Right-wing US think tank tracked thousands of Muslim Americans for 20 years

Database revelations

The Middle East Forum has compiled a massive database containing over 4 million data points on thousands of Muslim Americans and allied organizations across a roughly 20-year period, according to a report published Friday by the HuffPost news site. The archive — assembled from publicly available records — includes individuals' names, social media accounts and tax information, alongside details on mosques, schools and businesses.

MEF disclosed the project after HuffPost questioned the organization and indicated plans to publish findings. Gregg Roman, the group's executive director, said the organization had intended to announce the initiative later this year but welcomed the earlier disclosure. He added that researchers could apply for access to the material once the archive opens to qualified applicants.

Mission and defense

The Philadelphia-based organization maintains that its mission centers on defending Western values and highlighting what it describes as the dangers of "lawful Islamism." MEF defended its data collection practices, arguing that mapping ideological networks is common among US civil society organizations and that other groups maintain similar archives.

Civil rights alarms

Civil rights organizations accuse the group of contributing to Islamophobia and spreading misinformation about Muslims. Caleb Kieffer of the Southern Poverty Law Center described the archive as "very concerning," pointing to what he called growing anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.

Mobashra Tazamal of Georgetown University's Bridge Initiative characterized the database as a potential "target list," warning that such information could be used to monitor or intimidate Muslim individuals and organizations. The revelations surface amid heightened concerns among Muslim Americans over Islamophobia, as well as political tensions surrounding President Donald Trump's policies and the crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters.