Madid Ahl al-Sham (Arabic: مدد أهل الشام) was a Qatar-based fundraising campaign widely suspected of acting as a conduit for donations intended for Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria.
While the online campaign reportedly coordinated the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Syrian citizens in need, the U.S. Department of State identified Madid Ahl al-Sham as a fundraising source for violent extremists.
Madid Ahl al-Sham was an online Qatar-based fundraising campaign that utilized social media to appeal for donations from Qatari citizens and residents.
[6] Madid Ahl al-Sham has reportedly fundraised under the supervision of Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association, a Doha-based charity with ties to the Qatari royal family.
[17] Madid Ahl al-Sham has also partnered with Qatar's Volunteer Work Center to assist Syrian refugees along the Turkish and Jordanian borders of Syria.
[18][19] General Secretary of Qatar's Volunteer Work Center Yusuf Ali Kadhim stated that Madid Ahl al-Sham took part in fundraising for the project.
In an online flyer attributed to the campaign and distributed through social media, Madid Ahl al-Sham requests donations from Qatari citizens to provide medicine, food, and clothes to Syrian civilians.
[26][27] According to reports, 31 tons of food and household medical items were transferred to Syrian citizens and refugees through the Turkish border through an assistance program funded by Madid Ahl al-Sham donations.
Al-Kabi is a SDGT accused of setting up donation campaigns in Qatar for Jabhat al-Nusra in response to a request from the terrorist group for money to purchase weapons and food.
[44] In 2014, residents of al-Rayyan, al-Nasiriah, and al-Azizah are instructed to contact “Brother Khalid al-Bounein.”[7] Madid Ahl al-Sham was actively promoted and endorsed by terrorist financiers including Sheikh Wagdy Ghoneim and Abdulaziz bin Khalifa al-Attiyah.
[21][45] In 2013, the Washington Post reported on Madid Ahl al-Sham's connections to Jabhat al-Nusra in an article entitled “Islamic charity officials gave millions to al-Qaeda, U.S. says.”[2] In June 2014, CNN released a 7-minute video investigating fundraising for terrorism in Qatar.
The video, released as a “CNN Outfront Special Report” shows an al-Qaeda linked militia “directing followers to donate to the (Madid Ahl al-Sham) campaign” through its Twitter account.
CNN's Erin Burnett also interviewed al-Kabi over the phone who claimed he had no knowledge that his Twitter account included a Madid Ahl al-Sham flyer soliciting donations for the arming, feeding, and treating of a soldier.
[46] The Long War Journal and Business Insider have both released articles on the operations of Madid Ahl al-Sham and have criticized the Qatari government for not shutting down the fundraising campaign earlier.