The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Maryland. SMF's core mission is to advance the civic rights of American Shia Muslims, provide direct community support, and serve as a credible and representative voice for the Shia Muslim community in engagement with government at all levels.

Government and Policy Engagement

SMF maintains an active and substantive relationship with federal institutions. The organization has participated in White House events, including a 2021 Eid celebration under the Biden administration and a 2023 White House listening session on Islamophobia, co-hosted by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and senior administration officials, at which SMF contributed recommendations for addressing anti-Muslim bias and discrimination. SMF's Executive Director has a documented history of high-level government engagement spanning over 15 years, including a 2015 private meeting with President Barack Obama to address the issue of Shia genocide, and participation in the 2014 U.S.-Islam World Forum alongside leaders from politics, business, media, and academia across the Islamic world and the United States. SMF has also worked with the Trump administrations to assist Shia Muslim scholars.

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SMF engages regularly with Members of Congress, Senators, and federal agency officials on issues affecting the Shia Muslim community, including mosque security, immigration policy as it affects visiting religious scholars, civil rights enforcement, and anti-Muslim hate. For example, SMF has met with Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill to discuss FBI coordination for mosque security in Maryland for both Sunni and Shia communities.  SMF has also engaged the offices of Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) on issues including mosque safety, DHS coordination, and interfaith community relations.

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Community Programs and Direct Services

 

SMF translates its advocacy mission into concrete community support. In March 2022, SMF provided thouands of dollars in food and groceries to approximately 30 Afghan refugee families in Landover, Maryland, responding directly to the humanitarian needs of newly arrived refugees in the region. In April 2023, SMF donated laptops to Shia Muslim community members in Washington, D.C. who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the digital divide and supporting access to education, employment, and connectivity.

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Civil Rights and Interfaith Leadership

 

SMF takes an inclusive approach to civil rights advocacy that extends beyond the Shia community. In August 2022, following the serial killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, SMF joined a joint press conference with other Sunni and Shia organizations to condemn anti-Muslim and anti-Shia violence and call for unity across sectarian lines. SMF has also raised formal concerns with the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States regarding legislation targeting Shia Muslims in Pakistan, and has consistently advocated for the rights of Shia communities facing persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq.

 

SMF participates in the Washington-area Interfaith Advisory Council and is actively involved in interfaith youth programming, working to build relationships across religious communities and with federal and local law enforcement.