A stunning new report has ripped back the curtain on a disturbing reality in Michigan: more than thirty Islamist institutions, where speakers have openly demonized America, called for the death of Jews, and prayed for jihad, have collectively received a staggering $47 million in taxpayer dollars. This isn't merely an ideological difference; it's a direct challenge to American values, funded by the very citizens these groups condemn.
The Middle East Forum (MEF), a staunch defender of "Western values from Islamist threats," meticulously documented these revelations. Their comprehensive database showcases over 900 extremist statements from these Michigan institutions, providing irrefutable video evidence. The report doesn't stop there; it also details the flow of public funds, exposing how a third of these radical organizations have been quietly enriched by federal, state, and local governments, often with the apparent approval of public officials who have attended, spoken at, or honored them.
"The site sets out 928 statements from 36 Michigan Islamist institutions, each linked to the institution's own video at the moment the words were spoken," explained an MEF press release. "Twelve of the 36 received $47,357,045 in federal, state, and city money. Forty-one public officials and public bodies attended, spoke at, honored, or funded them in 63 acts." This isn't accidental; it's a systemic failure of vetting and accountability.
The content of these statements is chilling. Multiple speakers, at taxpayer-funded institutions, have labeled the United States as "the house of shaitan" (Satan), the "great Satan," or even "the belly of the beast." At the Islamic Center of East Lansing, a speaker was captured on video praying, "O Allah, deal with those who besieged them. O Allah, deal with the aggressor Jews. O Allah, count them in number and kill them dispersed, and leave not one of them." Another speaker, at the Islamic Center of America, prayed that "Zionists" would be "cut ... limb from limb." Beyond these abhorrent calls for violence against specific groups, over 90 statements documented across 16 institutions openly "pray for the mujahideen or call for jihad."
The source of this shocking funding is particularly galling. The overwhelming majority – more than $40 million – originated from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) via the Michigan Department of Education, funneled as school lunch dollars to the Islamic Center of Detroit. Other agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services (HHS), along with the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit, also contributed. It begs the question: are federal agencies so oblivious, or so captured, that they cannot distinguish between legitimate community services and organizations spewing hateful rhetoric? Each institution, MEF notes, was offered a chance to comment, with their replies recorded in the database, yet the words speak for themselves.
Adding insult to injury, CAIR-Michigan, an organization that received over $100,000 from the state and city, hosted a speaker who, while discussing the "Dangers of Extremism," clarified that killing for apostasy or treason is permissible, provided it comes from an "imam or the Amir al-Mu'minin." While he added caveats about "respecting law and order," the very discussion of such concepts within an organization receiving public funds raises serious alarm bells about the values being promoted.
Even more concerning are the links to prominent political figures. Tayeb Jukaku, the father-in-law of Muslim Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, sits on CAIR-Michigan's board. Jukaku, himself a significant donor to El-Sayed's campaigns, has been alleged to be a leader of a Muslim Brotherhood front group with ties to terror funding. El-Sayed, for his part, has appeared at several of these very mosques and institutions cited in the MEF report, including the Islamic Center of Detroit and the Islamic Institute of America. This connection raises uncomfortable questions about who our elected officials choose to associate with and what messages they tacitly endorse.
Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, encapsulated the core principle: "The First Amendment protects a sermon. It does not entitle anyone to a state honor or a federal grant." This is precisely the common-sense line that too many in government seem to have forgotten. "Michigan's leaders should stop funding and honoring these institutions until they have reviewed what is preached there," Roman urged, a plea that should resonate with every American taxpayer.
MEF is rightly demanding action. They call on Congress to launch immediate oversight hearings into federal funding of institutions that pray for jihad and the killing of Jews. They also demand that executive agencies like USDA, DHS, and HHS clarify their vetting processes for grant recipients. Furthermore, state leaders across the nation are urged to investigate similar situations within their own borders, scrutinizing who receives taxpayer money and which public officials are bestowing honors upon them.
This isn't about freedom of speech; it's about safeguarding our national security, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and upholding the fundamental American principle that taxpayer dollars should never be used to subsidize hatred or calls for violence against the nation itself or its citizens. It's time for true accountability, to cut off the financial pipelines to these extremist voices, and to restore public trust in government's ability to protect America First.
