Who We Are

The Aafia Foundation, Inc. (TAF) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, non-political, human rights organization dedicated to the advancement of human rights through education and advocacy. Our emphasis is on empowering individuals so that they may become agents or activists in defense of human rights—who would champion the causes of social justice and become a source of positive transformative social change. Specifically, we seek to accomplish the following:

Raise public awareness of racism and religious bigotry in policing, the courts and the prison systems in order to help accelerate the advancement of racial and religious liberty.

Educate the populace on the civil and human rights—as accorded by the U.S. Constitution and by established international law—in order to empower them with the knowledge and the understanding that is necessary to address the human rights issues of the day.

Advocate the emancipation of unjustly incarcerated people in order to free them from the chains of bondage, and to assist the families and the communities that have been adversely affected by the criminal justice system.

Deliver spiritual counsel and assistance to prisoners who yearn for guidance, healing or rehabilitation (through religious convictions and principles) in order to help them cope with the ordeals of prison life and what lies beyond.

Our aim and objective: To eliminate the injustices that plague our humanity and to aid the weak, the oppressed, and the voiceless.

What We Do

     At the core of our multifaceted education and advocacy programs is the message that true peace, for the individual and society, can only come through justice. We envision a world in which the universally recognized human rights accorded to every human being at the time of birth by our Creator are both the law and common practice of every land, God willing.
     We target our message to individual citizens, civic organizations, religious institutions, government leaders, and relevant non-governmental organizations. The instruments of our methodology include the following:

Advocacy for Wrongfully Incarcerated People

     During this (now) three decade struggle, ALLAH has blessed us to have had some degree of positive impact, direct or indirect, on many lives. Some individuals who immediately come to mind (in alphabetical order) are: Jihad Abdul-Mumit; Mumia Abu-Jamal; Nasser Ahmed; Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin; Dr. Sami Al-Arian; Dr. Abdelhalim Ashqar; Adama Bah (and Tashnuba Hyder); Jeffery Gilbert; Dr. Anwar Haddam; Terrence Johnson; Abner Louima; “Shifa” Sadequee; Dr. Aafia Siddiqui - and the list goes on.

     We have advocated and organized on behalf of targeted groups such as the Central Park 5; the Fort Dix 5; the Holy Land 5; the Newburgh 4; the Raleigh 7; young Somali brothers in Minnesota; and the Virginia Paintball Case.

​

Educational “First Amendment” Public Forums

FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW
     The heart of our work, from our very inception, has been the fight for justice on many levels - from police accountability to political imprisonment. Our organizational form has changed shape over the years, but our core values and objectives have remained the same; the struggle for justice!

Nonpartisan Studies, Research And Analysis

    While we were not always victorious in the intended objective(s) of our struggle, by ALLAH’s Grace and Mercy, we never wavered! 

Publication of Educational Materials

    While we have made our mistakes, our faith and sincerity have been a protective shield. By ALLAH’s Grace, we have grown and become stronger in the process of a never-ending struggle for peace thru justice!

Broadcasting and· Social Media Outreach

     We have never shied away from the requisites of struggle out of fear or self-interest! Wherever possible, we never allowed victims and/or their loved ones to stand alone!

From the weekly “A Conversation with Mauri Saalakhan” on Salaamedia. 

​

The Aafia Foundation has earned the Guidestar Gold Seal of Transparency in recognition of its commitment to nonprofit financial accountability.

​Financial & Budgetary Information 

Our projected budget for 2021 is based on the past three years of operations and follows the IRS Form 990 functional expense categories. Although we are not required to file a standard form 990 because our average revenue has been under $50,000, we prepare a Pro-forma 990 for transparency and for the benefit of our donors.