Mormon Charities Accused of Transferring Millions to Hamas-Linked NGOs

Image: Jihad Watch

According to a study released last month, charities affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rank among the largest donors to multiple organizations that have been linked to foreign Islamist movements. The report highlights financial relationships between prominent Mormon charitable institutions and a network of groups that have been associated with extremist ideologies and, in some cases, designated terrorist organizations.

The investigation, conducted by the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum think tank, found that Globus Relief, a major Mormon charity headquartered in Salt Lake City, has donated at least $119 million to ten Islamist charities with documented ties to Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The scale and consistency of these contributions, the study notes, raise serious concerns about the downstream use of these funds and the broader implications for international security.

The report identifies Islamic Relief as Globus Relief’s largest recipient. Islamic Relief is described as a leading Islamist charitable organization whose international branches have been characterized by the governments of the Netherlands and Germany as connected to the Muslim Brotherhood movement. The study further notes that several branches of Islamic Relief have repeatedly partnered with senior Hamas officials in Gaza, reinforcing concerns about the organization’s political and ideological affiliations.

In addition, the investigation found that another Mormon-run charity, Lifting Hands International, has provided nearly $20 million to Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD). HHRD is identified as the primary U.S.-based charitable arm of Jamaat-e-Islami, a South Asian Islamist movement with a documented history of violence and extremist activity.

Beyond these individual organizations, the report also states that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has supported Islamist-linked groups through its official international humanitarian organization, LDS Charities. According to the study, this pattern of funding reflects broader concerns about insufficient due diligence and oversight, potentially allowing charitable donations to indirectly benefit extremist networks under the guise of humanitarian aid.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)