August 14, 2008, - 11:46 am

Meet the New Terrorism Apologists, er “Charity Investigators” . . . The Better Business Bureau?

By Debbie Schlussel
**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ****
Extremist Muslim charities throughout America are upset their donations are down. They’re not upset that most Americans believe they finance terrorism abroad–as they usually do. They’re just upset that Muslims are starting to give them less because of it. Oh, and by the way, it’s not that American Muslims are against financing terrorism–in fact, they support it wholeheartedly. It’s just that they don’t want to get implicated in the legal crossfire and want to protect their own butts.
So, now, some Muslim charities–through some BS PR outfit, called Muslim Advocates–are partnering up with the Better Business Bureau, in an effort to get that kosher seal of approval. The BBB is apparently going to “vet” the charities and make sure they don’t give money to the wrong places. Riiiight.

bbb.jpg

The Better Business Bureau: Not Better, Not Terrorism Investigators

Absurd.
According to Wall Street Journal Palestinian reporter and Islamist apologist Tamara Audi, the Better Business Bureau will insist that boards of Islamic charities meet more often and provide a “detailed accounting of how the money collected by the charity is spent.”
Yes, forcing jihadists on American soil to meet more often will ensure that they don’t spend their charity’s money on terrorism. Uh-huh. That’ll work. Ditto for the “detailed accounting.”
Puh-leeze. The Better Business Bureau personnel are not terrorist investigators. They don’t trek to Afghanistan to see whether $60,000 that HAMAS/Al-Qaeda charity LIFE For Relief and Development raised in the name of “wheelchairs for the handicapped,” is not really going to Taliban mujahideen who make people handicapped and put them in wheelchairs. Are they gonna travel to Jalalabad and visit each alleged wheelchair recipient? Hello . . .?
I, myself, am no fan of the Better Business Bureau. I know from first-hand experience that their certification and approval process is a fraud and doesn’t mean a whit. And I don’t trust them.


Several years ago, I hired a mover who got the Better Business Bureau’s seal of approval. The guy held my clothes and property hostage for over a week, demanding a much-increased price from what was agreed upon. He called my parents’ home and told me he was wearing my dresses and underwear, then made graphic disgusting sexual comments about how he’d rape me. He also called and impersonated several different individuals.
When we tried to determine his address, we discovered the one he used was a fake. We also discovered that the address to which his truck was licensed by the Department of Transportation was an apartment occupied by someone who hadn’t a clue about any of this–another fake address.
Yet, the Better Business Bureau sang this sleazebag nutjob’s praises. And to date, he uses their seal, with their full endorsement, despite my complaints. My experience taught me that the name, “Better Business Bureau,” is phony. In my case the mover I used was not a “better” business, not even an “okay” business. He was a horror story.
If the Better Business Bureau can’t do even a basic investigation to track a phony address of a local mover, they ain’t gonna catch the many irregularities and scams engaged in by many Islamic charities in America who spend their money overseas on nefarious causes.
I never thought I’d say this, but the BBB is even more incompetent than the FBI. And that’s really saying something. Just ask Steven Hatfill.
Don’t trust the Better Business Bureau’s approval of Muslim charities. It’s probably worth less than stacks of S&H green stamps (remember those?) and a couple of BetaMax tapes.
**** UPDATE: A friend of mine who is very familiar with a lot of the Islamic charities talks send me this e-mail about this ruse, with regard to Islamic Relief-Worldwide, a HAMAS/Muslim Brotherhood charity about which I’ve written a great deal (and about its biggest funder–Mitt Romney’s church):

I am sure you are familiar with Charity Navigator. This organization judges charities and gives them a one, two, three or four star rating. Islamic Relief (which for some strange reason partners with the Mormon church) often makes a point of their four star rating, and Mormon leaders often point to that fact when they appear at IRW events.
It is very tempting to want to remind these otherwise good people that Charity Navigator’s judgement is not based on the final destination of the monies received. It is based on such considerations as: is the overhead unreasonably high; does the chair of the charity take a unreasonably high salary, etc. The Muslims who run the charities would die of starvation before they would take a dime of the charity’s money to buy food; But they would hand over the money to Hamas.






8 Responses

BBB = Building Bigger Bombs
BBB = Better Bomb Belts
BBB = Bringing Back Barbarism

Thee_Bruno on August 14, 2008 at 1:04 pm

As a former investigator with the Federal Trade Commission, I can say that the BBB only cares about collecting the money for use of its copyrighted logo.
Further, having worked with BBB representatives on consumer fraud complaints and investigations, I can also say that BBB employees don’t know a thing about verifiying how donations are used by “licensees.” Most importantly, though, is that they could care less about verifiying how donations are used by “licensees.”
Also, the BBB is going to have to rely on whatever the “customer” who buys their logo gives the BBB to show where donations go, as the BBB has no ability nor authority to check this information out….or the interest…..just write the check…..

Lobster on August 14, 2008 at 1:05 pm

I had problems with a new car dealer. When I called the BBB, I found out I was automatically guilty. They never even allowed me to state my complaint! The BBB is a complete waste of time.

Burt on August 15, 2008 at 8:44 am

I just spent 4 years as a contractor in Iraq. I have Iraqi business partners whom I respect and consider to be true friends- moderate Arabs do exist.
But, in my absence, it seems that the more radical elements of Islam have made more progress in the U. S. A then they have in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Shame on all of us for being so politically correct. Let’s not identify and punish those who would take over our country and enslave us- as they have in Europe and ther U. K.
We either get tougher and smarter or we’ll deserve exactly what is coming. Sad! Sad!

Gaylan on August 15, 2008 at 11:32 am

GAYLAN:
First, you’re foolish to think you have “true friends” that are “moderate Arabs”. Read the Koran for pity’s sake.
Second “we’ll deserve exactly what is coming” WRONG. Some are smart and won’t deserve what is coming but we’ll GET IT ANYWAY. That is the RUB.

GOLDENMIKE4393 on August 15, 2008 at 11:53 am

For much of my life I thought the BBB was legitimate. Then I went into business and learned about how they are really more like a “chamber or commerce” only without the network marketing angle–they solicit you to pay dues to be a “member” in good standing–which supposedly means your business subscribes to their code of ethics.
Like the Fraternal order of Police and other such fundraiser schemes–you pay money to get a sticker for your window. The BBB is a farce.

BB on August 15, 2008 at 2:25 pm

I’m not surprised by any of this. My own experience with the BBB has been quite negative. I recently went to their website to check out a business. The report described the company as being “accredited.” I read the information on the site about the meaning of this, and still unclear, called the office in Denver. After listening to a speech about how much this should mean, it finally came out that this is just a company that pays money to get this label!
I guess this is how they raise money, but I was disappointed to see how the organization is selling itself out for a few dollars. Their praise of the company I inquired about was hollow. Now this.
I won’t waste my time with them in the future.

Susie on August 15, 2008 at 5:45 pm

Let me begin by stating that I am a part of the Better Business Bureau. As a former Federal Agent I too am dismayed by the BBB’s attempt to rate Islamic Charities. The BBB is experienced in determining if a Charity has in place the normal checks and balances used to determine if the money raised is spent on excessive salaries, fundrasing or overhead, but we have no capability to verify how the funds are ultimately being used. The normal procedures are of no value in determining if the funds end up promoting terrorist activities.
Several anecdotal stories have been put forward concerning how the BBB has sold out the logo to any business willing to pay the money. From the inside I can assure you that we work diligently to ensure that is not the case. BBB standards of Accreditation and the license verification process continue to be tightened, but there will always be errors in any organization that attempts to rate every business we are aware of, whether they are members of the BBB or not. The fee paid by businesses to participate in the BBB does not buy them favor with the BBB, those fees provide BBB services to the public FREE of Charge. As a matter of fact the complaint we hear most often from businesses where the BBB rules in favor of the consumer is that they are angry we are not biased in favor of the business involved in the dispute. Most customers and businesses who become angry with the BBB are upset because we remained neutral as we sought to resolve the issue. However, any business with a pattern of complaints or who fails to honor their commitment to BBB standards will be removed from the BBB.

Ed on August 18, 2008 at 11:34 am

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