The Drama Between Between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Foundation and the Muslim Women's Coalition, Explained
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation has pulled funding from the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition (MMWC), citing their policy on hate speech. The decision came following an OpEd that Janan Najeeb, the coalition's founder and executive director, authored last February, featured the phrase 'from the river to the sea' extensively and after Najeeb spoke at an event this past fall at which a mural featured the Star of David combined with a swastika.
'Our funding and grant support extends to individuals and organizations of all walks of life with varying political views, cultural beliefs, ideologies, and identifications. We do not discriminate. We believe change comes from building bridges. We welcome all,' Executive Directors James Holt and Shauna Nep wrote in a statement shared on Archewell's website.
They added, 'We do not, however, tolerate any form of hate speech, including hate-fueled symbols, language, or imagery—no matter the community it targets. For us, association with the blending of the Star of David with a swastika, is impossible to accept. Additionally, language that calls for the destruction of others, whether explicitly or implicitly, crosses a line. It is not aligned with our values: we are pro-humanity, pro-love, pro-peace, pro-equality.'
The Archewell Foundation had awarded the group a grant as part of its Welcome Project, supporting women resettled from Afghanistan. The MMWC had hosted an Afghan Women's Sewing Circle and Support Group with the funding.
In response to the decision (the coalition shared the letter that Archewell sent them as part of an online fundraiser), MMWC's Najeeb wrote that she was deeply disappointed. 'To suggest the piece constitutes hate speech or propaganda is, at best, a profound misinterpretation,' she wrote of her OpEd. Later in her statement, she writes, 'There is painful irony in your decision to withdraw support from Afghan women, many of them war survivors, because the leader of a women's organization dared to speak out against the creation of more war survivors. The people enduring the crisis in Gaza are exactly those your mission claims to support. How can it be against your mission and values to advocate for their safety and dignity?'
She added, 'Silencing women of color who speak out against injustice perpetuates the very harm your foundation purports to address,' and asks them to retract their 'defamatory statements and issue a public apology.'
Harry and Meghan have yet to personally comment on the controversy.
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