How Did Qatar Charity Confront Smear Campaigns and False Accusations Against It?

In the humanitarian sector, many large organizations are increasingly targeted by systematic smear campaigns and unfounded accusations, especially when they operate in crisis and conflict zones. These campaigns are often designed to damage their credibility, erode public trust, and politicize purely humanitarian efforts.

What are the most common allegations leveled against humanitarian organizations? What strategies, tools, and communication tactics are used to fuel such campaigns? How have these organizations responded to protect their reputation and uphold humanitarian principles? And to what extent have they succeeded in exposing the falsity of these claims, transforming these challenges into opportunities that ultimately strengthen their transparency, credibility, and positive impact?

The article seeks to address the above questions through the experience of Qatar Charity, which stands as a prominent example of an organization that has professionally and effectively confronted the campaigns targeting it, achieving a commendable record in this field. This experience serves as a practical reference for those facing similar challenges, particularly Arab and Islamic charitable organizations around the world.

The Main Allegations Targeting Qatar Charity

• In the United States: Legal lawsuits alleging the financing of extremist groups in Syria and Palestine.
• In 2008: Israel placed 36 organizations, including Qatar Charity, on its terrorism lists, accusing them of financing terrorist and extremist groups.
• In Europe: Qatar Charity faced claims of funding ideologically driven political groups through support for the construction of mosques or cultural centers.

Methods and Tools Used Against It

• Abuse of legal procedures and lawsuits commonly known as lawfare to damage the reputation of humanitarian organizations or intimidate them.
• Use of media outlets and digital platforms as tools to spread malicious and unfounded allegations.
• Inclusion of Qatar Charity on terrorism lists for politically motivated reasons.

How Qatar Charity Responded to Reputation Smear Allegations

A. Internal Measures

Qatar Charity has long adopted these measures as part of its proactive approach to institutional self-protection, including:

1. Governance Measures

• More than 60 policies and 160 procedures designed to safeguard the integrity of humanitarian assistance.
• The use of advanced compliance and screening systems, such as Refinitiv World-Check, to vet partners, donors, and beneficiaries.
• Annual independent financial audits conducted by internationally recognized audit firms.
• Funding all projects exclusively through regulated and transparent banking systems.

2. International Partnerships, Memberships, and the Enhancement of Transparency and Credibility

• Partnerships: Qatar Charity works in close partnership with United Nations agencies, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

• Memberships and Alliances: Qatar Charity is also a member of leading international networks and alliances:

• 1994: Consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
• 2002: Associate member of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• 2016: Member of the START Network (an alliance of international humanitarian organizations)
• 2019: Member of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) Alliance
• 2024: Member of BOND (the UK’s leading platform for development organizations)

• Certifications: The organization has obtained up-to-date ISO certifications in governance, quality management, compliance, and information security.

Through these memberships, partnerships, and certifications, Qatar Charity continues to strengthen its governance frameworks, transparency, and program quality. It is regularly subject to independent assessments covering administrative structures, financial systems, and compliance mechanisms required to maintain the trust of international partners.

B. Legal Measures

• In recent years, civil lawsuits were filed in U.S. courts accusing Qatar Charity of financing extremist groups in Syria and Palestine. All these cases including:
• Force et al v. Qatar Charity et al; Sotloff et al v. Qatar Charity et al; Przewozman et al v. Qatar Charity et al; and Steinberg et al v. Qatar Charity et al—
• were dismissed due to insufficient evidence or lack of jurisdiction.
• In the Sotloff case filed in the state of Florida, the plaintiffs withdrew their lawsuit after it was revealed that the evidence submitted had been fabricated.
• Qatar Charity did not stop at prevailing in court and securing the dismissal of all lawsuits filed against it in the United States in early November 2025. It proceeded to initiate further legal action to identify those responsible for fabricating evidence, with U.S. courts authorizing the commencement of discovery and investigative procedures.

C. Media and Communication Measures: Statements, Clarifications, and Official Responses

Through official statements, clarifications, and media remarks, Qatar Charity has categorically rejected the allegations leveled against it, relying on documented evidence, verified facts, and statements from relevant international bodies to expose the falsity of these claims. The most notable examples include:

1. Official Statements

• In November 2025, Qatar Charity issued a statement welcoming the dismissal of all lawsuits filed against it in the United States, which had alleged that it supported extremist groups in Syria and Palestine, including those withdrawn by the plaintiffs after it was revealed that the submitted evidence had been fabricated. The organization affirmed that these outcomes reflect Qatar Charity’s firm commitment to integrity, transparency, and full compliance with international humanitarian and financial standards.
• Qatar Charity leveraged this legal victory to highlight, in the same statement, growing concerns over the widespread misuse of legal procedures to smear humanitarian organizations. It warned that this phenomenon poses an increasing threat to the humanitarian sector, undermining trust, weakening partnerships, and obstructing the delivery of aid to the most vulnerable communities and regions.

2. “Facts and Clarifications” Paper

Qatar Charity published a “Facts and Clarifications” paper addressing allegations made by various states and entities, which was disseminated through its official website and digital platforms. Key points included:

• Qatar Charity has never been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Nations, or the European Union. On the contrary, U.S. officials including several former U.S. ambassadors to Doha have praised Qatar Charity as “a model NGO that makes a difference in the lives of people and communities” and as an effective partner in delivering humanitarian assistance. Claims based on leaked documents or biased media reports do not represent the official positions of the United States or the United Nations.

• Qatar Charity rejected its inclusion on Israel’s terrorism list (which includes 36 organizations operating in Gaza and the West Bank), emphasizing that it operates in Palestine through the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM), an UN-supervised framework approved by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Like other humanitarian actors, Qatar Charity faces restrictions under Israeli law, yet it continues to operate in accordance with international humanitarian law and in close coordination with UN agencies. Its projects in Gaza are life-saving and essential for supporting civilians.

• Qatar Charity categorically denied allegations that it funds Hamas or other armed groups, clarifying that it operates in conflict zones such as Gaza exclusively through lawful and internationally recognized partners. As with UN agencies, humanitarian assistance may reach areas controlled by armed groups, which are permitted under UN humanitarian exemptions because millions of civilians live in these areas and depend on aid for survival.

• In this context, UN Security Council Resolution 2664 (2022) established a permanent humanitarian exemption across all sanction’s regimes, enabling humanitarian organizations to operate in conflict-affected or sanctioned areas to deliver assistance to civilians in need.

• Qatar Charity also dismissed claims that it funds ideologically driven political groups in Europe, stating that it has no political affiliation. It clarified that the organization provided limited support—amounting to less than 5% of its total expenditure at the time—to legally registered entities, including mosques and cultural centers, as part of community development programs. These grants were transferred transparently through the banking system to officially registered legal entities and were used for legitimate community purposes such as building construction or renovation. All grants were approved only after formal applications and thorough compliance reviews in line with European laws and regulations.

3. Advocacy for Protecting the Neutrality of Humanitarian Action

Through multiple statements, clarifications, and press remarks, Qatar Charity consistently emphasized the following:

• The real victims of smear campaigns are the families awaiting humanitarian assistance, particularly in conflict zones.
• Governments and financial institutions must safeguard humanitarian action from politicization and ensure that aid reaches beneficiaries based solely on need.

Conclusion

The experience of Qatar Charity demonstrates that confronting smear campaigns requires an integrated approach combining robust governance, transparency, legal action, international partnerships, and effective media engagement. Protecting the neutrality of humanitarian action is not merely a slogan, but an ethical imperative to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches those most in need.