Western Union Financial Services, Inc, a Colorado based American company is accused of freezing thousands of cash deliveries, simply because senders or recipients' names include Mohamed or Ahmed, company officials said, arguing they fear the money transfer could be used in “terrorist” activities, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Western Union officials said they’re following orders from the U.S. Treasury Department said to be aimed at blocking cash flows for “terrorist links.”
300 money transfers from a single Dubai franchise were blocked or delayed each day - none of which ever turned up a terrorist link, said one official at Western Union, also accused of blocking transfers between customers whose names even partially match names included in the Treasury list.
An Indian driver accused the agency of preventing him from sending US$120 (euro96) to a friend at home because the recipient's name was Mohamed.
"Western Union told me that if I send money to Sahir Mohammed, the money will be blocked because of his name," said Abdul Rahman Maruthayil, who later sent the money through UAE Exchange, a Dubai-based money transfer agency.
In another case, Qadir Khan, Pakistani, said Western Union blocked cash transfer to his brother, Mohammed, for a cataract operation.
"Every Mohammed is a terrorist now?" Khan asked.
"Mohammed and Ahmed have become problematic names because they are so common on the list of terrorists," said Nixon Baby, who runs a Western Union franchise in Dubai.
"These are regulations that Western Union is required to obey. We do not have any control."
In some cases the cash transfer is delayed for few hours, but in other cases it’s blocked entirely.
The U.S. Treasury and CIA are said to have been tracking confidential financial transactions handled by the Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
I don't think that they view every Mohammed as a terrorist. Instead they are trying to prevent terrorism, which is not a bad thing. While such profiling is inconvenient I think it is necessary and shouldn't be difficult to understand.
Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by zÂk
prevent terrorism ?
how can tht be done ?
there r millions out there wid the name MUHAMMAD.
n maybe only a handful out of those indulge in "terrorist" activities.
I'm sure that terrorism can't be completely prevented but this doesn't mean that the government shouldn't try to prevent it.
There may only be a handful of people who actually do the dirty work associated with terrorism. But many people believe that there are many people who financially aid terrorism. There may be millions of people named Mohammed. I'd be willing to bet that percentage wise (in the USA) those named Mohammed is very low.
Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by searchingsoul
I don't think that they view every Mohammed as a terrorist. Instead they are trying to prevent terrorism, which is not a bad thing. While such profiling is inconvenient I think it is necessary and shouldn't be difficult to understand.
What do you mean? Don't you understand that this is harassment?
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by muslim_friend
What do you mean? Don't you understand that this is harassment?
To a degree I see it as harassment. For example, if I was in Iran dressed in my normal Western attire, and I was ridiculed or assaulted, it would definitely be harassment. But I think I should expect such harassment.
I think that those with Islamic names should try to see the viewpoint of Western Union and appreciate that Western Union is trying to prevent terrorism.
Harassment will always feel bad to the individual being harassed. But it is necessary to view the "broader picture".
Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by Muzammil
The americans are the worst terrorists................ they killed the japanese without any mercy using atom bombs.... then the afghans... iraqis.....
No so called terrorist has killed that much......
so no doubt that
the american army will be in #1 positon in the terrorists list .....
It's easy to place blame on another country. But before doing this we need to realize and accept the faults of other countries. If a comparison of atrocities is made I doubt that any country would be superior to the other.
Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
they killed the japanese without any mercy using atom bombs
I always love those that live in a black and white world. Do you have any idea what the Japanese did to the people they conquered? Not to mention the fact they started the war. They made Hitler look like a nice guy.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by wilberhum
I always love those that live in a black and white world. Do you have any idea what the Japanese did to the people they conquered? Not to mention the fact they started the war. They made Hitler look like a nice guy.
I'm sorry, but how did the Japanese start World War 2? Those guys invading Poland weren't riding around in Toyotas.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by wilberhum
I always love those that live in a black and white world. Do you have any idea what the Japanese did to the people they conquered? Not to mention the fact they started the war. They made Hitler look like a nice guy.
Seriously you have bad case of nationalism, america are the only county I can think of that have used wmd's and they're the one's -----ing about other countries having them hyprocrites.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by wilberhum
You really need to study a little history.
And you really need to explain yourself. Like so:
format_quote Originally Posted by j4763
But the Japs did invade china first and then there surroundings me thinks, so yeah they did start the war in the east.
In the East, yes. Which is sufficiently different to the quote 'Not to mention they started the war'. That would imply that the entirety of World War II was started by the Japanese, which is just wrong.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
How could I get so wrong? You talk about what the US did to Japan, I should have realized you were talking about Europe. How silly of me. So just to set you straight.
The US never entered WWII until Japan attacked us.
Re: Western Union freezes Muslims’ money transfers
format_quote Originally Posted by wilberhum
How could I get so wrong? You talk about what the US did to Japan, I should have realized you were talking about Europe. How silly of me.
Actually, I didn't talk about what the US did to Japan, another member did, but I'll let that slide. The fact is you said Japan started the war, which is incorrect. What they did do was attack America, and bring it into the war, but Japan did not start it.
So just to set you straight.
The US never entered WWII until Japan attacked us.
I know. But it did not start it as you said. Do you understand what I'm getting at?
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