Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is the U.S. affiliate of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), one of the largest Islamic charities in the world. IRUSA operates charitable programming within the United States and abroad focused on food security, refugee support, education, climate change, health care, emergency response, public health, orphans, sanitation, and other projects. ^{1 2 3}

Islamic Relief Worldwide has had ties with terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Al-Qaeda. In  2020, the U.S. Department of State warned of the “blatant and horrifying anti-Semitism and glorification of violence exhibited at the most senior levels of Islamic Relief Worldwide,” and likewise reported multiple instances of IRW trustees demonstrating pro-terrorist and antisemitic opinions, including senior IRW leadership praising the terrorist organization Hamas as “the purest resistance movement in modern history,” describing Hamas leaders as “great men” who answered the “divine and holy call of the Muslim brotherhood.” IRUSA described itself as a member of the Islamic Relief Federation, which “operates under” Islamic Relief Worldwide.  ²

Reports by both the German and Swedish governments allege some Islamic Relief entities have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and IRW was allegedly established by members of the Muslim Brotherhood. IRW was designated as a terrorist organization by United Arab Emirates, while Egypt and Tunisia have accused Islamic Relief organizations of financing terrorism. Between 2004 and 2014, IRW received at least $5 million in income from organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood as well as terror-connected groups like a charitable organization founded by alleged Al-Qaeda associate Abdul Majeed Al-Zindani. ^{4 5 6}

Individuals directly associated with IRUSA have also expressed pro-terrorist and antisemitic beliefs. 2017, former IRUSA chairman Khaled Lamada was found to have displayed insignia supporting the Muslim Brotherhood on his personal Facebook page. Lamada has posted several antisemitic comments on his personal Facebook page and circulated antisemitic conspiracy theories about Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. ⁷ Lamada sat on IRUSA’s board of directors as of mid-2020. ⁸ In May 2020, IRUSA hosted an event with noted antisemite Omar Abdelkafi, who has advocated for violence against Jewish people, calling on God to “slay them one by one and spare not one of them […] Liberate Al Aqsa Mosque from the filth of Jews the aggressors” in a 2017 Facebook post. ^{9 7}

The U.S. Department of State noted that IRW affiliates around the world, including IRUSA, are designated as charitable organizations and urged “all government bodies” to examine “IRW activities and their relationship with IRW.” However, as of 2025, IRUSA has retained a 501(c)(3) status in the United States. ^{2 10}

Reports indicate that taxpayer support for IRW from western governments decreased from nearly $12 million in 2011 to $15,000 in 2022. However, IRUSA continues to receive taxpayers funding. According to tax filings, IRUSA received $255,413 from government grants in 2023, $0 in 2022, and $2,200,319 in 2021. ^{3 11 12 13}

History

Islamic Relief USA is a branch of Islamic Relief, one of the largest Islamic charities in the world. ¹⁴ Islamic Relief has over 100 offices in 40 countries. ¹⁴ IRUSA was founded in 1993 in Los Angeles, California. That year, it sent aid to Bosnian Muslims impacted by the war in Bosnia following the collapse of Yugoslavia. Volunteers with IRUSA continued to raise money for those impacted by the Bosnian war in 1994, when it also began a fundraising campaign for relief for the conflict in Chechnya. ¹⁵

Over the next several decades, IRUSA provided humanitarian aid during a number of conflicts,¹⁴ most prominently a partnership with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a Jewish organization, in 2018 to provide humanitarian aid to those fleeing the Syrian Civil War. ^{16 17}

Within the United States, IRUSA provided aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, providing over $2 million in assistance to affected individuals and sending field workers to distribute aid. ¹⁸ Years later, after Hurricane Sandy, IRUSA staff and volunteers worked at New Jersey shelters to house those displaced by the storm. ¹⁹ IRUSA has provided support after several natural disasters in the United States over the years, including providing aid to Alabama tornado victims, assisting Detroit residents with water bills, and contributing to emergency response during the water quality crisis in Flint, Michigan. ^{20 21 22} Aside from disaster relief, IRUSA has organized several social-issue projects in the United States, including implementing after-school meal programs, supporting post-prison re-entry programs, providing food aid on Native American reservations, and offering assistance to victims of domestic violence. ²³

In his speech at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast, then-President Barack Obama cited IRUSA as a key faith-based charitable organization. ²⁴ IRUSA’s work alongside the federal government continued into the First Trump administration, with the group providing food for schoolchildren during the summer of 2017 in eight cities in partnership with the USDA. ²⁵

Activities

Islamic Relief USA is involved in charitable projects both in the United States and around the world, though the organization directs most of its program funding internationally. ³ Most of IRUSA’s domestic efforts are centered around poverty relief and emergency aid. ²⁶

IRUSA created a United States Disaster Response Team to volunteer in areas impacted by natural disasters, provided free health care services in various US cities, and supported efforts to advance left-of-center policy on refugees. ²⁶ IRUSA also hosts its annual “Day of Dignity” in which IRUSA volunteers provide low-income and homeless individuals with access to  hygiene kits, food, haircuts, medical screening, financial advice, and more. ²⁶ Other U.S.-focused charitable activities have included creating an emergency response to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, creating Ramadan food boxes for at-need families, supporting STEM education initiatives, creating an emergency response program in response to tornadoes and flooding in Appalachia, and hosting a summer food program for children who face food insecurity outside of school. ²⁷

IRUSA’s poverty relief efforts extend beyond the United States, with IRUSA operating programs in 39 countries. ²⁸ IRUSA’s food aid program is one of its largest projects, providing aid to over 2.5 million people in more than 35 different countries. ²⁹

Much of IRUSA’s charitable activity is focused on children. IRUSA has established education projects in 14 countries, especially in the Middle East, and launched several programs designed especially to educate refugee children. ³⁰ IRUSA also coordinates programs for vulnerable children around the world by offering the opportunity for donors to financially support an orphan in 24 different countries and refugee communities. ³¹

IRUSA also runs health care access programs in 14 different counties, especially in countries facing humanitarian crises such as Yemen. ³² In Africa and the Middle East, IRUSA has organized several programs to improve water security and access to sanitation. ³³ IRUSA also runs programs to directly support women’s initiatives in 11 different countries. ³⁴

Following the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Islamic Relief USA called for “CeasefireNOW” to stop Israel’s military response against Hamas in Gaza. In its call for a cease fire, Islamic Relief USA quoted the head of advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide, who said “civilians are being killed relentlessly” and that “the world must stop this massacre.” ³⁵

In 2024, IRUSA and USA for UNHCR (in reference to the UN Refugee Agency) launched a “strategic partnership” to support refugees. Through the partnership, Islamic Relief USA pledged $25 million over the next five years to focus on UNCHR’s “sustainable impact” in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Central Asia, “with a focus on mitigating climate change.” ³⁶

Islamic Relief USA also runs what it calls “Palestine Aid,” with a focus on distributing food, medical supplies, psychosocial support, recreational activities, temporary shelters, and more to Gaza in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7th, 2023.  ³⁷

Anti-Semitism Allegations

Khaled Lamada

In 2017, then-Islamic Relief USA chairman Khaled Lamada publicly expressed support for the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist extremist organization, posting Muslim Brotherhood symbols across his social media pages. ⁷ Lamada’s personal pages also circulated anti-Semitic remarks, praising the “jihad” of the “Mujahidin of Egypt” for “causing the Jews many defeats” and celebrating the terrorist organization Hamas for causing a “huge defeat” to Israel, the “Zionist entity.” ^{38 39}

Using his Facebook page, Lamada further spread conspiracy videos alleging that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is secretly Jewish and that he opposes the Muslim Brotherhood on the orders of Jewish officials. ⁴⁰ The video Lamada circulated further claimed that Jewish people sow division in Egypt by encouraging sexual activities. ⁷ Lamada’s only comment upon sharing the video was, “I hope this is not true.” ⁷ Among other anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, Lamada disseminated claims that the United States is controlled by a pro-Israel lobby working to demonize Islam and invade Sudan and the Nile Valley. ⁴¹ Though Lamada is no longer chairman of IRUSA, he sits on the board as of mid-2020. ⁴²

Yousef Abdallah

IRUSA east coast operations manager Yousef Abdallah published a story on Facebook in 2014 romanticizing “martyrs” who provided guns to “kill more than 20 Jews.” ⁴³ Abdallah’s further Facebook posts referred to Jews as “stinking,” and Abdallah liked a comment on one of his posts which calls on God to take “revenge on the damned rapists Zionists.” ⁷ Abdallah also took aim at United States officials who supported Israeli’s presence in the West Bank and Gaza. After former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) backtracked on referring to the disputed territories of Gaza and the West Bank as “occupied,” Abdallah wrote a Facebook post claiming, “Christie kneels down on his knees before the Jewish lords and says ‘I am sorry.’ Only money makes stuff like this happen.” ⁴⁴

Omar Abdelkafi

Aside from having leaders associated with anti-Semitic positions, IRUSA has hosted events featuring speakers who have advocated for violence against Jewish people. On May 3, 2020, IRUSA hosted an event featuring Omar Abdelkafi (also known as Omar Abdulkafy). ⁴⁵ Abdelkafi’s history of anti-Semitism has been noted by international media for decades. In 2015, Politico reported that Abdelkafi has proclaimed that Muslims should refuse to shake hands or share sidewalks with Christians. ⁴⁶ Following the terrorist attacks against the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris in 2015, Abdelkafi delivered an address which called the 9/11 terrorist attacks which claimed the lives of over 2,000 Americans a “comedy film” to which the attacks were merely a “sequel.” ⁴⁷

In a 2017 Facebook post, Abdelkafi remarked, “O Allah, we complain to you about the Jews, as they cannot escape you…slay them one by one and spare not one of them…Liberate Al Aqsa Mosque from the filth of Jews the aggressors.” ⁴⁸ Various other Facebook posts call upon Allah to liberate the Muslim world from “the filth of the Jews, the monkeys, the pigs.” ⁴⁸ In an undated clip of Abdelkafi preaching, he claims that the hour of reckoning “will not begin until you fight the Jews, until a Jew will hide behind a rock or a tree, and the rock or tree will say: ‘O Muslim, O slave of Allah, here is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.” ⁴⁸ Abdelkafi’s comments were so incendiary that he was uninvited from a 2018 conference organized by Muslim organizations in Canada. ⁴⁹

U.S. State Department Report on Antisemitism

The United States Department of State warned in 2020 of “blatant and horrifying anti-Semitism and glorification of violence exhibited at the most senior levels of Islamic Relief Worldwide.” The State Department further noted that ”the consistent pattern of spreading the most vile anti-Semitic vitriol by IRW’s leadership causes us to question the core values of the organization.” ²

The State Department’s report noted that a trustee and the director of IRW, Heshmat Khalifa, said on his Facebook page that Jews were “the grandchildren of monkeys and pigs” and that Khalifa accused Egyptian President el-Sisi of being a “Zionist pimp.” Khalifa likewise praised the terrorist organization Hamas, calling it “the purest resistance movement in modern history.” ²

While IRW claimed that it would review its processes to screen trustee and senior executive social media posts, weeks after Khalifa’s antisemitic comments were publicized it was reported that another IRW trustee and the director of Islamic Relief Germany, Almoutaz Tayara, had described the leaders of Hamas as “great men” who answered the “divine and holy call of the Muslim Brotherhood.” Tayara also described Israel as a “Zionist enemy.” ²

Based on these pro-terrorist and antisemitic views, the U.S. State Department recommended all governments with IRW affiliates “examine IRW activities and their relationships with IRW,” while also noting that an IRW affiliated—IRUSA has a 501(c)(3) status in the United States. ² At the end of the first Trump administration in January 2021, the State Department cut ties with Islamic Relief Worldwide. ⁵⁰

Other Controversies

Alleged Advocacy of Violence

Islamic Relief USA has hosted events with several controversial figures who have advocated for violence against the LGBT community and other groups. Abdullah Hakim Quick, a Canadian preacher featured in several online fundraisers, has claimed that, “AIDS is caused by the filthy practices of homosexuals” while noting that the Islamic penalty for homosexuality is death. ⁵¹ Quick further claimed in a 2000 speech posted to YouTube in 2016 that homosexuality “goes with Zionism” and that when ad-Dajjal (an evil figure in Islamic eschatology compared to the Christian Antichrist⁵²) arrives, his army would be mostly composed of Jews and partly composed of homosexuals. ⁵³ Quick’s comments have been condemned other Muslims, and Quick repudiated the comments when asked about them by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. ⁵³

Despite being heavily funded by the American government, IRUSA has invited several anti-American speakers to fundraisers in the past, including Zaid Shakir. ⁵⁴ Shakir has pushed conspiracy theories about the September 11 attacks, claiming that there are “glaring weaknesses and inconsistencies in the official narrative” in the American government’s account of the attack. ⁵⁵ Shakir has further promoted ideals of political Islamism, calling on Muslims to use “extreme caution” before engaging in politics because, “The legal and political system of America [is] sinful and constitutes open rebellion against Allah…Islam presents an absolutist political agenda, or one which doesn’t lend itself to compromise.” ⁵⁶

Other IRUSA speakers have made comments supporting violence against women. Omar Suleiman, a prominent IRUSA speaker, has claimed that women should never be alone with a man outside of her family, and that women who commit adultery can be killed by a family member without condemnation. ⁵⁷ Suleiman has also called homosexuality a “disease” and a “repugnant shameless sin.” ⁵⁸

Accounting Controversy

In November 2011, a Forbes investigation revealed that Islamic Relief USA had overvalued deworming pills gifted to the organization on its revenue statements, inaccurately ranking IRUSA among the largest 200 charities in the United States. ⁵⁹

In 2010, IRUSA claimed contributions of $182 million, all but $40 million of which came from donated “gifts in kind” (GIKs) rather than cash contributions. ^{59 60} Much of these gifts came in the form of deworming pills, which IRUSA then distributed to various communities around the world. ⁵⁹ On IRUSA’s financial statements, the pills were valued at as much as $16.25 per pill, when the world market price was two cents per pill. ⁵⁹ IRUSA’s financial statements inflated the value of the pills by more than 80,000%, placing IRUSA in the list of Forbes’ Largest 200 American charities. ⁵⁹ The inflation of GIK contributions is often used to make a charity’s financial efficiencies look better to enhance their appeal to new donors. ⁵⁹

When brought under scrutiny for the overvaluation of the pills, IRUSA blamed Diana Sufian, an “independent contractor.” ⁵⁹ IRUSA argued that it had nothing to do with the valuation of the pills, placing the responsibility on Sufian and firing her while suspending the donated goods program in 2011. ⁵⁹ Sufian was paid $669,000 by IRUSA in 2009 alone, nearly five times the pay of IRUSA’s president. ⁵⁹

In a written statement following the breaking of the scandal, IRUSA claimed that it had been told Sufian handled millions of deworming pills donated by the Medical Education Training and Development Inc. (METAD). ⁵⁹ METAD, registered as a tax-exempt charity, appeared to be functioning as a broker for the sale of deworming pills. ⁵⁹ The IRUSA statement further claimed that Sufian had told its officials that the deworming pills came from MedPharm LLC, a for-profit drug company. ⁵⁹

IRUSA’s accounting of the deworming pills came under even greater scrutiny when IRUSA admitted that processing fees may have been paid for the deworming medicines that amounted to more than their actual cost. ⁵⁹ If this were to be the case, the contribution of the deworming pills would have been just a market-value purchase, which could not be written off as a charitable contribution in the first place. ⁵⁹ IRUSA itself acknowledged that it did not know whether the pills listed as charitable contributions were purchased or donated, while still writing off the pills as charitable contributions on the organization’s financial statements. ⁵⁹

After the deworming pills came under scrutiny, IRUSA hired an outside law firm to investigate. ⁶⁰ One year later, IRUSA’s financial statements showed a 91 percent decrease in donated drug gifts, which seemingly contradicted a claim on IRUSA’s website regarding its high financial efficiencies. ⁶¹ Though IRUSA’s own financials showed that it spent just 7 4 percent directly on charity and 20 percent on fundraising and overhead, IRUSA’s website claimed in 2012 that it spent 93.8 percent of contributions directly on charity and just 6.2 percent on fundraising. ⁶¹ After being contacted by Forbes regarding the discrepancy, IRUSA removed the specific numbers, instead stating merely that it “takes great pride in our efficiency and accountability.” ⁶¹ Between 2010 and 2011, IRUSA’s stated contributions fell from $182 million to $64 million after accounting for the overvaluation of donated drugs. ⁶¹

Despite claims that IRUSA would suspend its donated drugs program, it valued drug contributions to various foreign countries at nearly $42.3 million on its 2017 financial statements, accounting for over one-third of IRUSA’s total grant contributions. ^{62 62}

Alleged Ties to Terrorism and the Muslim Brotherhood

In 2017, then-U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL) introduced a budget amendment to cut all federal funding for Islamic Relief USA as well as other chapters of Islamic Relief following allegations that IRUSA had ties to terrorist organizations. The amendment failed after lobbying by nonprofits and due to opposition led by then-Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN). ⁶³

Audits conducted by the United Kingdom and IRUSA have asserted the group did not have links to terrorism. However, a 2019 audit by the German government alleged some Islamic Relief entities have “significant ties” to the Muslim Brotherhood. ^{64 63}

According to the Middle East Forum’s Focus on Western Islamism project, Islamic Relief Worldwide (the international parent of Islamic Relief USA) has “significant ties” to the Muslim Brotherhood. Islamic Relief Worldwide was allegedly established by members of the Muslim Brotherhood and has offices, branches, and affiliates—including Islamic Relief USA—in over 40 countries. IRW has reportedly been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates, and a Swedish government report concluded that the organization has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt and Tunisia have accused Islamic Relief organizations of financing terrorism. ⁶

Following the U.S. State Department report, the Netherlands cut ties with its IRW affiliate and public funding from Western nations to IRW reportedly declined. However, as of 2025 IRUSA still retains its tax-exempt status. ^{6 65}

Between 2004 and 204, IRW received at least $5 million in income from organizations affiliated the Muslim Brotherhood as well as terror-connected groups like a charitable organization founded by member of Al-Qaeda Abdul Majeed Al-Zindani. ⁶

Islamic Relief USA states that it is a member of the Islamic Relief Federation, which “operates under” Islamic Relief Worldwide. IRUSA says it regularly works with other members of the Islamic Relief Federation, particularly on international programs. ⁶⁶

In 2025, IRUSA filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) as part of efforts to formally sever their organizational relationship. The action followed scrutiny from the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, which had referred IRUSA to the Internal Revenue Service for investigation regarding its tax-exempt status due to its financial ties to IRW. According to congressional communications, IRUSA had been a major contributor to IRW, providing a significant portion of its funding in prior years. The Committee’s inquiry cited longstanding allegations and concerns raised by various governments and institutions regarding IRW’s alleged connections to extremist groups and other controversies. IRUSA’s legal action was presented in the context of distancing itself from IRW amid ongoing regulatory and congressional scrutiny. ⁶⁷

People

Islamic Relief was co-founded by Essam El Haddad, the foreign policy advisor to Egypt’s since-deposed Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated former President Mohamed Morsi. ⁶⁸ Egypt has alleged that Haddad used Islamic Relief to finance the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Ahmed Esmat el Bendary, an Islamic Relief USA founder, was identified by Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan as a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood. ⁶⁹

As of 2025, the chairman of the board of directors of IRUSA was Ahmed Azam. Azam is an IT and technology engineer. He is a member of the Operation Research Society of America, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the American Society for Engineering Education. He is a founding member of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and a founder of the Islamic Center of Hawthorne, where he was president of the mosque for 25 years. ⁷⁰

As of 2025, the chief executive officer of Islamic Relief USA was Ahmed Shehata. Shehata was the operations manager of Islamic Relief USA from September 2004 to June 2014. He became the director of fund development of IRUSA in June 2017, a position he held until January 2024. IRUSA credits Shehata with doubling fundraising revenue within five years while acting as the director of fund development, including through establishing a major gifts initiative, expanding community fundraising, and securing donations from Fortune 500 companies and foundations. Shehata was appointed the CEO of IRUSA in March 2024. ^{70 71 72}

As of 2025, the chief operating officer of IRUSA was Araif Yusuff. Yusuf previously managed IRUSA’s disaster management team and helped establish the IRUSA Recovery Program in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. Yusuff is a vice chair of the New Jersey State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, president of the board of directors of New York Disaster Interfaith Services, a board member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, and an advisory board member of the New York City Faith Sector Community Preparedness Program. Yusuff was the interim chief executive officer of UR USA from June 2023 to December 2023. ^{70 73}

Financials

According to tax filings, in 2023 Islamic Relief USA reported $165,235,589 in revenue, $148,599,193 in expenses, and $228,581,851 in assets. Of its expenses, Islamic Relief USA reported spending $45,865,639 on food security initiatives, which included agricultural activities, funding for a sustainability project in Bosnia, micro-credit and microfinance, temporary employment activities, training women and youth in business and life skills “in Palestine,” providing food and hygiene items in Afghanistan, worked on “climate-friendly programming in Pakistan,” and funded other projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Additionally, IRUSA spent $22,371,568 on providing food, education, health care, and clothing to orphans in Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chechnya, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey, and Yemen. IRUSA also spent $21,088.946 on emergency response measures in international disaster areas, directed $13,949,974 in grants to U.S. nonprofit organizations, spent $9,408,812 on public health activities, spent $6,949,331 on water and sanitation projects, and spent $2,414,313 on other educational activities. ³

According to tax filings, IRUSA directed $5,447,664 in grants to East Asia and the Pacific, $7,122,112 in grants to Europe, $37,118,431 in grants to the Middle East and North Africa, $59,908 in grants to South America, $13,907,724 in grants to South Asia, and $38,269,894 in grants to sub-Saharan Africa. ³

Of its income, IRUSA received $4,621,766 from fundraising events; $163,154,831 from gifts, contributions, and grants; and $255,413 (0.15 percent of its revenue) from government grants. IRUSA received $0 from government grants in 2022 and $2,200,319 in 2021. Since 2016, Islamic Relief USA reportedly received over $1,000 from the City of Plano, Texas, which had reportedly given over $1.2 million to Islamist organizations, including support to create the controversial East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), an enclave of a radical mosque located in the North Texas city. ^{3 12 13 74}

Notable grants distributed by IRUSA in 2023 included multiple grants totaling $317,088 to Hanan Refugees Relief Group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, $171,175 to Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA), two grants totaling $267,974 to Radiant Hands Inc., two grants totaling $167,020 to Refugee Women’s Network, and $112,577 to Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia. ³

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