Under congressional pressure, a major Muslim charity cuts ties and changes its name

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(RNS) — One of the nation’s largest Muslim charities has changed its name and cut ties with a network of international partners after calls from members of Congress to revoke its tax-exempt status.

In early September, Islamic Relief USA, a humanitarian organization with a $150 million annual budget, rebranded itself as the Islamic Development and Empowerment in America.

An official from IDEA told RNS the name change reflects a commitment to addressing charitable needs in the United States, in addition to the 60 countries where it operates.

The change follows a messy break with Islamic Relief Worldwide involving a lawsuit filed by Islamic Relief USA and countercharges by IRW. It culminated this month with IRW announcing it had  expelled its former American partner, claiming that the affiliate “damaged the work of the entire federation.”

The dispute between these major Islamic charities — both of which had been independent partners under the Islamic Relief umbrella — came after members of the House Ways and Means Committee called on the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of Islamic…