Marwan Marouf, the public relations and fundraising director for the Dallas chapter of the Muslim-American Society, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after dropping his son off at school, leaving the local Muslim community in shock. On 26 September 2025, KERA reported that Marouf, who had been in the United States for 30 years and had obtained employment sponsorship to obtain permanent residency status, was detained on Monday morning despite his pending application. The article begins:
The reported detention of a Dallas Muslim advocacy group leader by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has left the local community in shock. Marwan Marouf, who served as the public relations and fundraising director for the Dallas chapter of the Muslim-American Society, was detained Monday morning after dropping his son off at school, according to the Muslim Legal Fund of America. Marouf had obtained sponsorship from his employment and aid to obtain permanent residency status, which was denied prior to his detention. He has been in the U.S. for 30 years, according to the MLFA. “We are mindful that we are up against a system of immense resources – one that has consistently targeted those who dare to speak truth to power, especially immigrants and advocates for Palestine,” read a statement released by the MLFA.
Key Points
- Marwan Marouf, who served as public relations and fundraising director for the Dallas chapter of the Muslim-American Society, was detained by ICE on Monday morning after dropping his son off at school.
- Marouf had been in the United States for 30 years and had obtained employment sponsorship to obtain permanent residency status, which was denied before his detention, according to the Muslim Legal Fund of America.
- The Muslim Legal Fund of America stated that the system has consistently targeted those who dare to speak truth to power, especially immigrants and advocates for Palestine, calling this playbook not new.
- Longtime MAS member Noor Wadi described the community as shocked to the core by how swiftly and unjustly Marouf was detained, noting he has been in the service of the community for decades.
In 2002, the Associated Press reported that Marouf was the brother-in-law of one of the five Elashi brothers, convicted on charges of false statements, money laundering, and fundraising on behalf of Hamas. The Elashi family was also a central figure in the Holy Land Foundation, with members such as Ghassan Elashi convicted for funneling millions of dollars to Hamas under the guise of charitable aid.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) has also been historically tied to the Muslim Brotherhood in the US.
The Muslim American Society: The Origins of the US Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim American Society operates as a constituent element of the US Muslim Brotherhood alongside other organizations including the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). MAS maintains close ties to the Egyptian Brotherhood, though it has strategically distanced itself from openly acknowledging this connection. A landmark 2004 Chicago Tribune investigation revealed that MAS leadership deliberately concealed their Brotherhood affiliation, particularly fearing potential crackdowns on Hamas supporters within their ranks. MAS emerged in 1993 when US Brotherhood members transformed their secretive infrastructure into a more public-facing organization.
Beyond this strategic rebranding, the group incorporated in Illinois with founding members including Ahmad Elkadi, a former Brotherhood president who had served as personal physician to Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal. Internal Brotherhood documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune instructed leaders on operational security, advising them to respond to inquiries about Brotherhood membership by stating they represented “an independent group called the Muslim American Society,” which required “no further explanation.” Federal prosecutors later characterized MAS in court filings as “founded as the overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States.” At the same time, the organization’s curriculum has required advanced members to study foundational Brotherhood texts by Hassan al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb.
The organization’s operational directives reveal its integration within Brotherhood networks. A 1994 Brotherhood Palestine Committee meeting agenda explicitly instructed MAS to “educate the brothers in all work centers, mosques, and organizations on the necessity of stopping any contacts with Zionist organizations and the rejection of any future contacts.” This directive demonstrates MAS’s subordination to broader Brotherhood strategic coordination. Similarly, annual ICNA-MAS conventions bring together Global Muslim Brotherhood leaders with US government officials, creating platforms where Islamist advocacy intersects with American policymaking. Oussama Jammal serves simultaneously as MAS director and Secretary-General of the US Council of Muslim Organizations, an umbrella coalition comprised almost entirely of Muslim Brotherhood entities.
Hudson Institute research has documented how MAS represents part of a deliberate Brotherhood expansion strategy in America, noting that the organization was created by Ikhwanis (Brotherhood members) who established it alongside other major Islamic institutions to promote their ideological vision. This infrastructure has enabled the Brotherhood to exert considerable influence over how Islam is practiced and perceived in the United States, with Brotherhood-affiliated organizations successfully positioning themselves as mainstream Muslim advocacy groups despite their origins in an international Islamist movement. The 2014 designation of MAS as a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates, citing alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties, highlighted international concerns about these connections. However, the US State Department declined to adopt similar designations.
External References:
• A rare look at secretive Brotherhood in America — Chicago Tribune
• The Muslim Brotherhood’s U.S. Network — Hudson Institute
• Muslim American Society (MAS) — InfluenceWatch
The Global Influence Operations Report (GIOR) utilizes AI throughout the posting process, including the generation of summaries for news items, introductions, key points, and, often, the “context” section. We recommend verifying all information before use. Additionally, all images are generated using AI and are intended solely for illustrative purposes. While they represent the events or individuals discussed, they should not be interpreted as real-world photography.
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