Great Revelations Academy

Great Revelations Academy co-founder and executive director Fouad Baydoun ⁴ told Arab American News in 2017 that the school was established to instruct in the teachings of the late Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. ⁵ Fadallah was a radical Islamic cleric who died in 2010 and was accused of being responsible for the October 1983 barracks bombing that killed 241 American military personnel in Beirut, Lebanon. ⁶ It was also alleged that Fadallah inspired the founders of the Lebanon-based Islamist terrorist organization Hezbollah. ⁷

History and Leadership

Great Revelations Academy was initially formed in 2011, ⁸ while first being announced in 2012 by the Al-Mabarrat Charitable Organization. ⁹ That same year, Great Revelations Academy received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. ¹⁰ In 2015, the Academy officially launched to the public. ⁵

Fouad Baydoun is a co-founder and director of the Great Revelations Academy as of 2024. ⁴ Baydoun told Arab American News in 2017 that Al-Mabarrat Charitable Organization established the academy to teach the insights of Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. ⁵ Fadlallah was a radical Islamic cleric who allegedly inspired the founders of the Lebanon-based Islamic terror group Hezbollah, ⁷ supported the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and promoted the doctrine of an Islamic state in Lebanon. ¹¹ The United States considers Fadlallah to be responsible for the October 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 American military personnel. ⁶

Jamal Kassir is the president of Great Revelations Academy as of 2024. ⁴

Activities and Funding

Great Revelations Academy is a private Islamic K-12 school located in Dearborn, Michigan. Primarily operated by the Al-Mabarrat Islamic organization, the Academy implements an Islam-based curriculum it claims falls in line with the state of Michigan’s Common Core standards. ¹

In 2017, both the co-founder of the Academy, Fouad Baydoun, and its principal, Sheila Bazzi-Charara, were interviewed by the Arab American News and claimed the school’s curriculum was inspired by, and instructs in the teachings of the late Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, a radical Islamic cleric who died in 2010 and was allegedly the inspiration behind the founders of the Lebanese Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah. ^{5 12}

Great Revelations Academy’s curriculum claims to be incorporate Islamic principles into its daily course instructions which includes Islamic studies and Arabic language courses. ^{2 3} The academy also claims to provide and uphold Islamic principles and values for all students and its curriculum includes materials that teach the Qur’an through application to daily life. ^{13 3}

Great Revelations Academy has previously hosted events organized by Islamist girl scout group the Al-Mustapha Girl Scouts. ¹⁴

Funding

Great Revelations Academy receives its funding from tuition and program services, grants, and donations. In 2022, Great Revelations Academy reported revenue of $1,872,716 and expenses of $1,885,035. In 2021, the academy reported revenue of $1,455,717 and expenses of $1,351,487. ¹⁵

In 2022, Great Revelations Academy received $50,000 from the Turfah Foundation. ¹⁶