According to a report by the Washington Examiner, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's administration has awarded over $2 million in grants to an Islamic organization with alleged connections to a charity linked to al Qaeda.
The Islamic Association of North America (IANA) received funding from the state's Health Department between 2019 and 2024 for various public health initiatives, including community vaccinations and outreach to the Somali community.
The Washington Examiner's investigation revealed that IANA has been fundraising for Rahma Worldwide, a Michigan-based charity that claims to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.
However, Rahma Worldwide's president, Shadi Zaza, reportedly disclosed in a now-deleted Facebook post from October 2023 that the charity was collaborating with the Islamic Heritage Revival Society of Kuwait, an organization sanctioned by the U.S. government for funding al Qaeda.
IANA, founded in 2001, describes itself as a nationwide umbrella organization representing Muslim communities and speaking on behalf of member organizations. The group has over 35 centers and offshoots across the United States, with more than a dozen located in Minnesota. According to state records, IANA received substantial funding from Minnesota's Health Department, including over $238,600 in 2024 and $191,900 in 2023.
The organization's director, Yusuf Abdi Abdulle, made a controversial statement on October 7, 2023, saying, "Palestine has the right to defend itself." This statement was made on the same day as the Hamas attack on Israel. Additionally, IANA affirmed a statement by one of its partner groups claiming that Israel was engaged in "unprovoked" attacks in Gaza following the Hamas attack.
IANA's fundraising activities for Rahma Worldwide have raised concerns due to the charity's alleged connections. Rahma Worldwide has been reported to have participated in a pro-Palestinian aid campaign with Kuwait's Islamic Heritage Revival Society, which faced U.S. Treasury Department sanctions in 2008 for supporting al Qaeda.
The revelation of these grants comes at a time when Governor Walz, now the Democratic vice presidential candidate, is facing scrutiny over his ties to Muslim cleric Asad Zaman. Previous reports have shown that Walz has hosted Zaman, who shared a pro-Adolf Hitler movie on social media and defended the October 7 attack on Israel.
IANA's former director, Sheikh Hassan Dhooye, has also been a subject of interest. Dhooye congratulated Walz on becoming vice president in a social media post that included an image of them together. In the past, Dhooye was part of a delegation of Muslim leaders who met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a known Hamas ally, in Ankara in 2020.
Sam Westrop, a terrorism analyst at the Middle East Forum think tank, commented on the situation:
Determined to choose the worst possible partners at every turn, we now know that Walz oversaw $2.1 million of grants to yet another terror-aligned organization, with whose officials the governor seems to have close relations. It's not just a reprehensible use of Minnesota taxpayers' money. It's also a complete betrayal of all those moderate Muslim and Somali activists working to fight this extremism in their communities every day.
The Washington Examiner's report indicates that neither the Walz administration nor IANA have responded to requests for comment on these allegations. The presidential campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris has maintained that Walz has no personal relationship with Asad Zaman despite evidence suggesting otherwise.
These revelations have prompted questions about the vetting process for organizations receiving state funds and the potential implications for national security. The lack of response from involved parties has left many questions unanswered, and it remains to be seen how this situation will unfold in the context of the ongoing presidential campaign.
In conclusion, the Walz administration's awarding of over $2 million to IANA has come under scrutiny due to the organization's alleged connections to a charity linked to al Qaeda. The grants, given between 2019 and 2024, were intended for public health initiatives. IANA's fundraising activities for Rahma Worldwide and its controversial statements have raised concerns. The situation has potential political implications for Governor Walz, now a vice presidential candidate, and highlights the complex relationship between government funding and organizations with alleged ties to controversial groups.
