Millions of Foundation Dollars Flowing to Islamist Groups

by Sam Westrop, ISLAMIST WATCH

Be sure to read the Daily Caller’s lead feature piece from Friday about an MEF campaign to identify and challenge millions of dollars of donations from major American corporate, community and independent foundations to prominent Islamist groups with long histories of links to terror and extremism.

Daily Caller: “Investigation: Foundations Gave Millions To Groups Accused Of Terror Ties”

In a nutshell: since 2000, 51 corporate foundations, 8 community foundations, 1 donor-advised fund, and 9 private foundations have given an astounding $5.6 million to seven Islamist groups: Islamic Relief USA, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), ICNA Relief (the latter’s charitable wing), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

[See here for information about these Islamist groups]

MEF sent the foundations evidence of these Islamist groups’ extremism, which included examples of anti-Semitic, homophobic, anti-Western and pro-terror hate preachers given platforms by the seven organizations.

But as the featured article notes, many foundations failed to respond or refused to stop their donations. In fact, most of the foundations that did reply told us that recipients need only possess an active 501c3 status to qualify for a donation.

As Islamist Watch coordinator David Swindle explains: “The side effect of this is that foundations end up funding all sorts of racist and anti-Semitic hate groups. Under these foundations’ standards, for example, an eligible 501c3 would be the New Century Foundation, a notorious white supremacist group. Islamist groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Islamic Relief fall into this same category of utilizing charitable status to obscure long histories of promoting and funding extremism and hate.”

By funding these seven Islamist groups, some of America’s most important companies are helping extremists cement their grip over American Islam, to the detriment of moderate Muslims everywhere.

We’re continuing to campaign against funding for these Islamist groups. You can help us by also reaching out to these foundations and urging them to stop funding hate. And please sign our petition against the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which, since 2008, has given $330,524 to CAIR and Islamic Relief.