Indiana University Philanthropy Initiative Tied to Training With Newly Sanctioned Hamas-Linked Charity
Fox News reports that Indiana University’s Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, part of the university’s School of Philanthropy, co-organized multi-day fundraising trainings with Turkish nonprofit Hayat Yolu, which the U.S. Treasury on March 12 sanctioned as a 'sham charity' accused of secretly funding Hamas and serving as a financial hub for the Muslim Brotherhood. According to a local outlet and LinkedIn posts cited in the piece, IU assistant professor Dr. Shariq A. Siddiqui led the sessions in Istanbul in July 2025 and Jakarta in January, training roughly 86 participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore in 'systematic, professional, and scientific' fundraising and nonprofit management. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said Hayat Yolu is part of a covert global network that funnels money to Hamas’s Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades under the cover of humanitarian aid, vowing to continue targeting such entities. The article does not allege IU or Siddiqui knowingly supported terrorism, but the juxtaposition of the new U.S. sanctions and the prior partnership raises sharp questions about vetting of international partners by American universities and possible legal or reputational exposure. Fox says it has reached out to Indiana University for comment; no response is included in the story.
📌 Key Facts
- Indiana University’s Muslim Philanthropy Initiative co-organized fundraising training events with Turkish NGO Hayat Yolu, according to LinkedIn posts and local media cited by Fox News.
- The U.S. Treasury on March 12 designated Hayat Yolu as a 'sham charity' that allegedly funds Hamas and serves as a financial hub for the Muslim Brotherhood.
- IU assistant professor Dr. Shariq A. Siddiqui reportedly led multi-day trainings in Istanbul in July 2025 and Jakarta in January, including a Southeast Asia event with 86 participants from five countries.
📊 Relevant Data
The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned multiple sham charities linked to Hamas since 1995, with recent actions in 2025 and 2026 targeting networks that funnel funds under the guise of humanitarian aid.
Hamas: Timeline of US Sanctions 1995-2023 — Wilson Center
Hamas raises funds through a global network of sham charities, with recent U.S. sanctions in 2026 designating entities that have funneled millions to its military wing, including over $10 million from one network in a single year.
Treasury Continues to Disrupt Hamas' Sham Charity Network as the ... — U.S. Department of the Treasury
The U.S. Muslim population has grown from about 1 million in 1970 to approximately 4.5 million in 2024, largely due to immigration facilitated by the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which ended national origin quotas and prioritized family reunification and skilled workers.
Muslims in the United States - statistics & facts — Statista
As of 2024, about 58% of adult U.S. Muslims are first-generation immigrants, with significant portions from South Asia (29%), the Middle East/North Africa (27%), and sub-Saharan Africa (14%), reflecting post-1965 immigration patterns.
Muslims in the United States - statistics & facts — Statista
The Muslim Brotherhood has established influence in U.S. philanthropic and charitable sectors through affiliated organizations, with reports indicating strategic efforts to embed in Western institutions since the 1980s.
Report: Muslim Brotherhood influence 'increasingly pervasive' in U.S. — Jewish Insider
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