Aladin Maher built Arab ties as Finnish Islamic foundations face scrutiny

Aladin Maher, a 77-year-old retired businessman who leads two Islamic foundations in Finland, has built a network of wealthy supporters in the Arab world as the foundations face questions from authorities, Yle reports. Maher says the money is used for charitable work and blames the foundations’ difficulties on Finland’s Security Intelligence Service, which does not comment on individual cases.

In January 2019, Maher arrived at Helsinki Airport from Egypt carrying 34,725 in cash, according to a customs declaration bearing an official stamp. The currency was unclear on the form. It said the money came from foundation funds and donations and was intended for a property purchase in Carnate, near Milan, where an Islamic centre now operates.

Maher has carried large amounts of cash across borders over the years. Yle notes that doing so is not in itself illegal. His foundations also have partners in several countries, and he raises funds through his international network, which includes wealthy businesspeople and rulers in the Arabian Peninsula.

The foundations, the Finnish Islamic Centre Foundation and the Nordic Foundation, have faced problems over questions about the origins of their funds. Banks have refused to handle their payments and closed their accounts. The Security Intelligence Service also blocked one wealthy Saudi donor from entering Finland, citing concerns that the person could threaten national security.

Maher was born in Egypt in 1949 and came to Finland in the early 1970s to study at the Institute of Industrial Arts, known as Ateneum. He later became a businessman and retired in 2002, after which he focused on the foundations. He has been convicted of fraud and other financial crimes, mostly in the previous century. Maher says he is innocent of the past offences, and Yle says it is not aware of any current criminal investigation involving him.

Maher has also been at the centre of a dispute over a prayer space in Helsinki’s Malmi district. The city ordered it closed because the premises were designated as a daycare centre and the activity disturbed other residents in the housing company.