In a recent report by Real Clear Wire, it was revealed that a nonprofit organization, formerly headed by Linda Sarsour, a controversial figure accused of anti-Semitism, received a staggering sum of over $4.
1 million in public funding from 2017 to 2024.
This information was obtained from public records scrutinized by Open the Books.
According to Gateway Pundit, the Arab American Association of New York, the nonprofit in question, amassed $3.3 million from New York City and an additional $854,000 from New York State. The lion's share of the state-level payments originated from the Department of State, while the city funding largely lacked any agency name.
The most substantial payment was a $1 million transfer from New York City in 2023.
Sarsour, who presided over the nonprofit from 2005 to 2017, has since been in the limelight for her perceived endorsement of violence against Jews. She publicly condemned the U.S.'s deportation of Rasmea Odeh, who was found guilty of murdering two Israeli college students at a supermarket in Jerusalem. At the 2018 Islamic Society of North America Convention, Sarsour made a contentious statement, arguing that Jewish people should not be humanized.
Open the Books also discovered that the Islamic Society of North America, where Imam Siraj Wahhaj served as vice president, received $332,000 in federal taxpayer money and $14,000 from local school districts. Sarsour has referred to Wahhaj as a mentor and motivator and encourager of mine. The FBI named Wahhaj as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, although he denies any involvement.
During the subsequent trials, Wahhaj, a long-standing imam at Masjid At-Taqwa, a mosque in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, testified in support of Omar Abdel-Rahman, referring to him as a respected scholar. Abdel-Raham was later sentenced to life imprisonment for seditious conspiracy and reportedly told co-conspirators that murdering civilians was acceptable. Wahhaj has also labeled homosexuality as a disease and in one sermon, he urged followers to make gay people uncomfortable until they become straight, citing, The Prophet Mohammad said the one who does it [homosexuality] and the one whom it is done to, kill them both.
Given Sarsours mentorship of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, questions arise about whether the Arab American Association or Islamic Society will see increased funding under his administration. Mamdani also shares a positive relationship with Wahhaj. The Arab American Association previously advocated for a bill Mamdani introduced in the state assembly that would have prohibited New York nonprofits from engaging in unauthorized support for Israeli settlement activity.
Neither Mamdani nor New York Gov. Kathy Hochul responded to inquiries from the Free Beacon regarding their plans to continue funding the Arab American Association. Sarsour has also boasted that the Unity and Justice Fund PAC, funded by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), was Mamdanis largest institutional donor in New York. CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad previously expressed happiness over the Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel.
As the U.S. political climate continues to polarize, it is crucial for taxpayers to be aware when public funding is channeled towards supporting radical views. The #WasteOfTheDay is a reminder of the importance of transparency in government spending, brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.
Login