IHH and Qatar based charity organization RAF started an aid campaign for the civilians affected by the armed conflict between tribes and the military in the Iraqi cities of Enbar, Fallujah and Ramadi.
The press meeting held by RAF in their headquarters in the capital Doha is attended by IHH board member Huseyin Oruç, Muhammad Salah Ibrahim, chairman of RAF management board, director of International Programs and Projects, Jasim al- Shamari, RAF Publicity and Press manager Ibrahim Ali Abdullah, RAF PR Manager Ali Yusuf el-Kuvari.
IHH board member Huseyin Oruc said that IHH which started its activities in Bosnia 25 years ago, has the widest coverage in the Muslim world bringing humanitarian aid to 130 countries.
Oruc, who stated that IHH tries to reach out and bring aid to all over the world without discriminating on the basis of religion, language or race, pointed out that the collaborations are extremely important for aid and thanked RAF for their cooperation,.
Based on their experience in the field, Oruç, noted that prospects in the Middle East are not so bright and their prediction is that the armed conflict in the region will continue. "We hope that we are mistaken. Yet, we should be prepared for bad days. Following Syria, our brothers in Iraq are suffering too. We should be by the side of our Iraqi brothers as well Syrians. Iraq always had a different significance for Turkey and IHH.
Currently we are taking care of 3 thousand and 500 orphans in Iraq. With this campaign, we hope to heal the wounds of our brothers in Iraq a bit. Together with Qatar we will show solidarity with our brothers in Iraq. I hope this humanitarian relief activity would contribute to the peace in the region.”
The chairman of RAF management board Ibrahim mentioned that 17 thousand families relocated due to the armed conflict between Iraqi army and the tribes need basic humanitarian aid and that the campaign initiated by RAF & IHH will provide shelter, heating, food, clothes and medicine as a first step. Ibrahim stated that they will send 20 million Qatari Riyal (5.5 million USD) worth of aid which will be delivered to the needy people through IHH.
Ibrahim also thanked IHH for their collaboration in this campaign for Iraq as well as the activities they carry out together in Syria.
A War Of Image Against IHH
Commenting on the police search carried out in IHH Kilis branch office and the news that appeared in the press, IHH executive board member Oruç said that it was an operation to harm the public perception of IHH and discredit it.
He stated that Turkish public sees it as a part of ongoing operations in Turkey. “Turkish people know that it was done in order to take the revenge of Mavi Marmara and draw Turkey closer to Israel” he added.
He also explained that it is not easy to dismiss the news that comes out about IHH in the international press as much as it would be in the national press.
“When this kind of controversial operations comes out in the world press, it is expected that it would make a negative impact on our relationship with our partner organizations. But this meeting here today proved that IHH’s credibility is in a very good level. The operation took place yesterday and today people in Qatar would sit down with us and say “We know that there is something else behind it. We will go on with our campaign with IHH and go into Iraq. Just like we worked together in Syria over the past 1.5 year we will work together in Iraq too”. Injustice against IHH is widely protested in Turkey. IHH is getting support. I think this press meeting today is one of the most significant supports internationally. So no matter how heavily attacked IHH is, no matter how hard they try to smear IHH, world will witness IHH getting bigger and serving the humanity better. We will not lose our target. Our activities are neither commercial nor political, or any worldly agenda was implicated so far nor shall it be."
