A quiet collaboration between an Indiana University philanthropy initiative and a Turkish nonprofit has come under intense scrutiny following a recent U.S. government designation. The Turkish group, Hayat Yolu, was labeled a “sham charity” – a deceptive front for funneling funds to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, organizations with histories of violence and extremist ideologies.
The Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, housed within the university’s School of Philanthropy, reportedly partnered with Hayat Yolu to conduct fundraising training programs. Evidence of this partnership surfaced in a LinkedIn post and reports dating back several months, revealing a series of events designed to enhance fundraising capabilities within a network now linked to terrorism.
U.S. Treasury officials allege Hayat Yolu operates as a crucial node in a clandestine global network, exploiting the guise of humanitarian aid to amass funds. These funds, they claim, are directly channeled to Gaza, bolstering Hamas’s military operations and providing financial support to the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a stark warning: the department will relentlessly pursue and dismantle networks that exploit charitable giving for terrorist purposes. The designation of Hayat Yolu signals a commitment to disrupting the flow of funds that fuel violence and instability.
At the heart of these training programs was Dr. Shariq A. Siddiqui, an assistant professor at Indiana University. Reports indicate he spearheaded the instruction, aiming to create a “domino effect” – equipping attendees with advanced fundraising techniques to disseminate throughout their home countries.
The curriculum focused on “scientific knowledge” of fundraising, emphasizing systematic, professional, and data-driven approaches. The intention was to empower participants to dramatically improve their fundraising effectiveness and expand their organizational reach.
These events weren’t limited to the United States. Multi-day training sessions were held in Istanbul, Turkey in July 2025, and in Jakarta, Indonesia the following January. The Jakarta event alone drew 86 participants from across Southeast Asia – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Singapore.
The initial days of the Jakarta training were entirely dedicated to fundraising strategies, with a later shift towards leadership, project management, and volunteer coordination. Participants reportedly expressed that the training significantly improved their understanding of fundraising organization and global network expansion.
The Istanbul event attracted prominent international philanthropic leaders, focusing on scaling impact and ensuring organizational sustainability. Led by Dr. Siddiqui and Dr. Abed Ayoub, a lecturer from Cambridge, the training aimed to equip leaders with the tools to maximize their philanthropic efforts.
The revelation of this collaboration raises serious questions about due diligence and oversight within the university’s philanthropy initiative. The implications of training individuals now linked to organizations supporting terrorism are far-reaching and demand a thorough investigation.
