Indiana University has permanently terminated the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, a unit of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, after an internal investigation found it had worked with a charity that the U.S. Treasury designated for supporting Hamas.
Sanctions and the Hayat Yolu Association
The investigation focused on the programme’s collaboration with the Hayat Yolu Association, an Istanbul‑based organisation that was added to the Treasury’s sanctions list in March for channeling money to Hamas’ al‑Qassam Brigades. The Treasury described Hayat Yolu as part of Hamas’ “international fundraising network” and accused it of directly supporting the militant wing.
Documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show that the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative thanked Hayat Yolu for its “generous support” in an annual report.
Financial ties and training events
Internal records reveal that Hayat Yolu reimbursed the initiative’s executive director, Shariq Siddiqui, for travel to conferences in Istanbul and Jakarta. At those events, Islamic non‑profits received training on fundraising and management techniques.
Hayat Yolu’s deputy director, Ahmad Abu Adam, described the sessions as an effort to “enhance capabilities” of partners in Indonesia using the “latest research‑based techniques.”
Political reaction
State representative Andrew Ireland (R.), a former Indiana deputy attorney general, led calls for the programme’s closure after the report emerged. He said, "A taxpayer-funded institution should never legitimize entities tied to terrorism," and added, "This decision upholds accountability and national security priorities."
Previous controversies
The initiative had already attracted criticism in 2022 for hosting Sami Al‑Arian, a former professor who was deported after pleading guilty to conspiring with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Dean Amir Pasic later acknowledged that the school had failed to properly vet speakers.
Advisory council members had included senior figures from Islamic Relief USA and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding until the programme’s dissolution.
University response and wider impact
Indiana University declined to comment when approached for a statement. The shutdown is viewed as a setback for attempts to formalise Muslim philanthropy networks in the United States, a goal the initiative claimed would “transform” charitable practice both domestically and abroad.