Statement from IICO in response to fake news published by Arab Times

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LATE last week, we were shocked when it was brought to our knowledge that a reputable newspaper like the Arab Times has published an article on September 20, 2020, quoting fake news based on a post in one of the social media accounts that was not attributed to any known source.

It is a real shock for any observer to see this kind of act coming from a reputable newspaper that is expected to respect the principles and ethics of the press industry; this is over and above the damage those false news cause to the reputation of an international organization well-respected all over the world and headed by the Advisor of HH the Amir of Kuwait and the Special Advisor of His Excellency the Secretary General of the United Nations.

For the readers’ knowledge, IICO has responded on September 21, 2020 to that shameful social media slander attack by issuing the following statement:

On Friday, September 18, 2020, a post on a social media platform that was not attributed to any source of publication has quoted a number of slanders and lies directed against the International Islamic Charity Organization.

Those are the same slanders and lies that have been repetitive by the owner of a suspicious account on Twitter during the last two years, which the Court of Appeal in the State of Kuwait refuted in its ruling issued against this person on July 21, 2020.

He was convicted of attempting crimes of spreading false news about the International Islamic Charity Organization and deliberately harming the reputation of those in charge of it and undermining their dignity. To clarify the picture to the general public as well as supporters of IICO, we wish to put before you the following facts:

First: On July 23, 2019, IICO has filed a complaint with the Kuwaiti Public Prosecutor against the owner of a suspicious account on the Twitter who has consistently attacked IICO and those in charge of it by publishing false and fabricated news. Filing that complaint was in defense of IICO reputation, and the reputation and dignity of those in charge of it. Among the complaints submitted to the Public Prosecutor on July 23, 2019, are the same slanders related to IICO projects in Pakistan, as mentioned by the owner of this suspicious account.

Second: On July 21, 2020, the Court of Appeal issued its ruling convicting the suspect account holder for the crime of spreading false news about IICO and deliberately harming the reputation of those in charge of it and undermining their dignity.

The court ruling confirmed the bad intentions and falsehood of the allegations contained in that post about IICO projects including those in Pakistan. If these allegations had any credibility, the suspicious account holder would have used them to save himself from the court ruling rendered against him in conviction.

It also indicates that the same person’s submission of a complaint to the Public Prosecutor against IICO for the same issue that was already convicted by the Court of Appeal is nothing but a charade intended to continue spreading his slanders against IICO and harm its reputation.

Third: What proves bad intention and deliberate misinformation on his side is the design of the last post, which was meant to look like a newspaper clipping, when anyone can, through a simple search on the Internet, discover that this page does not exist and that it is fabricated and designed to delude the reader that it was published in a newspaper.

This type of forgery action is intended to mislead and deceive the readers about the credibility of those fabrications. At the same time it reveals his weak position due to the fear of legal accountability and exposure to new court convictions. Such disgraceful acts prove that the main purpose of these slander campaigns is limited to media distortion of the Kuwaiti charitable institutions and those in charge of them, which pays to the service of suspicious agendas they are serving.

Therefore, the International Islamic Charity Organization announces to its honorable audience that it will continue to prosecute these offenders through all available legal means until they face a fair and equitable penalty for their ill doings they committed.

IICO assures every one of the strength of its legal and Shariah compliance position. It also affirms its continued approach based on dedication to serving its donors, honesty in delivering its humanitarian support to those who are entitled to, and quality and efficiency in implementing its humanitarian programs; while taking decisive measures against anyone who is convicted with a violation or transgression, out of its keenness to preserve its bright and recognized history, and in carrying out its responsibility to protect the funds of the honorable donors. May Allah protect Kuwait, its leadership and its people. International Islamic Charity Organization

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