Statement on OFAC’S Removal of IIROSA Philippines and Indonesia from OFAC Specially Designated Nationals List
We are pleased to report that on August 16, 2016, the United States Treasury Department removed the Philippines and Indonesia branch offices of our client, the International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia (IIROSA) from the Office of Foreign Assets Control Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. The administration’s action in this matter demonstrates a clear commitment to an impartial review of the facts and its belief in IIROSA’s ability to oversee its critical global relief operations.
IIROSA is a non-governmental charitable organization, headquartered in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. IIROSA was established in 1978 to provide relief and humanitarian assistance to people in need around the world, providing direct assistance to victims of natural disasters and wars. IIROSA sponsors health, education, and social programs including the construction of hospitals, clinics, nutrition centers, schools, and orphanages, partnering with global entities to provide financial and technical support to a wide variety of economic development efforts.
Over the years, IIROSA has worked with numerous other reputable international relief organizations, such as the United Nations High Commission on Refugees and the International Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, engaging in humanitarian activities in more than 120 countries. Since its establishment, IIROSA’s assistance has reached more than 52 million people worldwide through more than 1,100 relief campaigns.
We welcome the removal of the two offices from the SDN list, which will allow IIROSA to continue its humanitarian mission in regions in desperate need of assistance. “We at Lewis Baach have visited numerous branch offices around the globe where IIROSA does its vital work and have seen the devastating impact that the political SDN designations of the two branch offices have had on its global humanitarian efforts. Hospitals have been closed, orphanages defunded, scholarships discontinued. We applaud the U.S. government for taking this long-overdue action and are pleased that IIROSA can continue carrying on its important charitable mission,” IIROSA’s attorney Eric Lewis stated. “The administration’s action signals that Islamic organizations can still get a fair hearing here in the United States and that incorrect and damaging assumptions will not be made simply because they are Muslim. IIROSA has always stood against terrorism and for providing charitable assistance wherever and for whomever it is needed.”