In June, the ACLU released a report on the devastating effect of U.S. government actions on American Muslims' ability to profess and practice their religion through charitable giving.
Two weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, George Bush issued an emergency executive order that broadened the authority of the government to freeze assets
held by charities and individuals without warrants and
court approval.
The result? "Pervasive fear among Muslim charitable donors that they may be
arrested, retroactively prosecuted for donations made in good faith to
legal Muslim charities, targeted for law enforcement interviews for
exercising their religious obligation to pay zakat, subpoenaed to
testify in a criminal case, subjected to surveillance, deported or
denied citizenship or a green card, or otherwise implicated because of
charitable donations made in fulfillment of their religious obligation
to give zakat."
Yesterday, a federal judge ruled the policy unconstitutional.
It's encouraging that President Obama has acknowledged
problems with the current law and called for a change to these policies to enhance protections for
charitable giving.
Please stand with the ACLU to defend religious freedom.
Ask the President to follow through on his commitment to protect the religious freedom of everyone in America and make fundamental reforms to unfair and ineffective terrorism financing laws and policies.