United States: Muslim NGO cuts ties with Islamic Relief Worldwide under political pressure

The charity Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) has announced that it has severed ties with its international partner, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), amid intense political pressure in the United States. In court documents, IRUSA explains that it made this decision to protect its tax status, threatened by investigations requested by American elected officials. Republican Jason Smith, influential in Congress, welcomed this break, which he attributes to the action of his commission.

In reality, the separation is not new: started in 2019, it was accelerated by recent political pressures. IRUSA claims to have never participated in illegal activities, while considering maintaining links has become risky. For several months, certain Muslim organizations have been in the sights of political leaders, who raise suspicions of indirect links with terrorist groups. Accusations contested by the NGOs concerned.

IRUSA has also filed suit against IRW in New York, accusing it of damaging its reputation, including through fundraising in the United States deemed to be misleading. For its part, Islamic Relief Worldwide, an international NGO based in the United Kingdom, regularly accused of proximity to the Muslim Brotherhood, firmly rejects these accusations and presents itself as a strictly humanitarian organization.

This case illustrates a climate of growing distrust towards Muslim NGOs in the United States, particularly since the genocide in Gaza.