The Brotherhood in Your Backyard: International Institute of Islamic Thought
Renewed congressional scrutiny of the Muslim Brotherhood brings attention to the 29 organizations from the 1991 Memorandum, and their documented advancement of Brotherhood objectives in America
The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), operating from its headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, represents what appears to be the intellectual arm and engine of the Muslim Brotherhood's American front group network. As the 28th organization listed in the infamous 1991 "Explanatory Memorandum," IIIT serves as the academic façade for a movement dedicated to what the Brotherhood document called "eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within."
Although IIIT is registered as a 501(c)(3) organization and has maintained relationships with U.S. universities including Georgetown, some critics and investigators have alleged that individuals associated with its leadership have links to Muslim Brotherhood–aligned networks
FBI-Identified Brotherhood Operatives at the Helm of IIIT
Leading IIIT today as president is Hisham Altalib, one of three Iraqi-born Muslim Brotherhood members who established the foundational infrastructure of the Brotherhood’s American operations. An FBI memo explicitly identifies Altalib, alongside Jamal Barzinji and Ahmad Totonji, as members of the “Ikhwan”—the Arabic term for the Muslim Brotherhood. These three men didn’t just build IIIT; they co-founded the Muslim Students Association (MSA) in 1963, creating the template for apparent Brotherhood expansion across American campuses.
The connection to global Brotherhood leadership runs even deeper. According to Arabic news sources, IIIT’s founding occurred at a 1977 Islamic Conference in Lugano, Switzerland, where Altalib and fellow founders reportedly convened with Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, then the spiritual leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood. Qaradawi, who has praised Hitler and called for the conquest of Europe, provided ideological guidance as IIIT formalized its mission: the “Islamization of Knowledge.”
The MSA Pipeline: Training Tomorrow’s Brotherhood
IIIT’s connection to the Muslim Students Association remains strong six decades after its founding. In a revealing display of the network’s interconnectedness, IIIT recently hosted MSA board members from across the country at its Herndon headquarters. These gatherings demonstrate how IIIT continues its role as the intellectual hub, training student leaders who appear to carry Brotherhood ideology to campuses nationwide.
IIIT delegations have also visited the Diyanet Center of America, a Maryland-based complex that has been financed by Türkiye’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) — a Turkish state institution, suggesting the center forms part of Ankara’s official overseas religious and cultural outreach.
Turkey’s ruling AKP has, for years, been described by multiple observers as offering a base or refuge to exiled Muslim Brotherhood-linked figures, particularly after the 2013 crackdown in Egypt.
The Fairfax Institute: Brotherhood Education Apparatus
Operating as IIIT’s educational division, The Fairfax Institute (TFI) functions as a 501(c)(3) entity that “translates scholarship into practical courses and training programs.” TFI conducts the “Islamization of Knowledge” (IOK) program, offering courses designed to “integrate Divine revelation with human knowledge.” The most recent IOK Online Program, launched in March 2026, offers free training to recruit a new generation of scholars committed to Brotherhood ideology.
TFI’s mission extends beyond mere education—it aims to “contribute to individual career development and communal understanding,” apparent code language for placing alleged Brotherhood-aligned individuals in positions of influence throughout American institutions.
Georgetown and the Academic Infiltration Strategy
IIIT’s greatest success lies in its penetration of American higher education. IIIT has developed close ties with Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, where four faculty members are reported to have had ties to the United Association for Studies and Research (UASR), an organization that some analysts have described as Hamas-linked. IIIT President Hisham Altalib and Vice President attended lectures and events at Georgetown, creating an academic veneer for Brotherhood ideology.
The infiltration continues actively. Recent social media posts show IIIT engaging with George Mason University to influence campus discourse. The organization has published over 650 books in 35 languages, distributed through Islamic schools and universities worldwide, all advancing the “Islamization of Knowledge” framework designed to reshape academia through an Islamist lens.
Operating With Impunity
While the United States has recently designated three Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations, and countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have designated the parent organization itself, alleged Brotherhood front groups continue to operate freely on American soil.
IIIT enjoys tax-deductible donations and academic legitimacy, its ability to maintain both its alleged Brotherhood connections and its respectable academic facade. This represents what appears to be a successful long-term infiltration operation in the Brotherhood’s American playbook.
As Congress examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s American network, IIIT stands as a prime example of how Islamist organizations exploit American freedoms while working toward objectives fundamentally opposed to Western values—all while operating under the protection of tax-exempt status and hiding behind academic credentials.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s 1991 memorandum describes a “civilization-jihadist process” aimed at undermining Western society “from within.” Critics argue that IIIT’s long-running “Islamization of Knowledge” project—and its institution-building across publishing, training, and campus engagement—fits that strategy, pointing to the organization’s continued operations from its headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Brotherhood are banned in Saudi, UAE but not in Europe !!