Iranian Gov't Front Group Funded Over 60 Islamic Sites in U.S.
Mon, July 1, 2013
The Alavi Foundation's website makes Iran look as pleasant as fresh flowers.
Headlines
Last week, the Clarion Project documented how an Iranian regime “propaganda” front donated to over 30 universities in North America. Published financial reports from that same front reveal that it also funded over 60 Islamic organizations, mosques, and Persian schools around the country.
The New York-based Alavi Foundation is accused of funneling money to an Iranian bank linked to the nuclear program. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office investigations chief, Adam Kaufmann, said “We found evidence that the government of Iran really controlled everything about the foundation.”
The Foundation’s president, Farshid Jahedi, pled guilty to destroying evidence before it could be submitted to the grand jury. The case has yet to be resolved.
The alleged regime front’s purpose wasn’t limited to Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. officials told the Washington Post that the Foundation “promotes Tehran’s views on world affairs.” An Iranian opposition figure in California similarly describes it as part of the regime’s “propaganda machine.”
Iran has made a major investment in influencing American opinion that has gone mostly unnoticed. In addition to North American academia, the Foundation’s website boasts of having funded over 36 Islamic centers and 30 Persian schools.
One of the Foundation’s initiatives is its book distribution program that it began in 1981. Over 15,000 free texts are distributed each year using four distribution centers at Islamic sites in New York, Texas, California and Maryland.
According to its website, recipients include “individuals, academic institutions, public libraries, Islamic centers, and the penitentiaries within the United States.” Yes, you read that correctly—an accused Iranian government front openly boasts that it provides texts for American prisons.
The Clarion Project has gone through the Foundation’s published financial reports from 2004 to 2010 and has put together a chart of documented donations, organized by state. The amounts include all financial and book donations to the organization, including any affiliated Persian weekend school.
Look at the chart below to find out what the Iranian “propaganda machine” has been up to near you:
|
STATE |
ISLAMIC ORG. |
DETAILS |
|
AZ |
Al-Mahdi Benevolent Organization |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
CA |
Babul Ilm Islamic Center |
2005: $150,000 loan converted to donation |
|
|
Center of Persian Language Preservation Corporation / Alborz Farsi School |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 12/16/2011: $10,000 1/4/2011: Unspecified donation. 2010: $16,000 2009: $12,500 2008: $12,500 |
|
|
City of Knowledge School |
2006: $50,000 2005: $30,000 2004: $20,000 |
|
|
Hejrat Educational Center |
2005: $270,000 |
|
|
IABA Persian School |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Islamic Education Center of San Diego |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Persian Cultural Club / Dekhoda Persian School |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 11/8/2012: $25,000 12/16/2011: $20,000 1/4/2011: $30,000 2009: $28,000 2008: $27,500 2007: $90,000 2006: $71,800 2005: $80,000 2004: $34,800 |
|
|
Qoba Foundation |
2009: $30,000 |
|
|
Resalat Islamic Center |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Shia Association of Bay Area |
Identified as an Alavi book distribution center. 2008: $21,500 2007: $14,000 for books 2005: $500,000 |
|
CT |
Islamic Institute of Ahl’ Albait |
2011: Over $200,000 according to a thank-you letter on Alavi’s website. 2005: $16,500 loan converted to donation |
|
|
Jafaria Association of Connecticut |
2009: $18,000 2004: $20,000 loan converted to donation |
|
|
Pakistani American Association |
2010: $12,000 |
|
DC |
Masjid al-Islam / As-Sabiqun |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
GA |
Sahebozzaman Islamic Center of Atlanta |
2009: $6,500 2008: $6,500 2007: $13,650 2006: $13,250 2005: $13,400 2004: $13,170 |
|
|
Zainabia Nonprofit, Inc. |
2005: $45,000 2005: $15,000 loan converted to donation |
|
IL |
Irshad Learning Center |
2007: $450,000 2004: $8,000 |
|
KS |
Az-Zahra Center |
2008: $5,000 2007: $25,000 2006: $68,200 2005: $9,050 2004: $8,750 |
|
|
Imam Ali Center of Kansas City |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 11/8/2012: $8,000 2010: $10,000 2008: $5,500 2007: $11,400 |
|
|
Payame Noor Institute |
11/8/2012: $6,000 12/16/2011: $5,000 2010: $7,000 2009: $8,000 2004: $8,000 |
|
KY |
Al-Zahrah Islamic Center |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
MA |
Persian Language School |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
MD |
Idara-e-Jafferia |
2004: $200,000 |
|
|
Islamic Education Center of MD |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation Identified as an Alavi book distribution center. |
|
|
Muslim Community School / Alim Academy |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 9/30/2011: $500,000 9/12/2012: $400,000 2010: $418,000 2009: $292,000 2008: $130,000 2007: $176,000 2006: $270,000 2005: $203,000 2004: $224,000 |
|
|
Persian Language Institute of MD |
2008: $6,000 2007: $5,000 |
|
|
Quran Account, Inc. |
2005: $20,000 2004: $20,000 |
|
|
Universal Muslim Association of America |
3/24/2012: $10,000 2010: $10,000 2009: $4,000 2008: $5,000 2007: $6,000 2006: $3,000 2005: $100,000 |
|
MI |
Islamic House of Wisdom |
2009: $4,000 2008: $4,000 2007: $6,700 2006: $6,000 2005: $8,000 2004: $15,000 |
|
MN |
Resalat Farsi School |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
MO |
Dar al-Zahra Mosque and Education Center / Shia Islamic Education Center |
2011: Thank-you letter on Alavi’s website states that it has received a total of $600,000. 2006: $135,000 2005: $300,000 |
|
NJ |
Muslim Foundation / Masjid-e Ali |
2011: $250,000, as stated in a thank-you letter on the website. 2010: $250,000 2007: $150,000 2005: $230,000 |
|
|
New Jersey Islamic Center |
10/16/2009: Unspecified donation to construction. |
|
|
Noor Center Corporation |
2005: $67,000 2004: $30,800 |
|
|
Persian Language Institute of NJ |
2008: $4,100 2007: $20,000 |
|
NY |
Ahlul Bayt Mosque |
11/20/2011: $50,000 Nov 2011: $10,000, according to a thank-you letter posted on the Alavi website. 2010: $50,000 2009: $10,000 2008: $10,000 2007: $65,000 2006: $54,000 2005: $95,000 2004: $23,000 |
|
|
Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation |
11/6/2012: $25,000 2009: $5,000 |
|
|
Ark Institute |
1/31/2011: $10,000 2010: $10,000 |
|
|
Iranian-Armenian Society |
11/25/2011: Unspecified donation. 2009: $3,000 2007: $6,000 2006: $6,000 2005: $3,000 2004: $2,000 |
|
|
Islamic Institute of New York |
3/20/2013: $120,000 11/15/2011: $240,000 2010: $50,000 2009: $240,000 2008: $180,400 2007: $250,000 2006: $155,000 2005: $162,000 2004: $98,191.86 |
|
|
Islamic Learning Center of Orange County / Masjid al-Ikhlas |
2011: Unspecified donation according to a thank-you letter on Alavi’s website. |
|
|
Islamic Seminary Inc. N.J. (based in NY) |
Identified as an Alavi book distribution center. 2010: $26,480 2009: $10,000 |
|
|
Jafaria Association of North America |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 12/16/2011: $15,000 2010: $20,000 10/16/2009: Unspecified donation for “scholarly research” 2008: $19,500 2007: $30,000 2006: $55,000 2005: $14,400 2005: $100,000 loan converted to donation |
|
|
Masoomeen School of Islamic Education |
3/2/2012: $10,000 2010: $10,000 2009: $3,000 2008: $5,000 2007: $6,000 2006: $3,000 2005: $3,000 2004: $15,600 |
|
|
Nurudeen Islamic Charity Org. of NY |
2011: Unspecified donation according to a thank-you letter on Alavi’s website. |
|
|
Razi School |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 11/13/2011: $450,000 11/9/2012: $8,000 7/13/2012: $400,000 2010: $420,500 2009: $345,000 2008: $279,000 2007: $368,000 2006: $237,420 2005: $318,200 2004: $154,200 |
|
OH |
Payam Farsi School |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
OK |
Oklahoma Farsi School Foundation |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 12/16/2011: $8,000 1/4/2011: $8,000 2010: $8,000 2009: $8,000 2008: $8,000 2007: $11,500 2006: $11,300 2005: $11,900 2004: $8,000 |
|
OR |
Islamic Center of Portland |
2005: $400,000 |
|
PA |
Aramgah Memorial Garden Foundation |
2011: $100,000 interest-free loan, according to a thank-you letter on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Parvin Etesami Persian School (affiliated with Noor Center Corp. of NJ) |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Pennsylvania |
8/15/2011: $5,000 2004: $20,000 |
|
TN |
Al-Zahra Islamic Center |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Al-Mahdi Islamic Center |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Islamic Message Group |
2005: $210,000 2004: $30,000 |
|
TX |
Anjuman-E-Haideri / Persian School of Houston |
12/13/2011: Unspecified donation. 2008: $42,000 2007: $3,000 2006: $43,800 2005: $22,000 2004: $52,000 |
|
|
Ferdowsi Persian School |
Identified as a recipient on the Alavi website. |
|
|
Islamic Education Center of Texas |
Identified as an Alavi book distribution center. |
|
|
Pars Academy |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation 2010: $8,000 2008: $4,000 2007: $16,400 2006: $10,000 2005: $14,600 2004: $26,700 |
|
|
Texas Persian School |
1/4/2011: Unspecified donation. |
|
UT |
Alrasool Islamic Center |
2009: $10,000 |
|
VA |
Imam Reza Foundation |
2005: $6,000 |
|
VA |
Manassas Mosque |
2005: $53,000 2004: $140,000 |
|
WA |
American Moslem Foundation |
2005: $55,000 loan converted to donation |
|
CANADA |
Toronto Farsi School |
Alavi website declares April 2013 donation November 2011: Letter acknowledges unspecified donation. 2010: $30,000 2009: $26,000 2008: $27,500 2007: $35,000 2006: $44,626 2005: $50,000 2004: $30,000 |

It is quite possible that a recipient was unaware that the Alavi Foundation was part of Iran’s “propaganda machine,” but the Foundation didn’t donate to just anybone. Funds are limited and are distributed with the intent of having the maximum effect. It is suspicious when the Alavi Foundation/Iranian government decides that a specific U.S. organization deserves its money.
Every dollar spent on these organizations is a dollar that could have gone into the regime’s rapidly-thinning wallet. If an Iranian government front decides that a recipient is a more worthy investment than the regime itself, then the regime must be getting a lot for its dollar.






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