Why Meghan Markle, Prince Harry snapped ties with Muslim women's group in US state of Milwaukee

The Archewell Foundation, set up by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, snapped all ties with a US Muslim women's group after it emerged that its founder made anti-Israel statements. The development came after reports emerged that Janan Najeeb, the founder of Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition (MMWC), had received £42,000 (roughly $55,700) from the Archewell Foundation in 2023.

The foundation made it clear that the donations would stop after NewsNation, a centrist US media, revealed that Najeeb called Israel "an apartheid state" in a blog post in 2023.

In a letter to Najeeb, the Archewell Foundation said: "Janan, we’ve recently been notified of a blog post you wrote that goes against the values of the foundation." It added that the donation aimed to help Afghan women integrate into Milwaukee, and though the foundation "celebrated different perspectives and backgrounds, it had zero tolerance for hateful words, actions and propaganda."

In 202,3 after it received the grant, the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition thanked the couple’s charity for its donation, stating with Archewell's support, it "took swift and impactful action in response to the war in Gaza." " Our efforts, alongside other Wisconsin-based organisations, aimed to raise awareness and demand human rights for Palestinians,” the message read.

Who is Janan Najeeb

The Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition describes Najeeb in its website as a justice activist, a proud Palestinian American Muslim and a visionary. It claims Najeeb has established herself as a trusted resource on Islam, Muslim women, and Islamic issues in the Greater Milwaukee area.

She was also the recipient of countless awards and recognitions, including the Frank Zeidler Award for Social Justice and Activism and the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Justice Award. Najeeb is married to Dr Waleed Najeeb and has five children.

However, it was her earlier post allegedly calling for the liberation of Palestine that triggered the issue. In its letter, NewsNation revealed that Najeeb called for an arms embargo on Israel and repeated the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", which many interpret as an anti-Zionist statement.

"Israel’s 75-year occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza are a grave injustice," Najeeb wrote in a blog post last year."From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!"

Middle East