Indiana University Launches Probe Into Muslim Philanthropy Initiative Over Alleged Hamas Fundraising

Indiana University in the U.S. has opened an investigation into a Muslim initiative housed in its School of Philanthropy, on suspicion that the initiative was intended to raise funds for Hamas under the guise of charity work. This was reported (Thursday) by the website "Washington Free Beacon".

State Senator Andrew Ireland (Republican), a former deputy attorney general of the state, said that Indiana University had launched an "official investigation" into the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative's partnership with "Hayat Yolu", a Turkish nonprofit that the U.S. Treasury has sanctioned for providing "significant material support to Hamas".

A spokesperson for Indiana's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy told the media that "the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is halting all training activities and reviewing all current partnerships with the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative".

According to the information received, which prompted the investigation, the initiative collaborated with "Hayat Yolu" in July 2025 and January 2026 to host training events in Turkey and Indonesia, aimed at helping Islamic nonprofits "improve their fundraising strategies, enhance performance, and advance their missions more effectively". 

The initiative, led by Shariq Siddiqi, thanked "Hayat Yolu" for "its generous support" in its most recent annual report. According to the U.S. Treasury, "Hayat Yolu" was "involved in Hamas's international financing network that enables Hamas to generate external revenue in direct support of Hamas's military wing, and served as an operational headquarters, banking and financial center for the Muslim Brotherhood".