oversight of the state, in order to preserve charitable work, and to ensure that it is not exposed to any impurity. The ministry had also warned, and it is well known who you mean, that some are taking advantage of the instinct of Kuwaiti society and its love for helping the needy to reach private goals that are completely far from charity work.

Therefore, we urge donors, citizens and residents, to be careful when donating, not to succumb to such invitations, and to direct their donations to well-known parties in the country, especially since these funds may fall into the hands of those who misuse them and distort Kuwaiti charity work!

I am really baffled by this association that is full of money, and which operates with absolute freedom, especially outside Kuwait, without any “actual” control over its activities, and the “temptations” that this activity usually includes. There is an authority that monitors its work, as even some of the ministries concerned with the matter, which have been entrusted with the task of monitoring the bodies, may themselves need, before others, someone to monitor their work!

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By Ahmad alsarraf