'UK terror laws hampering charities'

Two former British cabinet ministers have urged the Conservative government to set up an inquiry into the way UK counter-terror laws are hampering the humanitarian work of Islamic charities.

They have discussed the issue with the British lawmakers. They have also written to the Commons International Development Select Committee to call for an inquiry into complaints that Islamic charities are being treated unfairly particularly in Syria.

Clare Short, International Development Secretary from 1997 to 2003, and Andrew Mitchell, who served in the same job from 2010 to 2012 have focused on the concerns that Muslim charities are being discriminated against by banks or officials.

Almost one-fifth of government development aid goes to charities, and Islamic charities are some of the few British aid organizations that can operate in Syria.

“This is an issue that needs clarifying and sorting out. It has been around as a problem for some time, but it has been getting worse and worse. We have got this enormous capacity in the UK of these Muslim humanitarian charities, yet they are struggling with one hand behind their back. We need a proper scrutiny and examination bringing all this out. It is preventing efficiency,” Short wrote stressing that the issue needed examining.