Latest news with #MilwaukeeMuslimWomen'sCoalition
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Foundation Pulls Funding from Milwaukee Muslim Women's Group Over 'Hateful Words'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Archewell Foundation has ended its funding to the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition The Sussexes' charity had previously provided a financial grant through its Welcome Project initiative, which supports immigrant women and families PEOPLE understands the decision followed an op-ed by the coalition's founder and her support for a mural that featured a swastika intertwined with a Star of David Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's foundation has withdrawn funding from the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, citing its zero-tolerance policy on hate speech. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell Foundation, founded in 2020 as a vehicle for their philanthropic endeavors, will no longer be funding the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, a community group endeavoring to empower Muslim women and girls through education, leadership, outreach and wellness programming. According to tax filings obtained by PEOPLE, Archewell awarded the group a $27,960 grant in 2023 as part of its Welcome Project, an initiative that supports programming for women recently resettled from Afghanistan. On April 17, the coalition's founder and executive director, Janan Najeeb, released a statement expressing 'deep disappointment' over the decision, noting that the funding had supported the group's Afghan Women's Sewing Circle and Support Group. PEOPLE understands that Archewell cut ties with the coalition after Najeeb published a February 2024 op-ed in the Wisconsin Muslim Journal that included the phrase, "From the Sea to the River" in its title, which echoes the contentious phrase, "from the river to the sea." In September, Najeeb also spoke at an event in support of a Milwaukee mural created by her brother that merged a Star of David with a swastika. The Milwaukee Women's Coalition later endorsed the mural on social media. Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Just Announced Their New Project — and It's Got Royal Inspo It's understood that the Archewell Foundation has a zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's charitable organization celebrates different perspectives and backgrounds but draws a line at hateful words, action or propaganda. That stance was underscored in an April 9 letter from Archewell to Najeeb, which the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition later shared publicly as part of its online fundraiser. "We have recently been notified of an online opinion piece you wrote that goes against the values of The Archewell Foundation," began the letter addressed to Najeeb. "As a foundation, we celebrate different perspectives and backgrounds, but we have zero tolerance for hateful words, actions, or propaganda. When we started The Welcome Project, we did so to support Afghan women in finding community, and we are proud of the work we have done to support women in Milwaukee. We remain committed to fostering partnerships that reflect and reinforce the values our foundation stands for," it said. "We will be removing MMWC from our network effective as of today. At this time, the foundation will be making no additional grants to the MMWC." In a statement posted on the official Instagram account of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, Najeeb appeared to reference another op-ed she authored for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, titled "Why do college students protest? They know truth about Israel's genocide in Gaza," published in September 2024. Her comments were shared in a letter addressed to Archewell Foundation executive directors James Holt and Shauna Nep. "First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for your support of our Afghan Women's Sewing Group and Support Circle. The program has had a transformative impact. With your resources, the Muslim Women's Coalition led efforts that strengthened mental health, restored purpose, and built community among women who have already endured so much," she began. "It is in that spirit that I write to express my deep disappointment regarding the Foundation's decision to revoke funding in response to an independent opinion piece I authored on Gaza. To suggest that the piece constitutes hate speech or propaganda is, at best, a profound misrepresentation," she said. Najeeb said the "article in question" was published on the front page of the Op-Ed section of the Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin's largest circulated newspaper," and said the outlet would not publish content promoting hate, violence or propaganda. The founder and executive director of the Muslim Women's Coalition underlined that she rejected antisemitism and felt frustrated about Archewell's decision to cut funding. Related: Meghan Markle Joins a Night of 'Cooking and Storytelling' Inspired by Her First Project as a Royal "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," Najeeb said. "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?" Najeeb's statement was also shared to the , where it sparked further discussion. Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, created the Archewell Foundation in a mission to "show up, do good," its website says. Archwell's Welcome Project and its activity in Milwaukee were unveiled in the foundation's annual Impact Report published in December 2023. In a statement released April 18, Archewell's executive directors reiterated this commitment. "At the Archewell Foundation, we: Show Up, Do Good. Our values are an extension of those of our founders, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," said the statement from Holt and Nep. "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," it continued. "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." "Out of respect for all of our partners, a responsibility to our donors, and in reflecting the values of our Principals, we make adjustments to our future funding accordingly," said the statement. "We remain deeply committed to our work with Muslim-led organizations and refugee support programs through The Welcome Project and relief efforts in Gaza," linking to Humanity Crew. Archewell is also a longtime partner of Humanity Crew, a nonprofit providing displaced children and families with mental health and psychosocial support. According to the foundation's 2023-2024 Impact Report, Humanity Crew has provided "trauma-informed support in disaster-stricken regions including Gaza, Israel, Turkey, and Syria" with help from Archewell. Harry and Meghan's charity has also given grants to create Mental Health Emergency Rooms in Palestine, Israel, and Greece, donated to support mental health efforts in Israel and Gaza, and provided funding for mental health support efforts in Turkey following the fatal earthquake in 2023. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! The Archewell Foundation's decision to cut ties with the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition comes after Prince Harry resigned as patron of Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006. Last month, the Duke of Sussex, co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and the board of trustees stepped back from their roles amid what was characterized as a financial crisis and internal turmoil with chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka. After trustees asked Chandauka to resign, she brought a lawsuit against the charity, which supports young people in southern Africa. The Charity Commission, based in the U.K., confirmed they are investigating. In a statement, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso said they were "truly heartbroken" to resign. "What's transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale's beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about," they said. "Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care." Read the original article on People
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 (
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prince Harry's Archewell stops donating to charity over founder's ‘anti-Israel' remarks
Prince Harry's charity has halted donations to a Muslim women's group over comments made by its founder describing Israel as 'an apartheid state'. The Archewell Foundation, which was set up by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2020, is understood to have severed ties with the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition earlier this week. The decision came after the non-profit organisation, whose motto is 'show up, do good', was made aware of a blog post by Janan Najeeb, the founder of the coalition, according to the US site NewsNation. In an online post for the Wisconsin Muslim Journal in February last year, Ms Najeeb repeatedly used the 'from the river to the sea' slogan and called for 'an end to arming the apartheid state of Israel'. The Archewell Foundation donated $27,960 (£21,373) to Ms Najeeb's charity in 2023, according to tax returns for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's organisation. The Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, a non-profit group established in 1994 'to empower Muslim women and girls through education, leadership, outreach, and wellness programs', also received a donation from Archewell in 2024, according to its website. James Holt and Shauna Nep, the senior executives at the Archewell Foundation, are reported to have written to Ms Najeeb earlier this week announcing the organisation would stop donating to her charity. According to NewsNations, the letter said: '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. 'When we started the welcome project, we did so to support Afghan women in finding community, and we are proud of the work we have done to support women in Milwaukee. We remain committed to fostering partnerships that reflect and reinforce the values our foundation stands for. 'We will be removing MWC [Muslim Women's Coalition] from our network effective as of today. At this time, the foundation will be making no additional grants to MMWC [Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition].' Named after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son Archie, the Archewell Foundation was set up five years ago after the couple relinquished their royal duties and relocated to the US. The Sussexes said they launched the initiative 'to unite and uplift communities, both locally and globally', adding on the charity's website: 'We believe that philanthropy is not a handout; it's a hand held.' The foundation raised almost £4.2 million in grants in 2023 and gave a total of more than £1 million to charitable causes, according to its most recent tax filing. The latest development in the Sussexes' charity dealings follows a tumultuous few weeks for the Duke as he awaits a judgment in a UK court case about his personal security, and after he quit as a patron at a separate charity. The Duke has launched a legal challenge in London's court of appeal over a decision to withdraw publicly-funded security for his family. He is understood to believe that his UK security was removed as part of efforts to force him back into royal life in Britain after he stepped away from the Firm in 2020. The Duke told The Telegraph after a two-day hearing this week that the removal of his police protection was 'difficult to swallow'. The appeal is seen as a last throw of the dice to overturn a High Court ruling from last year in which a judge concluded that the decision to strip him of his usual security was not irrational or procedurally unfair. The Prince was not required to attend the court hearing in London but chose to do so anyway, before making a surprise visit to Ukraine to meet war victims on Friday. It came just weeks after Prince Harry announced he had resigned from Sentebale, another of his charities, following a bitter row over the organisation's leadership. The Duke quit the charity alongside his co-founder and fellow patron, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and its five trustees after a row with the chair of the board, Sophie Chandauka. In a joint statement, the two princes said they were standing down as patrons with a 'heavy heart' because the 'relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair'. Ms Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, responded with a statement accusing the board of abuse of power, bullying, misogyny and harassment. The Charity Commission announced last week it had opened a case to examine 'concerns raised' about Sentebale following claims made by Ms Chandauka. In response, Prince Harry said he hoped a 'robust inquiry' would 'unveil the truth' about Sentebale's governance as he hit out at 'blatant lies' that had been made about the charity in recent weeks. Prince Harry founded Sentebale in 2006 alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people affected by Aids in southern Africa, in memory of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. The Archewell Foundation and the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition were contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Prince Harry's Archewell stops donating to charity over founder's ‘anti-Israel' remarks
Prince Harry 's charity has halted donations to a Muslim women's group over comments made by its founder describing Israel as 'an apartheid state'. The Archewell Foundation, which was set up by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2020, is understood to have severed ties with the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition earlier this week. The decision came after the non-profit organisation, whose motto is 'show up, do good', was made aware of a blog post by Janan Najeeb, the founder of the coalition, according to the US site NewsNation. In an online post for the Wisconsin Muslim Journal in February last year, Ms Najeeb repeatedly used the 'from the river to the sea' slogan and called for 'an end to arming the apartheid state of Israel'. The Archewell Foundation donated $27,960 (£21,373) to Ms Najeeb's charity in 2023, according to tax returns for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's organisation. The Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, a non-profit group established in 1994 'to empower Muslim women and girls through education, leadership, outreach, and wellness programs', also received a donation from Archewell in 2024, according to its website. James Holt and Shauna Nep, the senior executives at the Archewell Foundation, are reported to have written to Ms Najeeb earlier this week announcing the organisation would stop donating to her charity. According to NewsNations, the letter said: '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. 'When we started the welcome project, we did so to support Afghan women in finding community, and we are proud of the work we have done to support women in Milwaukee. We remain committed to fostering partnerships that reflect and reinforce the values our foundation stands for. 'We will be removing MWC [Muslim Women's Coalition] from our network effective as of today. At this time, the foundation will be making no additional grants to MMWC [Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition].' Named after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 's son Archie, the Archewell Foundation was set up five years ago after the couple relinquished their royal duties and relocated to the US. The Sussexes said they launched the initiative 'to unite and uplift communities, both locally and globally', adding on the charity's website: 'We believe that philanthropy is not a handout; it's a hand held.' The foundation raised almost £4.2 million in grants in 2023 and gave a total of more than £1 million to charitable causes, according to its most recent tax filing. The latest development in the Sussexes' charity dealings follows a tumultuous few weeks for the Duke as he awaits a judgment in a UK court case about his personal security, and after he quit as a patron at a separate charity. The Duke has launched a legal challenge in London's court of appeal over a decision to withdraw publicly-funded security for his family. He is understood to believe that his UK security was removed as part of efforts to force him back into royal life in Britain after he stepped away from the Firm in 2020. The Duke told The Telegraph after a two-day hearing this week that the removal of his police protection was 'difficult to swallow'. The appeal is seen as a last throw of the dice to overturn a High Court ruling from last year in which a judge concluded that the decision to strip him of his usual security was not irrational or procedurally unfair. The Prince was not required to attend the court hearing in London but chose to do so anyway, before making a surprise visit to Ukraine to meet war victims on Friday. It came just weeks after Prince Harry announced he had resigned from Sentebale, another of his charities, following a bitter row over the organisation's leadership. The Duke quit the charity alongside his co-founder and fellow patron, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and its five trustees after a row with the chair of the board, Sophie Chandauka. In a joint statement, the two princes said they were standing down as patrons with a 'heavy heart' because the 'relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair'. Ms Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, responded with a statement accusing the board of abuse of power, bullying, misogyny and harassment. The Charity Commission announced last week it had opened a case to examine 'concerns raised' about Sentebale following claims made by Ms Chandauka. In response, Prince Harry said he hoped a 'robust inquiry' would 'unveil the truth' about Sentebale's governance as he hit out at 'blatant lies' that had been made about the charity in recent weeks. Prince Harry founded Sentebale in 2006 alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people affected by Aids in southern Africa, in memory of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
