Top Funders

The eight donors that contributed $57 million to the Islamophobia network between 2001 and 2012.

Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust Contributed $27,042,600
Alan and Hope Winters Family Foundation Contributed $817,060
Scaife Foundations Contributed $10,475,000
Russell Berrie Foundation Contributed $3,802,351
Fairbrook Foundation Contributed $1,859,450
Newton D. & Rochelle F. Becker Foundations and Charitable Trust Contributed $1,411,000
William Rosenwald Family Fund, Middle Road Foundation, and Abstraction Fund Contributed $4,952,979
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Contributed $6,540,000

A small group of foundations and wealthy donors serve as the lifeblood of the Islamophobia network in the United States. They provide critical funding to a clutch of right-wing think tanks and misinformation experts who peddle hate and fear of Muslims and Islam – in the form of books, vides, reports, and websites. And in turn, a dedicated group of anti-Islam grassroots organizations and right-wing religious groups use the materials as propaganda for their constituency.

The Organizations

The main organizations fueling the Islamophobia network

The Counterterrorism & Security Education and Research Foundation Received $5,351,000
American Islamic Forum for Democracy Received $120,000
Middle East Forum Received $12,593,745
David Horowitz Freedom Center Received $10,848,250
Investigative Project on Terrorism Received $1,484,335
Jihad Watch Received $258,250
ACT! for America Education Received $208,697
Center for Security Policy Received $7,050,275
Society of Americans for National Existence Received $477,288
Clarion Project Received $18,508,600

These organizations form an often-interconnected group responsible for spreading fear, bigotry, and hate against American Muslims and Islam. This small network of organizations remains very tight-knit, often disseminating each other's materials and financially supporting one another.

Misinformation Experts

The main players spreading misinformation about Islam & Muslims

There are six individuals who are responsible for orchestrating the majority of misinformation about Islam and Muslims in the United States today. All six are actively promoting the deeply mistaken portrayal of Islam – a religion of nearly 1.6 billion people worldwide, including 2.6 million Americans- as an inherently violent ideology that seeks domination over the United States and all non-Muslims.

Echo Chamber

The network misleading the public by amplifying fear & misinformation

Validators
To help buttress the extreme views of the Islamophobia misinformation experts, right-wing media enablers and anti-Muslim politicians often turn to a select group of individuals who claim inside knowledge about the realities of radical Islam. Most of these individuals are neither experts nor Muslims, but rather, they are of Middle Eastern descent.
Activists
These are the individuals working alongside the misinformation experts and validators to lead the efforts in spreading hate and misinformation about Islam and Muslims.
The grassroots organizations
These grassroots groups serve as the "muscle" of the Islamophobia network and use sophisticated communications strategies to recruit and engage volunteers. As a result of these organizations' scare-mongering tactics, they enjoy a boost in fundraising, often with the seed funding provided by the main think tanks featured in the Islamophobia network.
Political Players
This select group of elected officials amplify the messages of the misinformation experts in the form of policy recommendations, speeches, or released statements.
Religious Right
The worldviews of this group are shaped by religious fault-lines, and they view tolerance of Islam as incompatible with their own fundamentalist beliefs.
Media
Spreading anti-Muslim hate in the United States depends on a well-developed right-wing media echo chamber to amplify a few marginal voices. The individuals and organizations featured on this site share a symbiotic relationship with a loosely aligned, ideologically-akin group of right-wing blogs, magazines, radio stations, newspapers, and television news shows to spread their anti-Islam messages and myths.

This tight network consists of anti-Muslim, anti-Islam foundations, misinformation experts, activists, validators, grassroots organizations, religious right groups, and their allies in the media and in politics who profoundly misrepresent Islam and Muslims in the United States.

Validators

To help buttress the extreme views of the Islamophobia misinformation experts, right-wing media enablers and anti-Muslim politicians often turn to a select group of individuals who claim inside knowledge about the realities of radical Islam. Most of these individuals are neither experts nor Muslims, but rather, they are of Middle Eastern descent.

Activists

These are the individuals working alongside the misinformation experts and validators to lead the efforts in spreading hate and misinformation about Islam and Muslims.

The grassroots organizations

These grassroots groups serve as the "muscle" of the Islamophobia network and use sophisticated communications strategies to recruit and engage volunteers. As a result of these organizations' scare-mongering tactics, they enjoy a boost in fundraising, often with the seed funding provided by the main think tanks featured in the Islamophobia network.

Political Players

This select group of elected officials amplify the messages of the misinformation experts in the form of policy recommendations, speeches, or released statements.

Religious Right

The worldviews of this group are shaped by religious fault-lines, and they view tolerance of Islam as incompatible with their own fundamentalist beliefs.

Media

Spreading anti-Muslim hate in the United States depends on a well-developed right-wing media echo chamber to amplify a few marginal voices. The individuals and organizations featured on this site share a symbiotic relationship with a loosely aligned, ideologically-akin group of right-wing blogs, magazines, radio stations, newspapers, and television news shows to spread their anti-Islam messages and myths.

Consequences

The real impact on Americans' civil rights and liberties

The impact and consequences of the fear mongering and policies advocated for by the Islamophobia network.

Consequences

The real impact on Americans' civil rights and liberties

The impact and consequences of the fear mongering and policies advocated for by the Islamophobia network.

FEAR INC.

Explore the $57 million network fueling Islamophobia in the United States

Explore the network