News and Analysis on Islam in Europe and North America
The Alavi Foundation, recently accused of illegally providing funding and services to Iran, supported Middle Eastern culture and language programs at Harvard to promote Islamic education. Harvard Spokesman Kevin Galvin said that officials of the university were unaware of Alavi’s ties. Middle East studies Professor Roger Owen received grants from Alavi for his work at
In this piece by Houston Chronicle web producer Samira Rizvi, the interests, activities and worshipers of Houston’s Islamic Education Center are discussed. The article paints a picture of the organization and the Muslims that are part of it from the perspective of one of its own members. The question of whether Muslims should apologize for
The New York-based Alavi Foundation is a high-profile organization that claims to be a non-profit devoted to promoting Islam and the Persian language, and has even reportedly made donations to former President Bill Clinton’s foundation. But it has been under FBI suspicion for years over alleged ties with Iran. Federal prosecutors say the foundation is
The recent seizure of US mosques by federal authorities is raising concern amongst Muslim advocacy groups about the religious freedom and civil liberties of the majority of law-abiding US Muslims. The mosques, property of the Iranian Alavi Foundation, were seized by authorities as part of an investigation probing financial ties to Iran’s nuclear program. The
Federal investigators moved to seize four mosques in the US and a skyscraper in Manhattan yesterday over their alleged financial aid to Iran. Prosecutors in Manhattan filed a civil complaint in the federal court seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets of the Alavi Foundation, which describes itself as a charitable foundation,