The international lobby network for Anwar Ibrahim today refuted allegations that it is linked to Muslim groups under US investigations for funding terrorist activities.

The Free Anwar Campaign said the story by Australian television station Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) , and a subsequent report by national news agency Bernama , tried to imply that the former deputy premier, through previous links with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), has links with international terrorists, and is therefore a terrorist.

SBS

' 'Dateline' report, which aired on Thursday, said that Anwar had at one time sat on the board of Washington-based IIIT, "a body accused of funding Islamic Jihad".

(Palestinian group Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in West Bank and Gaza, acts which they say are necessary in the bid to end Israeli occupation in the territories.)

"More recently, as these documents show, his daughter, Nurul Izzah became the recipient of a substantial scholarship, which would more than fund her university studies in Malaysia," said SBS .

The report added that IIIT was directed by Iraqi Taha Al Wani, "who also founded the Muslim World League, another group whose assets have been frozen by the US government because of links to terror."

However, the story by journalist Ginny Stein does not mention whether the allegations of terrorism against IIIT has been proven, or if Anwar was connected to the Muslim World League.

On this count, FAC questioned the report's validity.

IIIT is 'clean'

Since the Federal Bureau of Investigations, responsible for scrutinising the accounts of countless Islamic organisations following the Sept 11 attacks, have not laid any charges against IIIT, it is odd for SBS or Bernama to think otherwise, said FAC.

"Immediately after Sept 11... the FBI raided the homes and offices of all those involved in any form of Islamic organisation, movement or mosque and confiscated any documents and computers it could find.

"The IIIT too was subjected to this. The homes and offices of its leaders were raided and documents and computers were confiscated.

"Subsequently, the FBI returned all the documents and computers and gave the IIIT a clean bill of health. The IIIT was proven to be clean and not involved in any terrorist activities.

"The FBI says the IIIT is clean but Bernama seems to think otherwise."

The Anwar lobby points the finger at Bernama for distorting the SBS television story, and fabricating a RM300,000 sum allegedly received by Anwar's daughter.

"This figure was created by Bernama - a total fabrication and distortion of facts," said FAC.

In a Star report today, Anwar's wife and Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was quoted as admitting that all of Anwar's children had received scholarships from IIIT.

FAC further alleged that the national news agency knew of the SBS report beforehand, as its wire report was circulated "within minutes" of the Australian channel airing its story.

" Bernama was in collusion with those individuals who had written the SBS report - whether with or without SBS ' knowledge is not known at this stage."

Respected Muslim leaders

FAC took to defending IIIT, claiming that a number of respected Muslim leaders participated in setting up the institute, including individuals close to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"The late Ismail Faruqi was closely associated with Mahathir and travelled many times to Malaysia to meet Mahathir.

"He was the person Mahathir used to negotiate with Anwar to convince him to join Umno.

It also chastised Bernama for insulting "all Muslims the world over by implying that the IIIT is linked to Islamic terrorists".

"It boggles the mind how, in 1998, Anwar can be a US agent, a CIA spy, and an IMF stooge who sold out to the Jews, and today, he is an international Islamic terrorist."

FAC also took a few swings at Bernama chairperson Kalimullah Hassan, suggesting that the Malaysian government may be behind this new campaign to vilify Anwar.

Waiting for transcript

The SBS report, in addition to addressing Anwar's link with Muslim organisations, had also touched on FAC's Melbourne representative Dr Abdul Rahim Ghouse.

The report said Rahim and his business partner Dr Wan Hasni Sulaiman has had business dealings with Sheikh Yassin Al-Qadi, a man accused in the US of funding terrorist activities and declared a terrorist by Singapore.

Rahim, it said, has also been discovered to be a former director and shareholder of a private company "that has rung alarm bells in the US".

When contacted over this, FAC webmaster Raja Petra Kamaruddin (photo) said the organisation was in the process of obtaining the full transcript of the SBS report before commenting further.