Madid Ahl al-Sham

Madid Ahl al-Sham (Arabic: مدد أهل الشام) was a Qatar-based fundraising campaign widely suspected of acting as a conduit for donations intended for Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria. While the online campaign reportedly coordinated the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Syrian citizens in need, the U.S. Department of State identified Madid Ahl al-Sham as a fundraising source for violent extremists.

Madid Ahl al-Sham is believed to have been led by Sa’d bin Sa’d Muhammad Shariyan al-Kabi and Abd al-Latif Bin Abdallah Salih Muhammad al-Kawari, both of which are U.S. Treasury Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).

Madid Ahl al-Sham was identified by the Washington Post and other prominent publications as a conduit for Jabhat al-Nusra in 2013 and 2014. The online campaign, which operated under the Qatar Centre for Voluntary Work, was shut down by Qatari authorities in 2014.

Madid Ahl al-Sham was an online Qatar-based fundraising campaign that utilized social media to appeal for donations from Qatari citizens and residents. While the campaign reportedly had a headquarters, its fundraising efforts were conducted over the internet. Madid Ahl al-Sham-affiliated social media accounts, including the accounts of its coordinators, posted visual flyers calling for donations to the campaign. While most flyers claimed that donations would be used to provide humanitarian supplies to Syrians, one Madid Ahl al-Sham flyer asked for donations to arm, feed, and treat fighters. These flyers contained the names and phone numbers of campaign coordinators for those interested in donating to contact. Other Madid Ahl al-Sham flyers request donors to contact campaign coordinators according to their area of residence in Qatar. Bank account information was often listed on Madid Ahl al-Sham flyers.

Madid Ahl al-Sham has reportedly fundraised under the supervision of Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association, a Doha-based charity with ties to the Qatari royal family. In 2014, a Madid Ahl al-Sham campaign to collect funds to provide Iftar meals for the needy was announced under the supervision of Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association, or Eid Charity.

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Wikipedia