MANILA // Islamic militants across Southeast Asia have become increasingly dependent on donations, including zakat, meaning 'alms', to finance bombings because governments have tightened bank controls, according to security experts.
More than 50 per cent of terrorist financing in Southeast Asia now comes from individual donations, said Arabinda Acharya of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore.
"It's now the largest source of money for militants because it's difficult to detect," Mr Acharya said at a workshop on countering the financing of terrorism in Manila this week, adding Islamic jihadists have been avoiding formal channels.
But, he believed the money passing through informal methods, such as couriers, was not as substantial as that funnelled by al Qa'eda support groups before the 2001 deadly attacks in the United States.
After the September 11 attacks, Mr Acharya said militants elsewhere in the world had moved their funds out from banks and invested them in stocks, gems, real estate, insurance and other financial instruments.
"We learned that Islamic militants in India were speculating in stocks and those in Africa were buying diamonds and other gem stones," he said, adding that those in Southeast Asia rely more on donations from charity organisations and from zakat, which is usually but not exclusively collected at mosques.
In the Philippines, Mr Acharya said the deadliest militant group, the Abu Sayyaf, was forced to go into kidnapping and extortion because the money it was getting from foreign and local donors was not enough to finance bombings.
Citing a classified Philippine police report, Mr Acharya said the Abu Sayyaf abandoned a plot in 2006 to blow up targets in Manila as well as build a chemical plant in the south because its funds from abroad were drying up.
On Wednesday, the Philippines' Court of Appeals upheld a guilty verdict against an Indonesian and two Filipino militants from Abu Sayyaf for planting a bomb on a bus that killed six people on St Valentine's Day in 2005.
In October 2005, the three were sentenced to death, but the appeals court changed it to life imprisonment after a law was passed in 2006 repealing capital punishment.
Since the 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf has collected more than 20 million pesos (Dh1.6million) from zakat in the southern Philippines alone, although it is dwarfed by the amount it raises from kidnapping and extortion, said Rodolfo Mendoza, deputy head of the national police's investigation division.
Still, the contribution of zakat is increasing.
"Zakat has contributed a lot in the continuity of the struggle of the Abu Sayyaf," Mr Mendoza said, adding the rebels had been using the internet to highlight Muslims' struggle in the south to gain more donations from people and groups abroad.
Rohan Gunaratna, a Singapore-based counter terrorism expert and author of the book Inside al Qa'eda, believed the Abu Sayyaf continues to received foreign funding from the Middle East, by passing through Indonesia.
"The Abu Sayyaf is able to survive because of the flow of funds from Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and an Indonesia-based charity group Kompak," Mr Gunaratna said.
Mr Gunaratna said Saudi Arabia has now replaced Pakistan and Afghanistan as the main source of funds for Muslim rebels in the south of the mainly Christian Philippines.
"Money received from overseas is channelled through front, cover and sympathetic organisations that are based in the south," Mr Gunaratna said, adding these groups take the face of religious, educational, humanitarian and human rights organisations.
In the past, the Saudi-based International Islamic Relief Organisation (IIRO) and Kompak have been identified as sources of funds by Muslim militants in the Philippines.
*Reuters
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
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Disclaimer
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Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
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Popular Vote Tally
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now