The bitter divorce proceedings between Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) and its U.S. affiliate, Islamic Relief USA have been finalized. The U.K.-based charity, which oversees Islamic Relief affiliates throughout the world, severed its ties with Islamic Relief USA on September 12, 2026, declaring, that its American affiliate had broken trust with the global charity “and damaged the work of the entire federation.”
IRUSA was a good breadwinner for the global franchise.
Three days later, IRUSA, which had filed the equivalent of a divorce suit against IRW in March 2026, shut down its old website, started a new one under a new moniker—Islamic Development & Empowerment in America, or IDEA for short. “We Outgrew Our Name,” the organization stated.
Ahmed Shehata, Chief Executive Officer of IDEA, did not acknowledge its expulsion by IRW in a video and written statement in which he claimed that IRUSA “was consistently confused with UK-based Islamic Relief Worldwide by government regulators and institutional partners.”
“The new name settles that: it states the distinct American identity plainly and removes the ambiguity, so the humanitarian mission carries on without it,” Shehata added.
IDEA explained its decision to separate from IRW in a press statement declaring its foreign parent had “had drawn intense, persistent scrutiny from foreign and US government entities, financial institutions, and international humanitarian bodies” over its “alleged links to terrorism, antisemitic statements by leadership, bank account closures, and designations by foreign governments.” IRW adamantly denied these accusations.
“I suspect this is what IRUSA wanted all along—to get out from under IRW’s nasty reputation, which kept drawing Congressional scrutiny. Now the question is, ‘Who gets IDEA’s money?’ said Sam Westrop, director of the Middle East Forum’s Islamist Watch. “IRUSA was a good breadwinner for the global franchise.”
According to IRW’s annual reports and financial statements, IRUSA has been one of its largest single sources of income. In 2019 IRUSA provided 22 percent of IRW’s total income—£29 million. By 2024, IRUSA generated £50.4 million for IRW (nearly one-fifth of its global income) according to the George Washington University Program on Extremism analysis.
U.S. Affiliate Delinks from Islamic Relief Worldwide
The divorce proceedings between the two charities began in earnest in March 2026 when IRUSA sued its parent organization in the Southern District Court of New York, alleging that IRW jeopardized IRUSA’s legal standing, donor relationships, and humanitarian mission in America by exposing the American charity to the potential loss of its tax-exempt status in the United States.
“IRUSA was told by U.S. governmental entities that its tax-exempt status would be threatened if it continued to maintain any operational or institutional relationships with IRW,” it declared in the March 2026 complaint. The court issued a stay order and ordered both parties to engage in dispute resolution. IRW, however, cut ties with its U.S. affiliate in “bad faith” and in an “ineffective attempt” to bypass accountability, IRUSA reported.
On March 30, 2026, the House Ways and Means Committee took credit for IRUSA’s decision to sue IRW and sever ties, Focus on Western Islamism (FWI) reported. IRUSA’s lawsuit “would never come about but for our Committee’s oversight,” Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) declared.
Smith described the action as a direct result of the committee’s repeated referrals to the IRS over IRUSA’s affiliation with IRW, which the committee labeled a “terrorist-affiliated group” with connections to Hamas and a history of antisemitism.
Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Version of Events
IRW, for its part, emphasized that the resolution to expel IRUSA “was passed unanimously with immediate effect,” stripping its American affiliate of the right “to operate or trade using the Islamic Relief name or assets it currently holds, until a model that complies with the federation’s governance agreements is established.”
“The decision was made by the IGA, Islamic Relief’s highest governing body, comprising of representatives elected from member countries worldwide, members of the board of trustees and the remaining independent member,” it announced. Haroun Atallah, chair of the board of trustees of IRW, stressed that IRUSA’s actions have “damaged the work of the entire federation.”
Islamic Relief Worldwide Faces Multiple Allegations of Extremist Links
FWI has documented longstanding accusations against IRW and its partners ranging from ties to Muslim Brotherhood networks and platforming extremist imams to associations with groups accused of supporting terrorism.
The U.K.-based charity has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates and described by the U.S. State Department as promoting “blatant and horrifying” antisemitism. Israel banned IRW from operating in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, citing alleged ties to Hamas. In 2018, two years prior to the controversy over IRW’s antisemitism, IRUSA received positive coverage from the Jerusalem Post regarding its work with HIAS to help refugees in Greece.
Multiple think tanks and media outlets, including NGO Monitor, the Henry Jackson Society, and the Middle East Forum (MEF), have compiled dossiers detailing accusations of financing terror, platforming of hate preachers, support for Hamas, and antisemitism against IRW.
The Henry Jackson Institute’s 2018 report, titled “Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: How Islamist Extremists Exploit the UK Charitable Sector,” noted that IRW and its U.S. franchise “have been accused of extensive ties to Islamist terrorist organisations.” As examples, it cited IRW’s receipt of $50,000 from Osama bin Laden in 1999.
MEF’s 2018 report on the organization noted that Russian authorities accused Islamic Relief of supporting terrorism in Chechnya in 2005. In 2012, the Swiss banking giant UBS closed down Islamic Relief’s accounts and “blocked donations coming from its customers to the charity,” reportedly over terror financing fears. Four years later, HSBC did the same.
In January 2021, the U.S. State Department cut ties with IRW due to “anti-Semitism exhibited repeatedly by IRW’s leadership.” In November 2020, the German Ministry of Interior cited IRW’s “significant connections” to the Muslim Brotherhood and terminated projects with IRW.
FWI has contacted representatives for both IDEA and IRW and will publish any responses when received.
