According to reporting by the Washington Free Beacon, Qatar has engaged two Washington, D.C.-based crisis management firms to reshape public perception of its influence over American higher education following intense congressional scrutiny. The Qatar Foundation, the regime’s primary vehicle for advancing influence through U.S. universities, retained Washington Media Group for $40,000 monthly and the law firm Venable for $25,000 monthly to provide “strategic communications support” and manage what officials characterize as “public misconceptions” about their academic partnerships, according to federal foreign agent filings dated March 30 and March 31, 2026.

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The hiring represents a coordinated damage-control operation following a House Committee on Education and Workforce report that exposed Qatar’s direct involvement in suppressing campus criticism of Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attack. The report, titled “How Campuses Became Hotbeds: The Rise of Radical Antisemitism on College Campuses,” revealed internal communications in which Qatar Foundation officials demanded that American universities operating in Doha remain “aligned and in touch” regarding official statements about the attack.

Coordinated Suppression of Institutional Responses

Documents reviewed by the House Committee demonstrated systematic coordination between Qatar Foundation leadership and university administrators to control campus messaging. On October 17, 2023—ten days after Hamas’s attack—Qatar Foundation President of Higher Education Francisco Marmolejo requested “information sharing and no surprises” during a call with university representatives.

Northwestern University’s Doha campus dean, Marwan Michael Kraidy, refused to sign Northwestern’s corporate statement criticizing Hamas, and the campus “intentionally chose not to circulate” the university’s October 13 statement condemning the attack as “abhorrent and horrific.”

Northwestern’s Doha campus operates under a contract that explicitly prohibits students and faculty from criticizing the Qatari regime, limiting institutional autonomy and free expression protections typically associated with American academic institutions.

Scope of Qatari Financial Influence

Qatar has become the dominant foreign funder of American higher education. According to Department of Education disclosures, Qatar provided $396 million to U.S. colleges and universities in 2024 and $1.2 billion in 2025—a tripling of annual investment that coincided with expanded satellite campus operations. Major universities with Education City campuses in Doha include Northwestern University, Georgetown University, Cornell University, and Carnegie Mellon University, with Qatar having channeled approximately $62.4 billion in aggregate funding to American higher education since 1986.

The Firms Behind the Message Pivot

Washington Media Group’s contract specifies its role is to “enhance public understanding” of Qatar Foundation partnerships and “promote transparency, address public misconceptions, and support informed dialogue regarding the structure, history, and impact of these partnerships.”

The firm’s CEO and registered agent, Crystal Patterson, has an extensive background in Democratic political communications, including roles with Hillary Clinton, former Sen. Edward Kennedy, and former Rep. Tim Ryan, as well as previous work at the left-wing Center for American Progress. Patterson is also a Northwestern University graduate—making her a product of the same institution whose Doha campus has restricted faculty speech about the Qatari government.

Venable’s contract with Qatar Foundation centers on government relations and ensuring “members of Congress and the administration have an accurate understanding of Qatar Foundation’s support for education.” Venable’s representative, Ronald Jacob, specializes in crisis management involving “government investigations, litigation, and media exposure,” according to his firm biography.

Neither firm responded to requests for comment regarding their engagement.

Media Operations and CNN Partnership

Qatar’s influence operations extend beyond education into American media infrastructure. CNN announced an expansion to Qatar in February 2025, establishing an office in Media City Qatar, with the regime providing “facilities and technical support” including “purpose-built studio with custom workspaces” at no apparent cost to the network. The Qatar Foundation in December 2023 retained Monika Plocienniczak, a veteran CNN producer with five years at the network, through the firm RF Binder, paying at least $460,000 since that engagement began.

Seattle police arrested three pro-Hamas protesters on April 19, after dozens of protesters blocked entrances to a Jewish community reception at Town Hall Seattle, and one protester punched an attendee during a confrontation on the steps. The event, hosted by StandWithUs Northwest, featured Noa Cochva, a former IDF combat medic who was crowned as Miss Israel in 2021.

The incident marks the latest in a series of confrontations targeting Jewish community events across the United States, with activists from groups including the Seattle Palestine Action Network and Antifa disrupting access to what organizers described as a peaceful gathering.

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Physical Confrontation Leads to Arrests

A protester wearing a plastic bag as a makeshift mask got into a shoving match with an attendee on the steps. After both traded shoves, the attendee tried to remove the bag from the protester’s head, and the protester then punched the attendee in the jaw. The protester then punched the attendee in the jaw. Seattle police arrested the protester involved in the physical altercation, followed by two additional arrests minutes later.

Police detained three individuals. Public reporting said two men taken into custody were ages 21 and 33. The protesters had effectively blockaded the venue entrance before police intervention, forcing attendees to navigate through a gauntlet of demonstrators.

Protesters Chanted ‘Death, Death to the IDF’ Outside Event

Video footage from the scene captured protesters chanting “death, death to the IDF” as Jewish guests attempted to enter the building for the community reception. The Seattle Palestine Action Network organized the demonstration specifically to target the event featuring Cochva, who served five months at the Gaza border during the 2023 conflict as a combat medic.

Jennifer Adut, associate director of StandWithUs Northwest, described the scene as intimidating. “They were screaming right in our faces. It was really intimidating. ‘Death to the IDF.’ ‘Free Palestine.’ ‘F Israel.’” Despite the hostile environment, Adut emphasized that attendees remained committed to the event. “We are all proud Jews. We are proud of our history and heritage. We’re not cowed by protesters.”

Police Force Protesters From Venue Entrance

Around 8:30 p.m., Seattle police cleared all protesters from the sidewalk and area surrounding the entrance, allowing event attendees to safely exit the building. The police response came after protesters had maintained their blockade for hours, preventing normal entry and exit from the venue.

The incident follows a pattern of disruptions targeting Jewish community events nationwide, raising concerns about the safety of Jewish gatherings and the escalation of tactics employed by anti-Israel activist groups. StandWithUs Northwest describes its mission as fighting “rising antisemitism, hate and misinformation online,” organizing educational programs and community events focused on Israel advocacy.

At an April 18 protest in Stockholm, pro-Palestine demonstrators staged a performance that critics and watchdog groups say evokes blood libel imagery. The demonstration featured a masked figure dressed as a religious Jew depicting the ritual murder of an infant. The display—which invoked medieval blood libel myths that fueled centuries of Jewish persecution—unfolded in Odenplan Square as protesters chanted “Crush Zionism.”

Israel’s Ambassador to Sweden Ziv Nevo Kulman condemned the display as a modern iteration of “the same centuries-old stereotypes and blood libels, repackaged by replacing ‘Jews’ with ‘Zionists,’” while criticizing Swedish authorities for tolerating what he called abuse of freedom of expression to promote hate. The shocking spectacle represents the latest escalation in a pattern of weekly antisemitic displays that have characterized Stockholm’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations for nearly two years.

The Display

Ynet described the figure as resembling Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir and portraying the killing of a Palestinian woman and her baby; other reporting described the scene more generally as a blood-covered figure in a kippah threatening a Palestinian woman.

The blood libel—the false accusation that Jews murder children for ritual purposes—represents one of history’s most persistent and deadly antisemitic myths. The blood libel is a longstanding antisemitic myth that has historically incited anti-Jewish violence and pogroms.

The Protest Context

Demonstrators gathered at Odenplan Square to protest Israeli policies, including reported plans to annex parts of the West Bank and ongoing military operations in Lebanon. Protesters carried signs reading “Children are being killed in Gaza,” “Schools and hospitals are bombed,” and “Stop the attacks on Lebanon.”

Anadolu reported that the demonstration was organized by several civil society groups. The Palestine Solidarity Association of Stockholm also publicized an April 18 Odenplan demonstration on its calendar and claims that it repudiates antisemitism.

Pattern of Escalation

The April 18 display represents the latest in a series of increasingly extreme antisemitic performances at Stockholm demonstrations. The Combat Antisemitism Movement documented a March 2026 protest featuring a performer dressed as Benjamin Netanyahu portrayed as a butcher with a bloodied face and Nazi-style armband.

According to Ambassador Nevo Kulman’s statement, these demonstrations have occurred “week after week” for approximately two years at Odenplan Square, located more than a mile from Stockholm’s main synagogue.

Official Israeli Response

Nevo Kulman wrote on X that authorities “tolerate ‘freedom of expression’ being abused to promote hate and incitement against a national minority.” He added: “Too many bystanders say nothing. ‘It’s not their war.’ This is Europe, 2026.”

Broader Context

Sweden has seen a marked increase in antisemitic incidents following October 7, 2023, with authorities documenting a near doubling of antisemitic crimes. The weekly Stockholm protests have become a focal point for concerns about the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery under the guise of political activism.

The invocation of blood libel at a public demonstration in a European capital has raised alarm among Jewish communities and antisemitism researchers, who view it as evidence of how traditional anti-Jewish hatred is being repackaged within contemporary anti-Israel activism.

A ‘Death to the Akademy’ tour stop featuring Mohamed Abdou is being advertised by its organizers for April 21 as an NYU-linked event, nearly two years after his disputed departure from Columbia University amid controversy over public statements in support of U.S.-designated terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

During an April 17, 2024 congressional hearing, Columbia President Minouche Shafik said Abdou had been ‘terminated’ and would ‘never work at Columbia again,’ though Abdou later disputed that characterization and said his contract was simply ending. The announcement comes weeks after video clips from a March 2026 event circulated online showing Abdou saying, ‘Let us engage in jihad,’ and praising Elias Rodriguez, who is charged in the May 21, 2025 fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington.

Student organizers promoting the gathering as an NYU-linked event have incorporated imagery and messaging associated with designated terror organizations. The promotional materials feature photographs of armed individuals wearing headbands similar to those worn by Hamas operatives, the PFLP, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, paired with text stating “together we will win.” The promotion also displays the inverted red triangle symbol used by Hamas in propaganda materials to mark target locations.

The event description indicates the gathering will examine developments in campus activism following October 7, and discuss strategies for how “student and community organizers” can advance efforts to “topple Euro-Amerikan empire where they are.”

Columbia’s Controversial Hiring and Disputed Exit

Abdou joined Columbia University as the Arcapita Visiting Professor in Modern Arab Studies in January 2024, just days after publicly declaring his support for Hamas and designated terror organizations in an interview with the socialist podcast Revolutionary Left Radio.

“Yes, I’m with the muqawamah (the resistance) be it Hamas and Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” Abdou wrote in an October 11, 2023 Facebook post, just days after the October 7 terror attack. He reiterated this position repeatedly over the following months, including in January 2024, stating: “I might be with Hamas and support the resistance, absolutely … Look what 1,500 did … they were organized and they worked in stealth mode.”

During his tenure at Columbia, Abdou participated in encampment protests and taught courses on “Decolonial-Queerness & Abolition.” He became a prominent figure in the university’s anti-Israel activist circles, publishing posts encouraging students to “ORGANIZE revolutionary alternatives to capitalism” and move beyond “just go to Pro-Palestinian rallies” or “just post on social media.”

Shafik announced during the April 2024 congressional hearing that Abdou had been “terminated” and would “never work at Columbia again.” However, the characterization remained disputed. Abdou claimed his contract was not renewed but he had not been fired, while the university’s framing suggested otherwise. Abdou subsequently filed a lawsuit against Columbia and Shafik alleging defamation. The Free Beacon reported that Abdou was spotted in Columbia’s unsanctioned “Gaza Solidarity” encampment before his exit at the end of the spring 2024 semester.

Recent Rhetoric at Union Theological Seminary Event

In March 2026, Abdou appeared at an online event titled “Death to the Akademy: How to be a thorn in their throat amidst snakes in the grass” co-hosted by Union Theological Seminary students and Queer Muslims of New York City. Video documentation of his remarks shows Abdou calling for violent action.

“Let us engage in jihad, and there are rules for jihad, and Muslims know that Allah has commanded rules. We don’t engage in wanton violence, but we don’t accept the negative peace either,” Abdou stated during the event.

He also praised Elias Rodriguez, who faces charges for murdering two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington, D.C. in 2025. “God bless him. He took action. … Take action. Not only that kind of action, just to be very clear, because there’s also building. We need to destroy. We need to create alternatives,” Abdou said.

Union Theological Seminary President Serene Jones condemned the remarks in a statement after the event occurred, stating administrators were "not aware of the violent nature of the event" when authorizing it. "When we became aware, we withdrew our support," Jones stated.

NYU-Linked Event Proceeds With Terror Iconography

Despite the recent controversy at Union Theological Seminary, organizers are moving forward with the April 21 event. The promotional material shared by student groups explicitly incorporates terror organization symbolism and language consistent with Abdou’s previous public statements endorsing “violent resistance” frameworks.

Abdou’s social media biography identifies him as a “Student of the Muqawama”—muqawama being Arabic for “resistance.” His profile features the red triangle symbol prominently and an image of Hamas fighters.

NYU Response

When contacted by Jewish Onliner for comment on the event and promotional materials, NYU issued the following statement, attributed to Wiley Norvell, Senior Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs:

“NYU strongly condemns the brazen use of threatening language, as well as the imagery of violence in promotional posts for this event. The group sponsoring the event is not an organization affiliated with the University, nor are the event or the invited speaker in any way supported by NYU. We are investigating several potential University policy violations associated with these posts.”

The university added that the event post does not identify a location and they have no information suggesting it will take place on university property.

Editor’s note: This is the latest article in a series examining alleged Muslim Brotherhood front groups in the United States—the 29 organizations listed in the infamous 1991 Muslim Brotherhood Explanatory Memorandum outlining a “Civilization-Jihadist Process” to destroy Western civilization from within. With renewed U.S. government focus on Brotherhood networks and recent congressional scrutiny, this series investigates the documented connections between these groups and their historical advancement of Brotherhood strategic objectives in America.

The Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) operates today as a prominent medical relief organization with approximately $7.8 million in total assets, according to ProPublica’s compilation of IRS Form 990 data. According to its own materials, the organization deploys volunteer physicians to conflict zones, including Gaza, Syria, and Yemen. The group describes itself as “a leading resource and network for American-Muslim physicians, dentists and other health care professionals,” hosting annual conventions and coordinating humanitarian medical missions that have treated millions of patients worldwide.

But IMANA’s own history, together with the 1991 Explanatory Memorandum cited by researchers of Brotherhood-linked networks, places the organization’s early development alongside institutions later associated with that milieu. The organization appears as #6 on the 1991 Explanatory Memorandum, listed as “IMA = Islamic Medical Association” among 29 organizations identified as part of what the memo’s author described as “a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within.”

IMANA’s Medical Relief leadership has publicly acknowledged partnering with HEAL Palestine, which a 2025 Jerusalem Post investigation linked, through its founder’s earlier work and related networks, to entities involved in terrorism-financing cases.

IMANA board members have shared social media posts supporting the Columbia protest movement and other hardline pro-Palestinian messaging, including content that appeared to echo pro-Hamas narratives. The organization also shows longstanding historical and leadership overlap with ISNA, which was listed first in the 1991 memorandum and was later named by federal prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator or joint venturer in the Holy Land Foundation case.

From MSA to IMANA: The 1967 Founding

IMANA’s own history page traces the organization’s origins to the Muslim Students Association (MSA), an institution widely described by researchers and watchdogs as part of the early Muslim Brotherhood-linked milieu in North America. In the fall of 1967, at the annual Muslim Students Association (MSA) meeting in Columbus, Ohio, Muslim physicians Dr. Mobin Akhtar and Dr. Amjad Ali “established the Muslim Medical Association as a branch of the MSA.”

The MSA was founded in 1963 and has been described by scholars and watchdogs as heavily influenced in its early years by activists linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and Jamaat-e-Islami. As Jewish Onliner previously documented, the MSA helped give rise to major parts of the U.S. Brotherhood-linked institutional infrastructure, including ISNA, NAIT, and a range of affiliated professional associations.

IMANA’s website explicitly states that MSA “evolved into the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).” Federal prosecutors later included ISNA on a public list of unindicted co-conspirators and/or joint venturers in the Holy Land Foundation case.

By 1968, the Muslim Medical Association became a separate entity, renamed the Islamic Medical Association (IMA). Dr. Bashir Zikria, who served as IMANA’s president from 1969-1971, obtained the organization’s tax-exempt status. The group has operated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 1999 under Tax ID 36-4166125.

The Explanatory Memorandum: #6 on the List

The Muslim Brotherhood’s strategic ambitions were codified in the 1991 Explanatory Memorandum, authored by Shura Council member Mohamed Akram and later introduced as evidence in the Holy Land Foundation trial. The document identified IMA—the Islamic Medical Association—as the sixth organization among “our organizations and the organizations of our friends.”

A 2009 Hudson Institute report by Steven Merley confirmed that IMA was among the “vocational organizations affiliated with the Students Union” created as Brotherhood “front organizations.” The report stated that IMA, alongside the Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE) and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), became “founding constituents” of ISNA in 1983.

Internal Muslim Brotherhood documents, including a 1988 Shura Council spreadsheet referenced in the Hudson Institute study, explicitly listed IMA as part of the U.S. Brotherhood infrastructure. The document described these professional associations as part of the “covert organizational infrastructure” built to achieve what the Explanatory Memorandum called “settlement,” embedding Islam within North American civic and institutional life.

Dr. Ahmed Elkadi: From Muslim Brotherhood Treasurer to IMANA President

At the center of IMANA’s early leadership was Dr. Ahmed Elkadi, a cardiothoracic surgeon who served as both an IMANA president and the treasurer and later president of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood itself.

Elkadi’s father-in-law, Mahmoud Abu-Saud, was an early Muslim Brotherhood leader in Egypt and a pioneer in Islamic banking. According to a 2004 Chicago Tribune investigation, when Elkadi married Abu-Saud’s daughter in Egypt in 1963, Egyptian intelligence questioned the couple specifically about their Brotherhood ties. “They asked my husband, ‘Couldn’t you find anybody else to marry except Mahmoud Abu-Saud’s daughter?’” his wife recalled.

Elkadi lived in Graz and Vienna from 1963 to 1967, the same period when Yusuf Nada, the Muslim Brotherhood’s global financier, resided in those cities. The Hudson Institute report notes it is “highly likely that Nada and Elkadi were acquainted” given their overlapping Brotherhood connections and geographic proximity.

Elkadi went on to found the Akbar Clinic, an Islamic medical center in Florida funded by a Luxembourg bank managed by his father-in-law. He died in 2009, but his role in IMANA and in the broader alleged Brotherhood-linked milieu helped establish an enduring overlap between professional medical organizing and Islamist institutional activism.

The ISNA-IMANA Leadership Pipeline

Multiple IMANA leaders have also held positions within ISNA, reflecting a pattern of leadership overlap between the two organizations within what researchers and critics have described as a broader Muslim Brotherhood-linked network in the United States.

Dr. Faroque Ahmad Khan, who served as IMANA president from 1986-1988, was elected to ISNA’s Majlis Shura (Shura Council) and served as president of the Islamic Center of Long Island. He also sat on ISNA’s governing board, embodying the leadership overlap between the medical and umbrella organizations.

Dr. Husain Nagamia, an IMANA past president who founded the International Institute of Islamic Medicine (IIIM) in 1992, was publicly identified by ISNA as a member of ISNA’s Founders Committee—the group that controls the organization’s strategic direction.

Dr. Mohammed Al Shroof, a former IMANA president, also served on ISNA’s Board of Directors and received IMANA’s “Dr. Ahmed El Kadi Award” at an IMANA banquet—named after the very Muslim Brotherhood treasurer who helped establish the organization.

Taken together, these examples suggest that IMANA has long functioned within the same institutional orbit as ISNA and other organizations that researchers and critics have associated with Brotherhood-linked networks in North America.

The HEAL Palestine Connection

In October 2025, IMANA Board Member and Chair of Medical Relief, Dr. Ismail Mehr posted publicly on Facebook: “Transparency is key when choosing organizations to support; Islamic Medical Association of North America - IMANA has begun delivering the largest single shipment of baby formula in Gaza to date.” He thanked “HEAL Palestine for all you do.”

Multiple posts from Dr. Mehr explicitly acknowledge IMANA’s partnership with HEAL Palestine, including a December 2024 Facebook post stating: “Islamic Medical Association of North America - IMANA has delivered 6,200 + 19,680 = 25,880 cans of baby formula” and noting “HEAL Palestine has been our partner on the ground tirelessly supporting efforts.”

An August 2025 investigation by The Jerusalem Post reported that HEAL Palestine, through its founder’s earlier work and related networks, had historical links to entities involved in terrorism-financing cases.

The Holy Land Foundation (HLF) – Designated a terrorist organization in 2001, with five leaders convicted of aiding Hamas. HEAL founder Steve Sosebee (who previously ran the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund) conducted joint fundraising with HLF in 1996, splitting proceeds 60/40. HLF’s main donor was Mousa Abu Marzook, Hamas’s first chairman.

The Global Relief Foundation – Raided and closed by the U.S. government in 2001 for funding terror groups. The PCRF (Sosebee’s previous organization) listed it as an “assisting organization.”

International Islamic Relief Organization – Raided by the FBI for funneling money to al-Qaeda and Hamas, also listed as a PCRF “assisting organization.”

Hamas Ministry partnerships – A 2003 U.S. Department of Justice bulletin stated that “the unofficial Hamas website contained a hyperlink to the official Hamas site, as well as to several United States-based charities, including the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund.” In 2021, the PCRF partnered with Hamas’s Social Development Ministry to distribute aid packages.

Additionally, The Jerusalem Post reported that HEAL Palestine filed IRS Form 990-N in 2022 and 2023, a filing typically used by tax-exempt organizations with $50,000 or less in annual gross receipts. The report noted that this is difficult to reconcile with HEAL’s public claim of raising more than $4 million, highlighting an apparent discrepancy that could warrant further scrutiny or explanation.

Board Members’ Public Messaging on Gaza and Campus Unrest

Dr. Azeem Elahi (Vice President of the Board), a pulmonologist in North Carolina who shared Macklemore’s song “Hind’s Hall” on Instagram in May 2024 with the caption: “Macklemore’s ‘Hind’s Hall’ is now available on all streaming platforms. Download now to show your solidarity with the innocent victims of oppression in Gaza & Palestine. All proceeds are pledged to UNRWA!”

The song celebrates the April 30, 2024 occupation of Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, where protesters broke windows, barricaded doors with zip ties, and renamed the building “Hind’s Hall.” The occupation resulted in nearly 100 arrests and significant property damage.

In September 2024, Dr. Elahi appeared on stage at the 61st Annual ISNA Convention in Dallas, posting that “the unwavering support for Gaza and the Palestinian people was palpable in nearly every session this weekend.” He praised “thought leaders/political and social activists” who “tirelessly propagate the message of the true heroes in Gaza.”

Dr. Asim Kidwai (Board Member), a family medicine physician in Georgia, changed his Facebook profile picture to the Dome of the Rock/Al-Aqsa Mosque on October 9, 2023, just two days after the October 7 Hamas massacre, while terrorists were still inside Israel and hostages were still being taken.

On November 19, 2023, Dr. Kidwai shared a post claiming: “BBC: ISRAEL HAS TAMPERED WITH EVIDENCE, MANIPULATED VIDEO, LIED TO THE PUBLIC & PROVIDED NO EVIDENCE AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL WAS A HAMAS COMMAND CENTER.” This repeated a claim that was later undercut by declassified U.S. intelligence assessments stating that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad had used the Al-Shifa complex for command-and-control purposes and to hold hostages.

More Than a Humanitarian Medical Organization

Taken together, the record suggests that IMANA is not simply a neutral medical charity operating apart from politics or ideology. Its own historical account, its appearance as #6 in the 1991 Explanatory Memorandum, its longstanding leadership overlap with ISNA, and the public conduct of some of its current leaders point instead to an organization whose humanitarian work exists alongside a deeper Brotherhood-linked institutional legacy.

Temper City, an Israeli alternative rock band, has debuted at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their single “Self Aware,” making them the first Israeli band to chart on America’s flagship singles ranking.

The song, which released on February 15, went viral on TikTok before climbing international charts and earning widespread recognition across streaming platforms.

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TikTok Virality Drives Streaming Surge

The band began teasing "Self Aware" on TikTok on January 28, posting clips of themselves recording in the middle of the desert. The snippets highlighted the emotional chorus and drew comparisons to 2010s indie rock acts like Cage the Elephant and The Neighbourhood, with videos reaching 5.5 million views.

@temper.citybut my mind gets in the way #indiemusic #band #fyp #tiktokpremium #newmusic

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According to Billboard data, the song earned 128,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during its release week, then surged to 388,000 the following week, a 201% increase. By early March, weekly streams exceeded 1.12 million, with the track exploding 770% in streaming activity over three weeks.

The rapid growth triggered speculation that Temper City might be an AI-generated project, prompting the band to release interview footage from Israel confirming their authenticity.

From Hitmakers to Headliners

Temper City comprises vocalist Eytan Peled and production duo Chen Kordova and Aviv Barenholtz, who previously worked under the name Sync Beats. Before forming the band, all three members were behind-the-scenes hitmakers who collectively wrote over 100 songs for Israeli pop stars.

Kordova and Barenholtz spent around five years commuting between Israel and Los Angeles, producing for international acts including Fuerza Regida, Zeds Dead, and Dimitri Vegas. Peled, who was born in Boston and shuttled between the United States and Israel during childhood, established himself as a multilingual songwriter performing in English, Hebrew, and Arabic after his solo debut “Where Are the Days” went viral in Israel in 2020.

International Chart Performance

Beyond the Hot 100, “Self Aware” has charted in multiple territories. The song reached No. 55 on the Canadian Hot 100, No. 51 on the UK Singles Chart, and No. 18 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally. It also peaked at No. 1 on Sweden’s Heatseeker chart and charted in Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland. The track simultaneously appeared on TikTok’s and Spotify’s Global Viral 50 charts, demonstrating the band’s cross-platform appeal.

Building on Israeli Breakthroughs

The success follows a pattern of Israeli artists finding receptiveness in American alternative markets. Dennis Lloyd’s “Nevermind” not only reached No. 86 on the Hot 100 but also peaked at No. 3 on the Alternative Songs chart and earned platinum certification in the United States.

Temper City’s achievement as the first Israeli band on the Hot 100 suggests growing opportunities for collaborative Israeli acts pursuing mainstream American recognition through digital platforms and social media virality rather than traditional radio promotion.

The band cites influences including Arctic Monkeys, Twenty One Pilots, The Neighbourhood, Radiohead, and Foster the People. Their deliberately transatlantic sound blends British lyrical sensibility with American alt-rock production, reflecting the members’ years of moving between continents and working across international music markets.

On April 14, 2026, the official X account of the Iranian Embassy in Tajikistan posted an AI-generated video depicting Jesus Christ punching President Donald Trump in the face, with Trump bloodied and falling into a fiery pit. The 10-second video incorporated imagery from Trump’s own deleted Truth Social post and quickly accumulated millions of views on the platform. The Tajikistan embassy’s provocative content represents an escalation in Iran’s broader digital influence campaign targeting Western leaders and audiences.

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Graphic Depiction of Violence Against President Trump

The Iranian Embassy took the image posted by Trump and transformed it into graphic propaganda depicting violent assault on the sitting U.S. president. An automated voice declares “Your reckoning has come” as a Christ figure descends from the sky. Trump is shown screaming “no” before impact, with audio effects simulating blood spattering as his body plummets downward into flames.

The Tajikistan post was not isolated. Other Iranian diplomatic accounts, including ones linked to South Africa and Zimbabwe, also posted mocking or satirical content targeting Trump during the same period.

The Epstein Conspiracy Push

On the same day, the same Iranian Embassy account posted an AI-generated video depicting the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein communicating with Trump and allegedly instructing him to take specific actions, including criticizing Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones on Truth Social. The video depicted Epstein’s ghost speaking to Trump and implying a directive relationship between them

The embassy accompanied the Epstein video with the caption: “Trump is one of the reasons that proves the existence of the Satan in the world.”

Historical Pattern: Soleimani Commemoration

The Tajikistan embassy’s engagement in propaganda is not new. In 2024, the account made a post honoring Qasem Soleimani, the former IRGC Quds Force commander who was eliminated in a U.S. strike in January 2020.

The commemoration indicates the diplomatic account has long served as a propaganda vehicle for Tehran rather than functioning in a traditional diplomatic capacity.

Implications

The most serious aspect of the episode is that an official Iranian embassy account appeared to glorify violence against a sitting U.S. president. Whatever its propagandistic or satirical framing, that is an extraordinary use of a diplomatic platform. It illustrates the extent to which Tehran’s official channels are being used not merely to message or mock, but to circulate inflammatory content that erodes the boundary between diplomacy, propaganda, and incitement.

Deni Avdija scored 41 points and converted a three-point play with 16.1 seconds remaining to send the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA playoffs on Tuesday night, becoming the first Israeli player to reach the postseason in league history. Portland secured the seventh seed in the Western Conference and will face San Antonio in the first round. Deni Avdija became the second Israeli player to reach the NBA playoffs, following T.J. Leaf, who made it with the Indiana Pacers in 2018

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The Numbers

Avdija’s 41 points rank among the standout performances of this year’s play-in round. He shot efficiently while distributing 12 assists, orchestrating Portland’s offense during a fourth-quarter comeback from an 11-point deficit. With 32 seconds left and Phoenix holding a 110-109 lead, Avdija drove to the basket, finished through contact, and made the free throw for a 112-110 advantage. Phoenix missed its final shot attempt. The Blazers advanced while Phoenix dropped to a Friday elimination game against the Clippers-Warriors winner.

Background

Born in Beit Zera, a kibbutz in northern Israel, Avdija is the son of Zufer Avdija, a former Yugoslavia national team player of Gorani background born in Pristina, and Sharon Artzi, an Israeli Jewish mother. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth ranks in 2013 and led the club to three straight Israeli youth state championships from 2017 to 2019. At 19, he became Israeli League MVP in 2020 before Washington drafted him ninth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Portland acquired him in July 2024 in a trade involving Malcolm Brogdon and multiple draft picks. He earned his first All-Star selection in February 2026.

Representation Context

Israeli athletes have rarely carved out a lasting presence in major American professional sports, giving Avdija’s postseason breakthrough added resonance. He entered the playoffs averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, establishing himself not as a symbolic figure but as a central force behind Portland’s rise. In that sense, his playoff appearance carries significance beyond one season: it strengthens Israeli representation in the NBA and may help expand the horizon for future Israeli and Jewish prospects imagining a path to basketball’s highest stage.

As the Global Sumud Flotilla launched its latest mission from Barcelona on April 15, 2026, sexual misconduct allegations surfaced involving a member of the organization’s steering committee. The steering committee member allegedly engaged in sexual relations with three different volunteers while aboard boats headed to Gaza on a previous voyage

The allegations, posted by Palestinian activist group Heart of Falastin, describe what they call a “clear violation of ethics and power” aboard what was supposed to be a disciplined humanitarian mission.

The controversy has exposed internal dysfunction within an organization that Jewish Onliner previously investigated. Jewish Onliner previously reported that several steering committee figures had documented contacts with Hamas, PIJ, and PFLP-linked figures. Later Israeli government material, and subsequently a U.S. Treasury designation of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), added public support for claims of Hamas-linked involvement in the flotilla network

Sexual Misconduct Allegations

According to Heart of Falastin’s Instagram posts, a Steering Committee member identified only as “B.L.” engaged in sexual relations with multiple activists during a prior voyage to Gaza. “Not one person. Not two. Three different individuals. All volunteers on a humanitarian mission,” the post stated.

The allegations distinguish between private conduct and abuse of authority. “We do not care what anyone does in their private time. At a hotel. In their own home,” the post clarified. “But to do it on the boat - while heading to a nation undergoing genocide, with volunteers who are under your authority, in a space where activists are sleeping, eating, and working together - is a clear violation of ethics and power.”

Heart of Falastin described the behavior as creating a “toxic environment” that “compromises the integrity of the entire mission,” calling it “a red line” when it occurs “on a boat heading to Gaza - a space that should be sacred, focused, and disciplined.”

Organization’s Response Criticized

The allegations claim that despite being notified over a month ago with detailed testimonies, the Steering Committee failed to remove the individual, launch an investigation, or issue a public statement. “The first incident occurred over six months ago,” the post stated. “We gave them time. We gave them every opportunity to do the right thing. They refused.”

Heart of Falastin also accused the Steering Committee of threatening people who “dared to speak” about the allegations.

The Global Sumud Flotilla told the New York Sun that it is “fundamentally opposed to the abuse of power” and created an “arms-length, independent Ethics Committee” made up of “trained legal professionals.” However, the organization said it cannot “trigger an investigation or hold individuals accountable based on public rumors” and had “not received any related complaints” via the “reporting pathway.”

Additional Allegations of Abuse

Beyond the sexual misconduct claims, Heart of Falastin accused the organization’s leadership of verbal abuse. According to the posts, a leadership member identified as “L.F.” allegedly said that the leadership “shouts at everyone. That’s okay. They don’t mean it. Take it with an open heart.”

The activist group promised to release more testimonies in coming posts, including allegations of “financial theft” and the “silencing of Palestinian voices.” As of April 14, 2026, the original Instagram post was reportedly taken down without explanation.

Terror Ties Previously Documented

The misconduct allegations compound existing concerns about the flotilla’s leadership. In August 2025, Jewish Onliner published an investigation revealing that several Steering Committee members had met with officials from U.S.-designated terror groups and funded Hamas-linked bodies in Gaza.

The investigation identified Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri, who, according to prior reporting and later Israeli summaries, funded projects for Hamas-run or Hamas-linked bodies in Gaza and was photographed with Hamas official Ghazi Hamad. It also identified Wael Nawar, who has been documented in meetings with Hamas, PIJ, and PFLP-linked figures. In Saif Abu Keshk’s case, later Israeli and U.S. government material focused more specifically on alleged Hamas-linked activity through the PCPA.

About two months later, Israel’s Foreign Ministry published documents that were recovered in Gaza and revealed Hamas links to flotilla leadership through the PCPA. The U.S. Treasury later designated PCPA in January 2026, under Executive Order 13224 for acting on behalf of Hamas.

Latest Mission Launches

Despite the allegations, dozens of boats departed Barcelona on April 15, 2026. Organizers said the broader mission would involve more than 70 boats and over 1,000 activists globally, marking what they claim is the largest mobilization of its kind. Previous flotilla attempts have been intercepted by Israeli authorities, with participants in last year’s mission, including Greta Thunberg, arrested and deported.

On 1 April 2026, a joint student slate bringing together Union Étudiante, the Fédération syndicale étudiante, and Étudiants musulmans de France (EMF) won three of the eight elected student seats on the board of the Cnous, France’s national student welfare body. The outcome drew wider scrutiny because a French government report links EMF’s origins to the network that became Musulmans de France, which the report identifies as the country’s principal branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Official results show the coalition took 32.1 percent of the vote, matching the three seats won by the FAGE-backed “Bouge tes Crous” list, which finished first with 36.9 percent.

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The Muslim Brotherhood Angle

That same report identifies Musulmans de France as the principal French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and presents EMF as part of a broader ecosystem of religious, educational, and civic structures built over time around that movement. It says EMF is active in major university cities and specifically cites Orléans and Strasbourg as places where it is represented in CROUS governance.

The report goes further than campus organizing alone. It says 139 places of worship are affiliated with Musulmans de France, with 68 more considered close to the federation, and describes a wider institutional presence spanning preaching, education, charity, youth activity, and local association life. The report argues that this influence is often exercised through local “ecosystems” rather than through overt confrontation.

It also states that, as of September 2023, 21 Muslim confessional schools educating roughly 4,200 pupils were identified as linked to the movement. That broader finding helps explain why an election result inside the student welfare system has been read by some French officials and commentators as part of a larger long-term contest over institutional influence.

From Intelligence Concern to National Politics

The issue has since moved well beyond specialist security circles. Reuters reported that President Emmanuel Macron convened senior ministers in May 2025 to discuss the report’s findings, which warned of gradual ideological infiltration through local proxies and civil-society networks rather than through direct violence.

During a 6 January 2026 Assembly debate, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said “entryism” was not clearly defined in law and argued that the state needed sharper legal tools to address it, including in the intelligence sphere. Two weeks later, the National Assembly adopted a resolution urging the European Union to place the Muslim Brotherhood on the EU list of terrorist organizations.

Hamas issued a direct call this week for “intensified” international mobilization around Palestinian Prisoners’ Day scheduled for April 17, 2026, explicitly framing it as a “national and International Day of Action.” Western activist organizations have begun organizing coordinated protests across North America and Europe, with messaging that mirrors the terror group’s rhetoric. In a Tuesday statement, Hamas urged its followers to “intensify and expand all forms of public mobilization.”

The Palestinian Youth Movement promoted materials demanding: "UNTIL EVERY PALESTINIAN POLITICAL PRISONER IS FREE" and made social media posts for coordinated actions in different major U.S. cities. Jewish Voice for Peace called supporters to "take action" on April 17. Owda, a Gaza-based journalist, was previously identified attending rallies for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in Gaza, and wearing terror paraphernalia.

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Terror-Linked Groups Coordinating Mobilization

Samidoun, the U.S.-designated terror group, announced it would host an event at Brussels Central Station on April 17. The Palestinian Youth Movement, organizing global actions for the upcoming Palestinian Prisoners Day, has been documented by the ADL as having members and affiliates who “have expressed support for terror.” In August 2025, Sen. Tom Cotton asked the IRS to investigate PYM’s funding sources for possible tax-code violations, citing what he described as alleged ties to terrorism.

The Prisoners Day campaign intersects directly with efforts to free Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader convicted of orchestrating attacks during the Second Intifada that killed five civilians.

Building Capacity Through Coordinated Messaging

Stu Smith, an investigative analyst at the Manhattan Institute, told Jewish News Syndicate these protests are “part of a longer project of building capacity, shaping public opinion and inching closer to power.”

There appears to be a pattern: terror-designated organizations maintain coordinating infrastructure; Western activist groups operate within or alongside these networks; and messaging circulates rapidly through these channels, achieving remarkable consistency in language and framing

As reported by Nordic Monitor, a promotional video released by Turkey’s state-linked defense contractor Roketsan has sparked widespread attention for opening with footage of Israeli military operations in Gaza before featuring President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reciting nationalist poetry describing Turkey’s army as “the last army of Islam.”

The video, unveiled at a defense industry ceremony attended by Erdogan on April 7, combines conflict imagery from multiple regions with religious-political messaging, which some observers have compared to campaign-style messaging. The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation controls a 55.34 percent stake in Roketsan, with other state entities comprising the remainder of ownership, raising concerns about how Turkey’s government is positioning its defense exports to a global market that includes approximately 50 countries.

Gaza Footage Leads Promotional Content

The Roketsan video opens with scenes from Israeli military operations in Gaza before transitioning to footage from conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, and Azerbaijan. The company shared the video across its official social media channels following the April 7 ceremony in Ankara’s Lalahan district, where it quickly generated significant engagement. Nordic Monitor argued that the sequencing appeared intentional, using later conflict footage to broaden the frame while keeping Israel as the primary focus.

The video intersperses scenes of civilian suffering and military operations with excerpts from Erdogan’s speeches, including religiously influenced statements such as “Do not fear, do not retreat, do not despair. Allah is with us.”

“Last Army of Islam” Messaging

A central element of the video features Erdogan reciting a nationalist poem commonly associated with the Turkish military. The poem describes Turkey’s army as “a storm rising in Allah’s name” and characterizes it as “the final army of Islam tasked with ensuring the call to prayer endures.” The inclusion of this explicitly religious-nationalist rhetoric in a defense industry promotional video has prompted observers to characterize the material as containing political campaign elements rather than standard corporate or military communications.

Additional remarks attributed to Erdogan reference “rebuilding strength despite global opposition” and assert that “Turkey has not yet spoken its final word on the world stage.” The combination of religious language, nationalist poetry, and presidential imagery at a weapons manufacturer’s event represents a pattern of messaging that extends beyond traditional defense industry marketing.

State-Dominated Ownership Structure

Roketsan’s ownership is dominated by defense-linked and state-affiliated institutions. According to corporate-governance disclosures cited by Nordic Monitor, the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation holds 55.34%, followed by MKE, ASELSAN, Vakıflar Bankası, and HAVELSAN

Despite this state-dominated structure, Roketsan currently exports to approximately 50 countries, with international sales accounting for more than 38 percent of total revenue. The company reports that 90 percent of materials used in production are domestically sourced, supported by a supply chain of more than 2,300 companies.

Pattern of Geopolitically-Charged Marketing

This is not Roketsan’s first promotional video to attract attention for perceived political targeting. In 2022, the company released a simulation video for its CAKIR cruise missile that contained references interpreted as directed at Greece. Military experts noted that while defense contractors worldwide use promotional simulations for international marketing, Turkish companies have increasingly produced content perceived as targeting Greece and neighboring states.

A 2024 curriculum reform introduced by Turkey’s Ministry of Education under the ‘Century of Türkiye Education Model’ added material on domestic defense initiatives and the ‘Blue Homeland’ doctrine, with the ministry framing parts of the model in terms of national values and consciousness.”

Defense Capabilities Gap Beneath Messaging

Turkey’s emphasis on defense industry messaging comes amid ongoing capability gaps in critical areas. Turkey’s October 2025 agreement with the United Kingdom for 20 new Eurofighter Typhoons marked a major procurement step, but Reuters reported the first aircraft from that British-built batch are expected in 2030.

During the recent regional escalation, NATO air-defense systems intercepted four ballistic missiles that Turkey said were launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace. The episode underscored Ankara’s continued reliance on allied missile-defense infrastructure, including additional U.S. Patriot deployments, even as Turkey expands its domestic defense industry.

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Broader Implications

The Roketsan video represents the convergence of Turkey’s defense industry expansion with explicitly religious-nationalist political messaging. As a state-linked entity exporting to 50 countries, the company’s choice to lead promotional material with Gaza footage and “last army of Islam” rhetoric raises questions about how Turkey positions itself in global defense markets and whether such messaging influences purchasing decisions among potential clients.

The video’s rapid viral spread—with Roketsan pinning it to official accounts—suggests the messaging was intentional rather than incidental. The promotional material offers a window into how Turkey’s leadership publicly frames the relationship between military capability, religious identity, and geopolitical positioning.

Investigative journalist Ella Kenan has exposed what she characterizes as a media influence operation called Uncivilized. The channel adopts the tone and aesthetics of an organic Western youth-media outlet while targeting Western audiences with anti-Western propaganda and factually false claims about Israel and liberal democracies.

The channel, which operates under the apparent guise of progressive social justice content, has accumulated just under 400,000 subscribers and positions itself as an authentic voice of Western youth critique.

However, Kenan's analysis reveals a different picture: while its YouTube channel lists its location as being in the U.S., its LinkedIn page lists its headquarters in Ramallah.

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The False Framing: Manufactured Authenticity

Uncivilized presents videos addressing themes of injustice, inequality, and systemic critique—messaging calibrated to resonate with Western audiences skeptical of institutional authority.

However, beneath this surface lies what Kenan characterizes as a coherent ideological framework designed to condition viewers toward specific conclusions: that the United States is fundamentally evil and should collapse; that Jews control global institutions and media; that liberal democracies are sources of oppression while authoritarian systems offer superior models.

Kenan characterizes this content as ideological conditioning rather than legitimate social critique, noting that the messaging conflates criticism with hatred and systematically selects which injustices merit outrage and which merit silence.

Connections to Qatari Media Institutions

According to Kenan's investigation, potential ties to Qatar become apparent through key personnel and institutional connections. At least one founder previously worked for both Al Jazeera and the Doha Film Institute—both entities with documented track records of amplifying anti-democratic narratives and disinformation targeting Western audiences.

Kenan reports that LinkedIn records she examined indicate the operation’s base of operations is in Ramallah, contradicting the channel’s presentation as an independent American media project. Additionally, Kenan notes that Uncivilized LLC appears to be listed on Media City Qatar, a state-backed media hub in Doha.

Additionally, the X account of co-founder and editor Tala Kaddoura indicates that she is based in Qatar, and the X account of founder and creative director Salem Barahmeh also indicates he is based in Qatar. Barahmeh's online bio lists prior work as a Policy and Public Affairs Advisor at Portland Communications in London. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism previously reported that Portland Communications outsourced Wikipedia editing for high-profile clients, including the state of Qatar.

Deliberate Disinformation

Kenan identifies multiple instances of distortion and falsehood. A video about an alleged "100-year Israeli plan to take over Lebanon" lacks contextual framing about decades of attacks launched from Lebanese territory by terrorist organizations. Another video claims Israel's collapse is imminent, contradicting reality: Israel's economy is projected to grow by 5.2% in 2026, significantly above the OECD average of 1.7%, while its tech sector and quality of life continue to boom.

Kenan notes the channel cites "fringe voices" claiming Israelis recognize collapse while omitting that Israel's democratic system actively encourages dissent—unlike authoritarian Middle Eastern environments where political opposition is culturally or politically suppressed.

Targeting Western Youth

Audiences consuming this content remain unaware of potential Qatari geopolitical interests, lack understanding of media influence mechanics, and have not developed habits of source verification for emotionally compelling narratives.

This represents what appears to be a systematic effort to shape worldviews incrementally, one video at a time, among Western audiences vulnerable to narratives framing them as inherently oppressive and their societies as irredeemable.

Editor’s note: This is the inaugural article in a series examining alleged Muslim Brotherhood front groups in the United States—the 29 organizations listed in the infamous 1991 Muslim Brotherhood Explanatory Memorandum outlining a “Civilization-Jihadist Process” to destroy Western civilization from within. With renewed U.S. government focus on Brotherhood networks and recent congressional scrutiny, this series investigates the documented connections between these groups and their historical advancement of Brotherhood strategic objectives in America.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s own internal strategy document, recovered in an FBI search and later listed as a government exhibit in the Holy Land Foundation case, places the “Muslim Businessmen Association” at number 15 on a list of 29 organizations advancing what the memo calls a “Civilization-Jihadist Process” to destroy Western civilization from within.

The 1991 Explanatory Memorandum, authored by Brotherhood operative Mohamed Akram on May 22, 1991, identifies the “MBA” among “organizations of our friends” working toward what the document calls the “settlement” of Islam in America — embedding Islamic organizations into American civic life as part of a long-term Brotherhood strategy.

According to Discover the Networks, the “MBA” referenced in the memorandum corresponds to MÜSİAD (Müstakil Sanayici ve İşadamları Derneği), also known as the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association, a transnational Turkish business network founded in 1990. One Arabic-language report in TurkPress says rival Turkish business associations referred to MÜSİAD as the ‘Muslim Businessmen Association,’ citing its overtly Islamic orientation and legal restrictions at the time on religious names

Whether or not MÜSİAD is definitively the organization referenced in the 1991 memo, what investigators have documented is that this Turkish Islamist business network maintains an active American chapter that openly participates in events hosted by other organizations that do appear on the 1991 Brotherhood list — including ISNA and ICNA.

Below is what court records, Turkish-language media, and public documentation reveal about MÜSİAD’s founding-era leadership, its ideological roots, and its documented presence in the American Muslim organizational ecosystem today.

Ties to Organizations on the 1991 Brotherhood Memorandum

MÜSİAD USA’s documented organizational relationships are a matter of public record. The organization’s official announcement states it participated in an ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) conference in 2023, where MÜSİAD USA President Yavuz Orta addressed the hall as a speaker and presented MÜSİAD’s projects and organizational structure.

ISNA appears at number 1 on the 1991 Brotherhood memorandum list. Federal prosecutors named ISNA an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial — the largest terrorism-financing prosecution in U.S. history.

MÜSİAD USA also documented its participation in the MAS-ICNA Convention 2025 in Chicago, describing it as “one of the largest gatherings of the Muslim community.” The organization stated it held “productive meetings with Muslim civil society organizations, visionary business leaders, and professionals.”

ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America) appears at number 26 on the 1991 Brotherhood list. Young MÜSİAD USA separately posted that its delegation was “honored that the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) received our delegation” at the same convention.

USCMO’s founding members include MAS, ICNA, and CAIR. The convention where MÜSİAD participated featured Siraj Wahhaj — identified by federal prosecutors as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Turkish Roots

Arabic-language Turkish coverage explicitly traces MÜSİAD’s origins to the conservative-Islamic business milieu of the Necmettin Erbakan era. The report states that businessman Erol Yarar presented the idea to Erbakan, and that rivals referred to MÜSİAD as the “Muslim Businessmen Association” because of its strict Islamic orientation - noting that Turkish law at the time did not allow overtly religious names.

MÜSİAD’s founding-era prominence also drew state scrutiny. Scholarly and contemporary reporting state that in 1998 a prosecutor sought MÜSİAD’s closure and that chairman Erol Yarar was charged with “inciting hatred.”

Erbakan founded the Milli Görüş (National Vision) movement, widely recognized as the ideological vehicle for Turkish Islamist politics. Scholars have described MÜSİAD as part of Turkey’s Islamically oriented business milieu associated with the Erbakan / Milli Görüş tradition.

Institutional Contact with IHH

MÜSİAD has an official relationship with IHH (İnsani Yardım Vakfı, or Humanitarian Relief Foundation). The IHH website documented that on January 24, 2018, IHH president Bülent Yıldırım and secretary-general Yavuz Dede visited the newly elected MÜSİAD president Abdurrahman Kaan in a congratulatory visit. According to the IHH announcement, "Views were exchanged on current issues and information was shared about the work being done."

IHH has been accused of alleged ties to terrorism. The Christian Science Monitor reported that Israel accused IHH of funneling support to militant organizations and that analysts had linked it to jihadist fundraising in the 1990s. Reuters reported in 2014 that Turkish anti-terror police raided IHH offices in an operation targeting suspects with alleged links to al Qaeda.

MÜSİAD’s documented contact with IHH does not prove the business association shared those alleged activities, but it places MÜSİAD in a relationship footprint with a Turkish NGO surrounded by terrorism-related scrutiny.

An Islamist Business Network with Alleged Brotherhood Ties

Even if MÜSİAD cannot be definitively identified as the “MBA” in the 1991 memorandum, it remains relevant in the Brotherhood context because it arose from Turkey’s Islamist business milieu, its founding-period chairman was convicted of incitement, it faced closure proceedings in the 1990s, and its U.S. branch today has public ties to ISNA and ICNA—both named in the 1991 Muslim Brotherhood Explanatory Memorandum.

Pakistan’s left-wing Haqooq-e-Khalq Party published “The Tehran Resolution,” an extensive statement calling Western nations and Israel to stand down against Iran, framing the Iranian regime’s leadership and military apparatus as defenders of “regional liberation.” The signatory list includes Samidoun, which the U.S. Treasury designated in October 2024 under counterterrorism authorities and which Canada listed as a terrorist entity that same month. Several other groups closely aligned with Samidoun are also listed on the same resolution, including Masar Badil, Tariq el Tahrir Youth and Student Network, and Nidal Seattle.

The signatory list includes several more U.S.-based advocacy organizations and foreign political parties from Egypt and Lebanon.

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The Signatory Network: A U.S.-Designated Terror Group, U.S.-Based Organizations, and Foreign Parties

In addition to Samidoun and several other closely aligned groups listed on the resolution, the statement drew endorsements from a range of U.S.-based organizations. These include National Students for Justice in Palestine, which operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the WESPAC Foundation, the National Lawyers Guild, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, as well as the United States Peace Council and the International Action Center, which describes itself as a grassroots anti-war organization.

Other foreign political parties listed as signatories included the Communist Party of Egypt and the Popular Democratic Party of Lebanon—state-level political organizations with no U.S. tax designation.

A Reported HKP Link to New York City Electoral Politics

The Haqooq-e-Khalq Party was founded by Cambridge-educated historian Ammar Ali Jan and veteran leftist Farooq Tariq. The party calls for a synthesis of “nationalist movements of oppressed nationalities” and “the socialist movement.”

The party’s influence extends into U.S. electoral politics. A November 2025 New York Post report highlighted ties between HKP-linked organizers and DRUM activists who later worked on Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. In January 2023, HKP general secretary Ammar Ali Jan announced plans to build “a solidarity network for Pakistani activists in the US”—naming three DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving) organizers: Raza Gillani, Mohiba Ahmed, and Zahid Ali. All three were later identified by the New York Post as active participants in DRUM’s pro-Mamdani effort.

Platforms With Members of Designated Terrorist Groups

Haqooq-e-Khalq Party general secretary Ammar Ali Jan spoke at the Ecosocialism 2024 conference in Australia alongside Leila Khaled, a representative of the U.S.-designated terror organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and member of the Palestine National Council.

Khaled is known for her role in the 1969 hijacking of TWA Flight 840 and the 1970 attempted hijacking of El Al Flight 219.

Lack of Transparency

The most striking feature of the resolution is not just who signed it, but the unexplained convergence it reflects. A U.S.-designated terror group, U.S.-based advocacy networks, and foreign political parties from multiple countries all appeared on the same statement backing the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Yet the public resolution provides no explanation of how this initiative was organized, circulated, or endorsed across such different legal and political contexts. That lack of disclosure leaves unanswered basic questions about how these groups came to align behind a single manifesto.

Israeli singer Noga Erez became the first Israeli artist to perform at Coachella on Saturday, April 11, taking the stage at one of the world’s most prestigious music festivals before a crowd of thousands in Indio, California. The historic performance came despite boycott threats from pro-Palestinian activists and logistical challenges getting her crew out of Israel amid ongoing conflict.

Erez, known for her genre-blending electro-pop sound, appeared alongside headliners Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter at the festival, which features 100 acts across eight stages over two weekends. The milestone represents a significant breakthrough for Israeli cultural representation in mainstream global entertainment, particularly as the music industry has become increasingly hostile terrain for Israeli artists.

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“Forces I Didn’t Know I Had”

During her 45-minute set on the Gobi Stage, Erez addressed what she called “the elephant in the room,” her Israeli identity. “I come from a very complex part of this planet,” she told the crowd. “To get us all here took forces I didn’t know I had.” The singer expressed gratitude for the opportunity while acknowledging the weight of performing while her country remains at war. “I’m so f***ing grateful to be here,” she said to cheers from the audience. “But at the same time, I’m just heartbroken and sad because of things that are happening at home and around it.”

Overcoming Boycott Pressure

The performance came after pro-Palestinian activists threatened to force a cancellation of her show in the days leading up to the festival. Activists urged attendees to boycott her set and called on her to “go back to Israel” because of her nationality. The hostility toward Israeli artists at Coachella was previously on display when Irish rap group Kneecap incorporated anti-Israel messaging into their 2025 set, including “F**k Israel, free Palestine” rhetoric. Erez’s successful performance, met with enthusiastic crowd support, stands in sharp contrast to those boycott efforts.

Music as Bridge

Erez articulated a vision of music as a unifying force despite geopolitical divides. “I just love this music thing so much, and right now doing this thing is exactly what I’m doing it for — to put a bunch of strangers together and make them feel like a family, united around something,” she told the crowd. She performed fan favorites including “End of the Road,” “The Vandalist,” and “Dumb,” opening with her new track “Duck Season.” At the end of the show, Erez and her partner Ori Rousso, along with their band, dancers, and crew, stood onstage to thank the audience.

Breaking Through on the Global Stage

Erez’s Coachella debut represents a rare win for Israeli cultural diplomacy at a time when Eurovision controversies and BDS pressure have created obstacles for Israeli artists on international stages. Her appearance alongside some of the biggest names in music demonstrates that Israeli artists can achieve mainstream cultural acceptance despite organized opposition. The Tel Aviv-based artist, who has been touring the United States and Europe since the October 7, 2023 attacks, continues to bring her distinctive electro-pop sound to growing audiences worldwide.

A social media account claiming to be Somalia’s premier research institute on China-Africa relations accused “Israel-First backstabbing Jewish envoys” of sabotaging U.S.-Iran peace talks in April 2026, citing a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Vice President JD Vance that supposedly derailed negotiations.

The claim, attributed to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, never appeared on Araghchi’s verified X account. It appears to be the latest in a documented pattern of false or misleading claims from SICS, including assertions previously debunked by Dan Smith and Radio Free Asia’s Asia Fact Check Lab.

Independent analysis found no evidence that SICS is registered as an organization, while its posting patterns appear more consistent with daytime hours in China than in Somalia. The account has also served as a conduit for Chinese state narratives, at times laced with antisemitic rhetoric. At least 29 Chinese government officials have followed it, including China’s ambassador to Somalia.

A Think Tank That Doesn’t Exist

Despite claiming to be “Somalia’s only Research Institute & Think Tank covering China’s impact on Somalia & Africa,” the Somali Institute of Chinese Studies has no publicly listed physical address, no registered business presence in Somalia’s Ministry of Commerce registry, and no website beyond its social media accounts.

Independent researcher Dan Smith analyzed SICS’s posting patterns using Twitter analytics tools and found the account’s activity peaks between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. East Africa Time — the middle of the night in Somalia, but daytime business hours in China. “While not proving that someone inside China is running the account, this is wildly inconsistent with what posting would look like if they were based in Somalia,” Smith wrote in an August 2023 exposé.

Despite heavy posting, Smith reported finding no independent institutional footprint comparable to what one would usually expect from an established think tank, such as a dedicated website, verifiable organizational records, or identifiable research programming.

Chinese State Media Platforming

The account’s founder, Ali Hoosoow, has been featured prominently in Chinese state media. In a September 2024 Global Times interview, Hoosoow praised China’s approach to Africa while characterizing Western engagement as “modernized exploitation” and claiming “Westernization” includes “democratization, polarization, depopulation, and media indoctrination.”

When asked about Chinese modernization, Hoosoow effusively described it as “built upon unwavering balance, shared societal values, peaceful advancements of Chinese culture” and stated that China’s fisheries cooperation with Somalia differs from “Western practices that often exploit our maritime resources.”

In a follower-list snapshot Smith downloaded on April 8, 2023, SICS was followed by at least 29 Chinese officials, and 106 follower accounts listed locations inside China

Fabricating Claims About Jewish Officials

On April 12, 2026, SICS posted that “Iran-America negotiations in Pakistan collapsed given Israel-First backstabbing Jewish envoys — Witkoff and Kushner, who pushed Netanyahu’s terms as US demands for a ceasefire.”

The post specifically identified the negotiators as “Jewish envoys” and accused them of placing Israeli interests above American ones — a classic antisemitic dual loyalty trope. The account later claimed that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had stated Netanyahu called Vance during negotiations, shifting focus to “Israel’s interests.”

No such post appeared on Araghchi’s verified X account. While Araghchi did post about the failed talks on April 12, stating Iran “encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade,” he made no mention of Netanyahu, a phone call, or Israeli interference.

The Hindustan Times confirmed that while speculation about a Netanyahu-Vance call circulated on social media, “no such [X] post was found” from Araghchi making this claim.

A Pattern of Provocative Content

Beyond fabricated diplomatic claims, SICS has promoted inflammatory content targeting American Jewish communities. In December 2025, the account shared a map depicting a fictional “Two State Solution” carving Minnesota into “Minnesomalia” with the “Carmel Mall as the Capital,” echoing “From the River to the Lake” rhetoric in a post captioned “Minnesota is ours.”

Smith’s analysis found SICS consistently denies documented human rights abuses in Xinjiang, claiming “Chinese Muslims of the Uyghur ethnicity are full of patriotism and love for country” and characterizing reports of forced labor camps as “forced misinformation.”

The account has also amplified conspiracy theories framing U.S. diplomatic efforts as deliberately targeting Iranian and resistance leaders. In an April 2026 post titled “This the unhinged behavior of the ‘Great Satan,’” SICS claimed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “was assassinated during a ceasefire,” Ayatollah Khamenei’s aide “was assassinated during ongoing negotiations,” and “Hamas negotiators in Qatar were bombed discussing US proposal,” concluding with “US negotiation = tactical operation.”

The post featured a photo of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei alongside Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and former Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

This framing echoes a consistent narrative across SICS content: portraying U.S. and Israeli actions as coordinated deception while positioning Iranian-backed militant groups as legitimate diplomatic actors betrayed during good-faith negotiations.

How Influence Operations Exploit Authority Bias

By positioning itself as an academic research institution, SICS leverages what psychologists call authority bias — the tendency to trust sources perceived as expert. “Audiences who have already bought into views supporting the content’s messaging can justify their belief in disinformation by attributing it to supposed ‘expert analysis,’ even without proof,” Smith wrote.

The account’s Medium page lists numerous articles on Somalia-China relations, African geopolitics, and regional infrastructure projects. While written in an analytical style, the pieces uniformly promote Chinese state interests while attacking Western influence.

Dan Smith noted that SICS is followed by several prominent anti-Western influencers, including Ben Norton, a journalist known for pro-authoritarian positions, and Jerry’s China, a Western influencer who has attempted to “debunk” reports of Uyghur persecution.

The Broader Chinese Disinformation Ecosystem

SICS isn’t alone. Smith identified at least four other similar accounts targeting English-speaking African audiences with Chinese state narratives, the largest having around 980 followers as of August 2023.

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies documented that “The Chinese Communist Party is the second most prolific Africa-wide sponsor of disinformation with five known multi-regional campaigns.”

These operations exploit regional grievances about colonialism and Western policy to position China as a benevolent alternative, while systematically undermining trust in democratic institutions, independent media, and documented human rights reporting.

Documented Impact

SICS gained 275 followers between April 7-19, 2023, during heavy posting about Sudan’s civil conflict, demonstrating its ability to reach new audiences during geopolitical crises. As of April 2026, the fabricated Netanyahu-Vance claim received over 61,400 views.

The account’s follower network includes officials, influencers, and ordinary users across Africa and the diaspora, creating pathways for Chinese state narratives — and antisemitic disinformation — to reach communities already navigating complex relationships with Western institutions.

University of Arkansas System President Jay Silveria terminated tenured associate professor Shirin Saeidi on March 30, overruling a unanimous faculty committee recommendation to reinstate her. The decision came four months after Saeidi was initially suspended for social media posts praising Iranian former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and defending the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as allegations she improperly used university letterhead to support a convicted Iranian war criminal.

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From IRGC Defense to Suspension

The controversy erupted in November 2025 when Saeidi, then director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies, posted statements defending the IRGC and offering prayers for Khamenei’s protection. In one post, she wrote: “The leader who kept Iran intact during the Israeli attack, May god protect you.”

Earlier that year, university officials discovered Saeidi had used university letterhead to campaign for the release of Hamid Nouri, who was convicted by a Swedish court in 2022 of war crimes and murder for his role in the 1988 mass executions of political prisoners in Iran.

President Overrules Unanimous Faculty Decision

Despite the committee’s recommendation to reinstate Saeidi, Silveria rejected the findings and moved forward with termination. In his written response, he expressed concern that the university could “suffer a reduction or elimination of funding under Ark. Code Ann. 6-16-2004 if its responses to antisemitism are determined to be inadequate.”

Act 721 of 2025 requires Arkansas public institutions to investigate complaints and comply with monitoring and reporting requirements. It also says the General Assembly is encouraged to consider reducing or eliminating state funding for institutions found to have responded inadequately to discrimination and harassment complaints.

Accountability for Faculty Conduct

The case follows other instances of Arkansas universities taking action against faculty for statements supporting violence or designated terrorist organizations. In 2025, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock dismissed a law professor for posts comparing Kirk mourners to the KKK and calling him an "evil person."

In Saeidi’s case, Iranian-American activists, including the group AAIRIA, had previously called for her dismissal over her defense of the IRGC and support for regime officials.

Jewish Onliner conducted a social media analysis tracking the keywords “genocide” and “genocidal” paired with “Lebanon” across the X platform from February 28 through April 12, 2026. The analysis identified approximately 1.1 million posts using these keywords during the six-week period, generating 5.4 million total engagements and tens of billions of potential views.

The investigation found that several of the top amplifiers of these narratives were non-U.S.-based individuals linked to Iran’s state apparatus and Russian state media. Taken together, the pattern suggests a coordinated foreign effort to shape Western social media discourse around Israel’s military operations, likely aimed at provoking the same overwhelming outrage Israel faced during the height of its campaign to destroy Hamas and secure the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza.

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The Iranian Regime’s Academic Envoy

Among the most prominent amplifiers was Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran with extensive ties to Iran’s power structure. Marandi served as an advisor to Iran’s nuclear negotiating team and maintains close proximity to the regime’s decision-making apparatus. His father, Alireza Marandi, served as former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s personal physician.

Russia Today’s Bureau Chief in Lebanon

Steve Sweeney, based in Lebanon and serving as Russia's state media outlet RT's Lebanon bureau chief, also ranked among the top amplifiers. Sweeney previously worked as international editor for the socialist newspaper The Morning Star and currently serves as a regular contributor to Al Mayadeen, a Hezbollah-affiliated media outlet. In July 2025, Sweeney was detained at Heathrow by UK counterterrorism police and questioned about his alleged links to Russian officials and Hezbollah.

Pro-Hamas Digital Propagandist

Zei Squirrel, an anonymous account operator with hundreds of thousands of followers across multiple platforms, ranked among the top amplifiers of genocide narratives related to Israel’s military response to Hezbollah. According to investigative reporting from Pirate Wires, Zei Squirrel operates as one of the most prolific pro-Hamas propaganda accounts online.

Other Top Viral Amplifiers

Other prominent amplifiers in the network included Nick Fuentes, who according to analysis from watchdog groups has received notable foreign amplification of his content; Philip Proudfoot, a U.K.-based activist whose X account indicates that he is partially based in Beirut; and AnnaChetConcreteisland, based in England.

Foreign Actors Shaping the Narrative

By leveraging academic credentials, state media infrastructure, and algorithmic advantage, foreign actors appear to have transformed localized content into a billions-view phenomenon. The network's reach into Western discourse during active military operations raises questions about whether hostile state actors have developed sophisticated playbooks for narrative capture—and whether existing platform safeguards may be insufficient against coordinated campaigns by multiple foreign adversaries operating in concert.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1471 into law on April 6, 2026, creating a Florida process for designating certain organizations as domestic terrorist organizations and, in some cases, foreign terrorist organizations. The law takes effect July 1 and bars certain public funding and contracts, creates criminal penalties for certain material-support and membership conduct, and adds education-related restrictions tied to designated organizations.

The law follows a December 8, 2025 executive order in which DeSantis designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations for purposes of Florida executive-branch action, a move advocates say addressed what they viewed as federal inaction toward groups alleged to have ties to extremism and terror networks in the United States.

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Creating Accountability: How the Process Works

HB 1471 authorizes Florida’s Chief of Domestic Security to propose designations of domestic terrorist organizations and certain foreign terrorist organizations. For domestic designations, the official must find that the organization is based or operates in Florida or the United States, is engaging in terrorist activity as defined by Florida law, and poses an ongoing threat. For foreign designations, the organization must already be designated by the U.S. Secretary of State and pose an ongoing threat.

The recommendation then requires approval from Florida’s top elected officials: the governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, and chief financial officer. Within seven days of approval, the designation is published in the Florida Administrative Register, and organizations have 30 days to challenge the designation in Leon County Circuit Court.

Cutting Off Resources to Extremist Groups

Once designated, organizations lose access to state resources that could fuel their activities. The law bars state agencies, political subdivisions, and public school districts from using certain public funds to support designated groups, contracting with them, or accepting funds from them.

The legislation creates felony charges for individuals who provide “material support” to designated organizations, including financial donations, weapons, or training. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said the law makes it a felony to provide material support to designated organizations, including money, weapons, or military training, and also criminalizes joining such groups with intent to commit violence.

DeSantis stated the law would “help the state of Florida protect you” and “help us protect your tax dollars.” At the signing ceremony, he added: “Never one red cent for jihad.”

Protecting Students and Universities

The legislation includes education-related provisions aimed at restricting support for designated terrorist organizations in public postsecondary institutions. The law requires public postsecondary institutions to report status information for a student on a student visa if the student is determined to have promoted a designated domestic or foreign terrorist organization, and it mandates expulsion after such a determination. The statute defines ‘promote’ in narrower terms tied to support for extralegal violence, threats, material disruption, disorder, or material support/recruitment.

Blocking Foreign Legal Systems

HB 1471 also prohibits Florida courts from applying or enforcing “foreign or religious law if doing so would violate constitutional rights,” including Sharia law. The law blocks enforcement of foreign judgments, contracts, or legal provisions that attempt to bypass constitutional protections.

Lt. Gov. Collins explained the rationale: “Let’s talk about Sharia law. It is not some personal spiritual guide. Simply put, it is not consistent with our values of our Constitution. Rather, it is a complete legal and political code drawn straight from the Quran and the words of Muhammed himself.”

Addressing Federal Inaction on Brotherhood Network

The legislation follows DeSantis's December 2025 executive order designating CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations—groups with a history of alleged links to terror financing and extremist ideology.

As Jewish Onliner previously reported, the Muslim Brotherhood’s own 1991 Explanatory Memorandum—seized by the FBI and entered as evidence in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial—outlines a strategy of “eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within.” The document lists 29 organizations the Brotherhood identified as part of its American network, including the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Students Association (MSA), and North American Islamic Trust (NAIT).

According to NAIT, the trust has grown into “a comprehensive solution provider with 400+ waqf institutions in USA and Canada.” According to MSA National’s 2024 annual report, 162 affiliated MSAs were benefiting from its resources, mentorship, and programs.

Bipartisan Passage, Expected Legal Challenge

HB 1471, sponsored by Rep. Hillary Cassel (R-Dania Beach), passed the Florida House 80-25 in early March. The Senate approved the companion bill 25-11 the week before. DeSantis signed the legislation at a ceremony on the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus.

DeSantis acknowledged the law will likely face legal challenges but expressed confidence the state would prevail. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.