Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) is a national network of mosques, Muslim organizations, and individuals founded by African-American Muslims to address certain needs within the Muslim community ¹ and advance the interests of African-American Muslims in the United States. ²

Mika’il Stewart-Saadiq is the executive director of MANA. ³ Stewart Saadiq supports the Black Lives Matter movement ⁴ and has called former President Donald Trump an “early stage Hitler,” ⁵ claimed the Trump administration was a “white nationalist administration,” ⁶ and said that Israel engages in “apartheid” in the Palestinian territories. ^{7 8}

History and Leadership

Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) was founded in 2005. MANA developed from conversations among various Muslim leaders in the United States including Siraj Wahhaj and others. The group started working in late 2005 when Wahhaj was leader of MANA at a meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ⁹

MANA was a collaboration of the Islamic communities of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad, Imam Jamil, the community of Imam Siraj Wahhaj, and others. The organization held its first planning meeting and conference in 2006-2007. ¹⁰

Mika’il Stewart-Saadiq is the executive director of MANA. Stewart-Saadiq previously was the chairman of Imams Council of Michigan. From 2016 to 2021, he advocated for the critical race theory-influenced concept of social equity as a Detroit City Council liaison. ¹¹ Stewart-Saadiq supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement. ¹² He has called former President Donald Trump an “early stage Hitler,” ¹³ and claimed the Trump administration was a “white nationalist administration.” ¹⁴ Stewart-Saadiq has also claimed that Israel engages in “apartheid” in the Palestinian territories and supports the boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) approach to disengagement from Israel. ^{15 16} On his Twitter page, Stewart-Saadiq shared a link to a speech by 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones calling for reparations for slaver at the United Nations General Assembly. ¹⁷

Joshua Salaam is the president of MANA. Previously he managed the civil rights department for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). ¹⁸

MANA was previously headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. ¹⁹ The organization regained tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2021 ²⁰ after being added to the IRS’s auto-revocation list for not filing annual tax forms in 2016. ²¹

Activities and Funding

Muslim Alliance in North America is a national network of mosques, Muslim organizations, and individuals who work to address certain needs within the Muslim community. ²² Founded by African-American Muslims and other multiethnic leaders in the United States, MANA primarily focuses its efforts on the interests of the African-American Muslim community, holding seminars and townhall sessions regarding African American Muslim issues, Islamic literacy, community re-entry, and economic development. ²³ The organization also works to build an alliance of Muslims who are dedicated to strengthening African-American Muslim communities and institutions in the United States. ²⁴ As a part of its expansion plans, MANA hopes to have 50 organizations in its network totaling more than 1000 individual members. ²⁵

MANA is committed to the far-left, critical race theory-inspired concept of antiracism, ²⁶ and operates a YouTube channel that promotes Islamic topics. ²⁷

In 2022, MANA conducted a survey of Islamic leaders in the United States to be presented at its townhall meeting on February 25, 2023. ²⁸ In May 2022, MANA signed a letter by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) responding to Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt’s comparison of Palestinian activists to individuals who participated in the January 6 Capitol riot. ^{29 30}

In 2009, MANA signed a letter with other Muslim organizations including American Muslim Alliance, anti-Israel organization American Muslims for Palestine, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America, United Muslims of America, and others that alleged the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was sending undercover agents into mosques and threatened to cut ties with the FBI. ³¹

MANA is a founding member of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USMCO). In 2022, MANA participated in USMCO’s National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. ³²

Funding

Muslim Alliance in North America receives its funding from membership fees ³³ and individual donations. ³⁴ In 2020, MANA reported revenue and expenses of less than $50,000. ³⁵

1.  “MANA.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed via Web Archive. October 5, 2011. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20111005173325/http://mana-net.org/subpage.php?ID=about.
2. “Most Popular Questions.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://manajustice.org/faqs/.
3. “About Us.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://manajustice.org/about-mana/.
4. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stewart Saadiq Twitter. Posted December 26, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1210233529910644741?s=46&t=-hDqEh1RylExblZ5jnuqaA.
5. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stewart Sadiq. September 18, 2020. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1306906840895234048?s=46&t=-hDqEh1RylExblZ5jnuqaA.
6. “Twitter.” Mika’il Stewart Saadiq Tweet. Twitter. Posted February 22, 2020. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1231225113300930562?s=46&t=-hDqEh1RylExblZ5jnuqaA
7. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stweart Saadiq Twitter. May 13, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1525133193879375872?cxt=HHwWgMCyheajrqoqAAAA
8. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stweart Saadiq Twitter. May 13, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1525133193879375872?cxt=HHwWgMCyheajrqoqAAAA.
9. “FAQs.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed Via Web Archive July 9, 2008. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20080709094848/http://www.mana-net.org/subpage.php?ID=faqs.
10. “About.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://manajustice.org/about-mana/.
11. “About Us.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://manajustice.org/about-mana/.
12. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stewart Saadiq Twitter. Posted December 26, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1210233529910644741?s=46&t=-hDqEh1RylExblZ5jnuqaA.
13. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stewart Sadiq. September 18, 2020. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1306906840895234048?s=46&t=-hDqEh1RylExblZ5jnuqaA.
14. “Twitter.” Mika’il Stewart Saadiq Tweet. Twitter. Posted February 22, 2020. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1231225113300930562?s=46&t=-hDqEh1RylExblZ5jnuqaA
15. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stweart Saadiq Twitter. May 13, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1525133193879375872?cxt=HHwWgMCyheajrqoqAAAA
16. “Tweet.” Mika’il Stweart Saadiq Twitter. May 13, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew/status/1525133193879375872?cxt=HHwWgMCyheajrqoqAAAA
17. “Tweet.” MuslimARC Tweet. Retweeted June 28, 2022. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/imamstew?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.
18.  “Home.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://manajustice.org/.
19. “Donate.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed via Web Archive. July 9, 20908. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20080709094833/http://www.mana-net.org/subpage.php?ID=donate.
20. “Letter Notifying Approval of Tax-Exempt Status.” Internal Revenue Service. March 8, 2021. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_71-0997466_MUSLIMALLIANCEINNORTHAMERICAINC_08312020_00.tif.
21. “Muslim Alliance in North America.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed December 4, 2022. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=710997466&name=Muslim%20Alliance%20in%20North%20America%20Inc.&city=Oakbrook%20Terrace&state=IL&countryAbbr=US&dba=&type=CHARITIES,%20DETERMINATIONLETTERS,%20EPOSTCARD,%20REVOCATION&orgTags=CHARITIES&orgTags=DETERMINATIONLETTERS&orgTags=EPOSTCARD&orgTags=REVOCATION.
22. “MANA.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed via Web Archive. October 5, 2011. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20111005173325/http://mana-net.org/subpage.php?ID=about.
23. “About.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://manajustice.org/about-mana/.
24. “About.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://manajustice.org/about-mana/.
25. “Home.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://manajustice.org/.
26. “Most Popular Questions.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://manajustice.org/faqs/.
27. “MANA: Muslim Alliance in North America.” Muslim Alliance in North America YouTube Channel. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/@manamuslimallianceinnortha8047/streams.
28. “About.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://manajustice.org/about-mana/.
29. “American Muslim Organizations Unite to Reject ADL’s ‘Slander’ and Support Palestinian Human Rights.” Council on American Islamic Relations. May 16, 2022. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/american-muslim-orgs-unite-to-reject-adls-slander-and-support-palestinian-human-rights/.
30. “Muslim & Allied Community Statement in Response to the ADL’s Recent Attack on Groups Supporting Palestinian Human Rights.” Council on American-Islamic Relations. Letter. May 16, 2022. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/JointStatement.pdf.
31. McLaughlin, Elliott. “FBI planting spies in U.S. mosques, Muslim groups say.” CNN. March 20, 2009. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/20/fbi.muslim.groups/.
32. ^[1] “300+ Delegates Take Part in 7^th National Muslim Congressional Advocacy Week – #MuslimHillDay.” Council on American-Islamic Relations. June 15, 2022. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/300-delegates-take-part-in-7th-national-muslim-congressional-advocacy-week-muslimhillday/.
33.  “FAQs.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed Via Web Archive July 9, 2008. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20080709094848/http://www.mana-net.org/subpage.php?ID=faqs.
34. “Support Our Cause.” Muslim Alliance in North America. Accessed November 29, 2022. https://manajustice.org/donations/donation-form/.
35. ^[1] “Muslim Alliance in North America Inc.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=710997466&name=Muslim%20Alliance%20in%20North%20America%20Inc.&city=Oakbrook%20Terrace&state=IL&countryAbbr=US&dba=&type=CHARITIES,%20DETERMINATIONLETTERS,%20EPOSTCARD,%20REVOCATION&orgTags=CHARITIES&orgTags=DETERMINATIONLETTERS&orgTags=EPOSTCARD&orgTags=REVOCATION.