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p10 2_Layout 1 3/4/15 8:57 PM Page 1 THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 INTERNATIONAL Cage under scrutiny over links to ‘Jihadi John’ News in brief LONDON: The financial backers of a cam- Foundation, set up to “support those who Support main funder, according to Qureshi, is the paign group that had contact with the man change the world”, gave Cage 35,000 The relationship between Emwazi and Network for Social Change, which Idaho Senate opens later known as ‘Jihadi John’ are under pres- pounds a year in the financial years ending Cage began in 2009, when he visited its describes itself as “a group of individuals with a Hindu prayer sure from British politicians and a regula- in March 2012 and 2013, and 25,000 drab office block in a back street behind providing funding for progressive social BOISE: Three lawmakers refused to attend the Idaho tor’s investigation to explain why they gave pounds a year in the financial years ending the East London Mosque. Cage held a news change”. But the administrator for the Senate’s daily invocation after objecting to the offering of a it several hundred thousand pounds. The in March 2010 and 2011, according to conference last week to publish emails sent Network for Social Change Charitable Trust, Hindu prayer. Rajan Zed, guest chaplain, gave a lengthy Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, a Quaker accounts made public by the Charity to it from Emwazi over several years during Tish McCrory, said its vehicle for donating prayer in both English and Sanskrit on Tuesday that foundation, and The Roddick Foundation, Commission. which time he complained of being regu- to non charitable projects, Funding for focused on selflessness and peace. Senators from both set up by the late founder of beauty retailer Social Change Limited, had not funded sides of the aisle shook his hand and thanked him for com- Body Shop, are among those now being cage “for some time”. ing. “Fulfill all your duties, action is better than inaction,” asked how they came to fund Cage, a small A British lawmaker told Reuters all of the Zed said. “Even to maintain your body, you are obligated to activist group that called Mohammed charities that had funded Cage should dis- act. Selfish action imprisons the world. Act selflessly, with- Emwazi, killer of American, British and sociate from it after the group’s comments out any throughout of personal profit.” However three law- Syrian hostages, a once “beautiful young at last week’s news conference. “It was both makers, all Republican, only came back onto the floor once man”. extraordinary and disgraceful, they were the prayer was over: Sens Steve Vick of Dalton Garden, “I condemn anybody who attempts to very clearly coming out as apologists for Sheryl Nuxoll of Cottonwood and Lori Den Hartog of excuse that barbarism away in the way that terrorism... Those that have provided them Meridian. Prayer is a common event in Idaho’s Republican- has been done by Cage,” British interior with support must very seriously question controlled Statehouse. The Idaho Senate and House con- minister Theresa May told parliament in not only their support for Cage but how vene each day with a prayer by the chamber’s chaplains response to the comment by Cage’s they got to make such a decision to sup- from Christian denominations followed by the Pledge of research boss Asim Qureshi to media last port an organization like this,” said John Allegiance. And most lawmakers cite their religion in the week. Cage was set up by a group of Spellar, a spokesman on foreign affairs for heir bios for the state’s legislative directory. London Muslims with the aim of support- the opposition Labor Party. ing British suspects being held by the “I think there needs to be some very United States in Guantanamo Bay. Its serious rethinking done by a number of Turkish court blocks activists blame US and British foreign poli- these charities and NGOs about how they atheist group’s site cy for radicalizing Muslims and accuse the got into a position.” Cage’s Qureshi said the ANKARA: A Turkish court has blocked access to a web- security services of harassing those who group would continue its work regardless site for the country’s first atheist association, ruling it refuse to be informants. of the criticism leveled at it. “Certain media was an “insult to religious values” in the overwhelming- Britain’s Charity Commission, a govern- organizations, right-wing think tanks, don’t ly Muslim nation, the group said yesterday. The court ment-backed regulator, has launched an like our narrative as it goes against the pre- in an Ankara suburb said the website for Ateizm investigation into whether Cage’s funders LONDON: An officer from the Metropolitan police stands on duty as media gather vailing national security paradigm,” he said. Dernegi (Atheist Society), founded last year in Istanbul, had ensured that their money was only outside a residential address in London, where Kuwaiti-born London computer pro- “Even though we aren’t a proselytizing was engaged in “activities likely to disturb public used for purposes in line with their objec- grammer Mohammed Emwazi, identified by experts and the media as masked organization, we are a Muslim response to order.” The association denounced the ruling in a state- tives. The Commission said in a statement Islamic State militant ‘Jihadi John’, is once believed to have lived. —AFP a problem that largely affects Muslims.” ment, calling it “undemocratic and illegal” and saying it on Monday that it had compliance cases would harm Turkey’s reputation abroad. In an inter- open into the Joseph Rowntree Charitable The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust larly harassed by security services. On its Investigations view with Turkish media in 2014, the association’s Foundation and the Roddick Foundation. said it stood by its funding. “We believe Website, the group says: “Cage has been British Prime Minister David Cameron’s founders said they had created the group to “legally “In both cases the commission’s regulatory (Cage) has played an important role in campaigning against the War on Terror for spokesman told reporters: “The prime min- support those threatened due to their atheism” after concerns revolve around how the trustees highlighting the ongoing abuses at more than a decade”. Public information ister thinks that it’s absolutely right that the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested a link have ensured that charitable grants made Guantanamo Bay and at many other sites about Cage’s finances is scant: It is listed in Charity Commission is undertaking the between atheists and terrorists. Critics accuse Erdogan, to non-charitable bodies are only used for around the world, including many the UK companies register, but has filed work that it is with regard to the funding of prime minister from 2003 until he became president in exclusively charitable purposes in line with instances of torture,” it said in a statement. accounts only for 2008 and as a small com- the organization.” If the cases are escalated August, of increasing authoritarianism, particularly fol- their objects,” it said. The Roddick Foundation could not be pany it is not obliged to report each year. to inquiry level, and it is found that wrong- lowing anti-government protests that rocked the The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust reached for comment as its listed phone According to Qureshi and its website, doing has occurred, the trustees of each country in 2013. Turkish pianist Fazil Say, known for his said in a statement that it had made three number was disconnected and emails to its Cage is a non-profit making company limit- charity can be suspended, an interim man- atheism, was given a 10-month suspended sentence in grants to Cage in 2007, 2008 and 2011, public email address bounced back. ed by guarantee, a structure without share ager could be appointed to run the organi- 2013 for harming religious values after a series of making a combined total of 305,000 Attempts to reach trustee Gordon Roddick capital that is usually used to protect the zation or bank accounts could be frozen, tweets judged as insulting to Islam. pounds. It said its last grant payment to via other organizations to which he is con- people running the company from person- said Sarah Hitchings, press officer at the them was in January 2014. The Roddick nected yielded no response. al liability for its debts. The group’s other Charity Commission.—Reuters Wildfires rage through top South Africa tourist haven 10 dead as migrant CAPE TOWN: Wildfires raged for a fourth day yesterday France violates ‘treaty through one of South Africa’s most popular international boat sinks off Sicily tourist destinations, destroying homes, a hotel and scorch- ROME: A boat transporting migrants has capsized off ing thousands of hectares of spectacular scenery. Sicily, killing at least 10 people, while scores were res- on smacking children’ Firefighting teams and water-bombing aircraft were again cued, the Italian coastguard said yesterday. Hundreds in action as the flames swept down Cape Town’s southern peninsula, a mountainous spine of land running from the of people have died in recent months as waves of city to Cape Point, Africa’s most southwestern tip. migrants from North Africa and Middle East conflict Polls show widespread support in UK and France Hundreds of residents of upmarket villages dotted zones attempt to reach Europe, prompting criticism along both the Atlantic and False Bay coasts grabbed pets of rescue efforts. A tugboat for Libyan oil platforms STRASBOURG: A top rights body to a law on the family but it was even- who said he sometimes smacked his and valuables as they were evacuated overnight ahead of alerted authorities to the capsized boat and an Italian ruled yesterday that France was in tually withdrawn.