Elon Musk retweeted a tweet accusing American Muslim aid organizations of being linked to terrorism, writing: “Why are we funding these organizations and some countries to spread hate, when they can do it for free?”
The statement was made against groups that receive funding from USAID, including the Arab American Institute, the Islamic Relief Agency, Muslim Aid, and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
According to CAIR, these organizations are registered nonprofits and are entitled to receive federal funding like other charities.
The organization’s executive director, Nohad Awad, called Musk’s statement “baseless, dangerous, and irresponsible,” saying, “Anyone who sees ‘Islam’ in the name of an American Muslim aid organization and declares it a terrorist organization is showing hatred and ignorance.”
CAIR advised Elon Musk to focus on the military aid to Israel, which has killed thousands of innocent people in Gaza, instead of criticizing American Muslim organizations, which is funded by American taxpayers.
Elon Musk, who currently heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is making major changes to US aid policy. On Sunday, the Trump administration announced the layoffs of 2,000 USAID workers and decided to suspend thousands of employees, further escalating the conflict.
Tensions between American Muslim organizations and the Trump administration have escalated after Elon Musk’s controversial statement.
