Over nearly two decades, the archive of the U.S. right-wing think tank Middle East Forum (MEF) has accumulated more than 4 million data points on thousands of Muslim Americans and Muslim organizations.
The records include people’s names, social media accounts and tax information, as well as details about mosques, schools, businesses and other organizations. The database also includes people and groups considered allies of the Muslim community.
MEF will accept requests to access the archive
The organization disclosed the archive’s existence after questions were directed to it. MEF announced that academics, journalists and other researchers could apply for access to the archive.
MEF Executive Director Gregg Roman said the initiative was initially intended to be disclosed at a later date, but that they welcomed the archive being announced earlier.
Civil rights groups criticize the archive
Founded in 1994 and described as controversial, MEF says its mission is to defend Western values and draw attention to the dangers of movements it defines as “legal Islamism.” Civil rights organizations accuse MEF of contributing to Islamophobia and spreading misinformation about Muslims.
MEF defended the data in the archive as having been compiled from publicly available records. The archive’s scope nevertheless raised concerns among civil rights advocates.
Caleb Kieffer of the Southern Poverty Law Center called the archive “very concerning” and said anti-Muslim rhetoric was increasing in the United States. Mobashra Tazamal of Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative said the archive could serve as a potential “target list” for monitoring or intimidating Muslim individuals and organizations.
The archive was disclosed amid growing concerns about Islamophobia
The development came at a time when Muslim Americans’ concerns about Islamophobia were rising. The policies of President Donald Trump, pressure on pro-Palestinian protesters and political tensions surrounding statements by some Republican members of Congress were among the developments that heightened those concerns.
MEF, for its part, argued that mapping ideological networks was common among civil society organizations in the United States. The organization said other institutions also maintained similar databases.
