{"id":286627,"date":"2026-07-04T13:04:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T13:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/286627\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T13:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T13:04:43","slug":"nonprofit-flagged-for-hawking-hamas-scored-another-85k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/286627\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonprofit flagged for hawking Hamas scored another $85K"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Muslim nonprofit with strong ties to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani was awarded $85,000 in taxpayer dough through the City Council \u2013 despite coming under fire in January for hosting a Brooklyn fundraiser featuring a twisted array of trinkets<\/a> promoting Hamas and other terror groups.<\/p>\n

The Muslim American Society of Brooklyn and Staten Island received $70,000 in Council \u201cdiscretionary funds\u201d from Democrat Kayla Santosuosso, who represents Bay Ridge and parts of southern Brooklyn.\u00a0The remaining $15,000 in political pork was dished out by Alexa Avil\u00e9s (D-Brooklyn), whose district includes Red Hook and Sunset Park.<\/p>\n

The funds were awarded despite City Council Speaker Julie Menin expressing shock in January<\/a> upon learning the terrorist swag was being peddled by the nonprofit that previously received $265,000 in Council funds over three years under her predecessor, ex-Speaker Adrienne Adams.<\/p>\n

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday shaking hands on a new budget deal with Council Speaker Julie Menin. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n

Menin, the\u00a0Council\u2019s first Jewish speaker<\/a>, told The Post at the time she would block $80,000 in funds that had yet to be paid out to the MAS pending an investigation by city lawyers \u2013 and potentially future funding for the nonprofit.<\/p>\n

Council spokesman Yoav Gonen said the legislative body\u2019s Office of the General Counsel conducted an investigation and \u201cfound no affiliation\u201d between the nonprofit and the vendor \u201cthat sold the controversial merchandise,\u201d adding that MAS ended its relationship with vendor Thrift For Gaza.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nonprofit\u2019s funding was restored after its leadership committed in writing to enhanced screening and prevention protocols for all future vendors using its space,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Councilwoman and\u00a0staunch Zionist Inna Vernikov<\/a>\u00a0(R-Brooklyn)\u00a0said \u201cindividual members get to decide what groups get their discretionary dollars, but funding nonprofits that appear to flat out support designated terrorist organizations and spread radical, Jew-hating propaganda is far beyond the pale and potentially illegal.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if this was some kind of an alleged hiccup, did MAS apologize and condemn Hamas? No,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese members must explain to the public why their taxpayer dollars should be given to America-hating jihadis, rather than so many other groups who have a legitimate purpose and actual needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the Muslim American Society\u2019s support-Sudan fundraiser in January, vendors peddled key chains, stickers, pins and other trinkets in support of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Thrift4Gaza\/ Instagram<\/p>\n

Trinkets at the January event featured reverential images of late terrorist leaders Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah and Yahya Sinwar of Hamas. Thrift4Gaza\/ Instagram<\/p>\n

Both Santosuosso and Avil\u00e9s represent neighborhoods with large Muslim populations. <\/p>\n

The new funding is earmarked for community safety, educational, youth-mentoring, cultural, job-training and other programs in both pols\u2019 districts, according to the Council\u2019s expense budget<\/a> for member pet projects for the fiscal year that began Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Santosuosso is the former deputy director of the Bay Ridge-based Arab American Association of New York, which received $124,500 in Council pork this fiscal year \u2014 including $5,000 through Santosuosso\u2019s pot of funds. <\/p>\n

The Muslim American Society\u2019s Youth Center at 1933 Bath Ave. in Bay Beach, Brooklyn. Helayne Seidman<\/p>\n

During the MAS New York chapter\u2019s Jan. 18\u00a0support-Sudan event<\/a>\u00a0at its Brooklyn youth center, vendors peddled keychains, stickers, pins and other tchotchkes supporting Hamas, Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.<\/p>\n

Other items at the event, called Thrift4Sudan, featured reverential images of late terrorist leaders Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah and Yahya Sinwar of Hamas, and a masked figure resembling the late Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida.<\/p>\n

Merchandise also sported terror-group logos or directly called for the destruction of Israel, with slogans like \u201cLet\u2019s go bomb Tel Aviv\u201d and \u201cDeath to the IDF,\u201d\u00a0The Times of Israel\u00a0<\/a>reported.<\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani with Councilwoman Kayla Santosuosso (D-Brooklyn) at February press conference in Coney Island. Michael Nagle for NY Post<\/p>\n

MAS\u2019 New York leadership includes\u00a0notorious pro-Hamas activist Abdullah Akl,\u00a0<\/a>who\u00a0grew up attending its Brooklyn youth center<\/a>\u00a0on Bath Avenue and is also an organizer for\u00a0the radical, anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime.<\/a><\/p>\n

MAS\u2019 influence over city politics morphed following the November election of socialist Mamdani as NYC\u2019s first Muslim mayor. <\/p>\n

MAS-NY\u2019s executive director Sherif Ahmed and Hannah Towfeik, political director at MAS\u2019 youth center, were part of Mamdani\u2019s\u00a0transition team<\/a>\u00a0that helped fill key City Hall posts.<\/p>\n

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