Latest news with #MMWC
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
Al Bawaba
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Prince Harry and Meghan cut funding to Muslim women's coalition over its support for Palestine
ALBAWABA - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cut ties with group supporting Palestine. The Muslim Women's Coalition (MMWC), a Muslim women's organization located in Milwaukee, lost funding from the Archewell Foundation, which was established by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, because of an opinion piece written by Janan Najeeb, the organization's founder, endorsing Palestine. Establishing MMWC was done so with the goal of "empowering Muslim women and girls through education, leadership, awareness, and wellness programs to help them achieve their full potential." In an opinion piece published in the Wisconsin Muslim Journal in February 2024, Najeeb called the 75-year Israeli occupation of Palestine a "gross injustice" and claimed that "what is happening in Gaza is genocide." "We demand the liberation of Palestine, an end to the arming of the occupying and apartheid state of Israel, and a permanent ceasefire," she continued. Palestine will live eternally from the sea to the river and be free from the river to the sea. cairchicago Instagram profile Archeol received a grant of £21,077 (or $27,960) in 2023, according to tax documents and US media publications like The New York Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Najeeb stated that the award amount for 2024 was approximately the same, although tax documents for that year are not yet available. The money was meant to help Afghan refugee women in Milwaukee with initiatives like the Circle of Support and the Afghan Women's Sewing Group. Nevertheless, Archeol chose to sever ties with the coalition after the publication of the opinion article, deeming Najeeb's remarks "inconsistent" with the group's principles. "We were recently made aware of an online opinion piece attributed to you that contradicts the values of the Arcule Foundation," the Arcule Foundation wrote in a letter to Naguib dated April 9, 2025, which was put on an online fundraising platform. Although our organization values diversity in viewpoints and backgrounds, hate speech, acts, and propaganda are unacceptable. MMWC is out of our network, and the coalition won't get more money. d, "I will not apologize for my stance in defending human rights and for my rejection of the dehumanization of any people, including Palestinians." The Arcule Foundation's move, she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is a part of a "broader trend" among groups to do away with any affiliation with pro-Palestinian views "for fear of criticism or retaliation." "It's regrettable that Archuleta, a donor, withdrew so rapidly," she remarked. Unfortunately, the news is not shocking; rather, it is consistent with what is happening around the country. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not yet made an official statement.
Express Tribune
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Harry, Meghan's charity cuts off Muslim group
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's charity, The Archewell Foundation, has severed ties with the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition (MMWC). As per Middle East Eye, this happened after US broadcaster NewsNation disclosed the organisation's founder Janan Najeeb's pro-Palestine comments to the foundation. Archewell, which has given two grants totalling nearly £42,000 (roughly $55,700) to the MMWC since 2023, announced that it will stop donating to the women's group in light of these comments. Last week, NewsNation notified the Archewell Foundation that Janan called Israel an "apartheid state", a label also assigned by the International Court of Justice in a 2024 advisory opinion. "Israel's 75-year occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza are a grave injustice. We demand a permanent ceasefire, an end to arming the apartheid state of Israel, and the liberation of Palestine," read the founder's blog post from last year. "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!" In response, The Archewell Foundation penned a letter addressing the Muslim group's founder. "Janan, we've recently been notified of a blog post you wrote that goes against the values of the foundation. As a foundation, we celebrate different perspectives and backgrounds, but we have zero tolerance for hateful words, actions, or propaganda," the letter read. Following this, many Instagram users rushed to support MMWC's charity work and denounced the foundation's actions. Tagging Meghan on Instagram Stories, a netizen wrote, "Charity should be given with sincerity, not for show." About two years before the rift, Janan had extended her gratitude to the foundation for supporting the group in their mission to aid Gaza. "We took swift and impactful action in response to the war on Gaza. Our efforts, alongside other Wisconsin-based organisations, aimed to raise awareness and demand human rights for Palestinians," she said.
Al Bawaba
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Prince Harry charity cut ties with Muslim NGO over 'anti-Israel' post
Published April 17th, 2025 - 06:49 GMT ALBAWABA - Beverly Hills-based Archewell Foundation, which was founded by Prince Harry in 2020, recently made headlines after cutting ties with an NGO called the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition. This comes after its founder called for a ceasefire in Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip since Oct. 7, 2023. According to its official website, the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition is an NGO (non-profit organization) based in Wisconsin, USA, that aims to educate locals on Islam, Muslims, and relevant topics. Moreover, the organization also aims to promote more diversity in the US state. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation cut ties with the organization in question after it was made aware of a blog post made in February 2024 by MMWC's founder, who called for a ceasefire in Gaza and described Israel as an "apartheid state," as reported by The New Arab. Harry and Meghan cut ties with a Muslim women's organisation due to the founder's pro-Palestinian statements The Archewell Foundation, founded by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has severed its relationship with the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition (MMWC), a nonprofit… — MintPress News (@MintPressNews) April 16, 2025 MMWC's founder, Palestinian-American Janan Najeeb, wrote, "Israel's 75-year occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza are a grave injustice." She added, "We demand a permanent ceasefire, an end to arming the apartheid state of Israel, and the liberation of Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever." According to The Jerusalem Post, Janan Najeeb reportedly received a message from the foundation's senior executive, telling her that they would not be donating money to their organization anymore. The senior executive wrote, "Janan, we've recently been notified of a blog post you wrote that goes against the values of the foundation. As a foundation, we celebrate different perspectives and backgrounds but we have zero tolerance for hateful words, actions, or propaganda." © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Middle East Eye
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Harry and Meghan's charity cuts ties with Muslim group over pro-Palestine comments
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's charity has cut ties with a US-based Muslim organisation after pro-Palestinian statements made by its founder came to light. The Archewell Foundation, which was set up by the couple in 2020, has given two grants totalling nearly £42,000 (roughly $55,700) to the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition (MMWC) since 2023. US broadcaster NewsNation recently wrote to the Archewell Foundation notifying it of pro-Palestinian statements made by the MMWC's Palestinian-American founder, Janan Najeeb. The foundation announced it would cease donating to the organisation late last week after being informed of the comments. NewsNation told the Archewell Foundation earlier this month that Najeeb had called Israel an "apartheid state" - a designation given by the International Court of Justice in a 2024 advisory opinion and by several major human rights groups, including Amnesty International. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters NewsNation further revealed that Najeeb called for an arms embargo on Israel and the "liberation of Palestine". She also repeated the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", which many interpret as an anti-Zionist statement. 'Against the values of the foundation' "Israel's 75-year occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza are a grave injustice," Najeeb wrote in a blog post last year. "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!" In a letter to Najeeb, the Archewell Foundation said: "Janan, we've recently been notified of a blog post you wrote that goes against the values of the foundation. Charles III: How the new king became the most pro-Islam monarch in British history Read More » "As a foundation, we celebrate different perspectives and backgrounds, but we have zero tolerance for hateful words, actions or propaganda." The letter added that the grant was intended to help Afghan women integrate into Milwaukee. In 2023, Najeeb had thanked the foundation for its support, saying: "We took swift and impactful action in response to the war on Gaza. "Our efforts, alongside other Wisconsin-based organisations, aimed to raise awareness and demand human rights for Palestinians." Prince Harry has previously declared his commitment to social justice and said it is "going to take every single person on the planet right now" to end racism. He and Markle have also levelled heavily contested claims of racism against the royal family itself. The latest row comes as Prince Harry has been widely criticised in the British press for flying to war-torn Ukraine while arguing in a High Court case that he needs taxpayer-funded security in Britain. No member of the royal family visited Israel in an official capacity until 2018, when Prince William, Prince Harry's older brother, travelled there to mark the 70th anniversary of Israel's independence. Queen Elizabeth 'refused to allow Israeli officials inside Buckingham Palace' Read More » Some have speculated that Queen Elizabeth had a negative attitude towards Israel due to the violent insurgency waged against the British mandate in Palestine by Zionist armed groups in the 1940s, before Israel's declaration of independence. The late queen reportedly believed every Israeli was "either a terrorist or a son of a terrorist" and refused to allow Israeli officials into Buckingham Palace, according to former Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. Visiting Jordan in 1984, she was reportedly shown a map depicting the locations of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and said: "What a depressing map." King Charles has also previously drawn controversy for his views on Israel. In 2017, a letter surfaced that he had written to a friend in 1986 after a trip to the Middle East. Writing that he had read a bit of the Quran and admired "some aspects of Islam", the then-prince said he had begun to understand the Arab "point of view about Israel". "Never realised they see it as a US colony," he wrote. "I now appreciate that Arabs and Jews were all a Semitic people originally... it is the influx of foreign, European Jews (especially from Poland, they say) which has helped to cause great problems." Most controversially, King Charles asked: "Surely some US president has to have the courage to stand up and take on the Jewish lobby in the US?"
