Anila Ali Calls for Full US Terror Designation of Muslim Brotherhood and Affiliates
Muslim-American activist urges Washington to go further after Egypt’s permanent listing of the group.
By Khurram Ali RazaWorld Desk, 
Muslim-American activist Anila Ali has urged the United States to take further action against the Muslim Brotherhood, calling for a formal terrorist designation of the group and its supporters.
Commenting on the recent U.S. statement praising Egypt for permanently listing the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist entity, Ali said America “must do what is absolutely necessary—designate Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, and any affiliates or those who support it as complicit.”
“…designate Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, and any affiliates or those who support it as complicit.”— Anila Ali, founder and president, American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council
Ali, founder and president of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, has long criticized the Brotherhood and organizations she views as linked to it, including CAIR. Her remarks come amid Egypt’s permanent designation of the group and earlier U.S. sanctions on its Egyptian, Jordanian, and Lebanese branches.
Explainer: How the developments connect (tap a tab)
In her statement, shared on Facebook with the hashtags #Cair and #MuslimBrotherhood, Ali framed the step as essential to confronting the network’s influence and activities.
Scope of the proposed designation
Note: The characterizations of CAIR and other organizations reflect Ali’s views as stated in her remarks and are not independently verified by FFN. Read the original post here.
About Dr. Anila Ali
Dr. Anila Ali is a Pakistani-American educator, interfaith leader, women’s-rights advocate, and founder of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC). She is best known for promoting Muslim women’s civic participation, religious freedom, and cooperation across faith communities.
Early life and education
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, into a family connected to journalism and diplomacy; her father, Qutubuddin Aziz, was a Pakistani diplomat, journalist and author (source). She holds a master’s from the University of Karachi (international relations and English literature) and, after moving to Southern California in 1996, a Master of Education from Concordia University, Irvine (source).
Education career
Ali spent more than two decades as a California public-school teacher before turning to full-time advocacy. She co-founded CalPak Educational Services, supporting education for at-risk girls in Pakistan, and the Irvine Pakistani Parents Foundation.
AMMWEC
Founded in 2009, AMMWEC works on women’s empowerment, civic leadership, interfaith dialogue, countering extremism, and combating antisemitism and anti-Muslim discrimination (source). It has partnered with universities and public institutions, and Ali helped create Muslim Girls in Law Enforcement internships with the U.S. government (source).
Public advocacy
Ali describes herself as a centrist Democrat, served as a delegate to the 2012 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions, and presented at the 2015 White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism. She has led Muslim delegations to Israel and the UAE and advocates for religious minorities in Pakistan (source).
Recognition
In 2025 she became the first Muslim woman named to Hadassah’s “18 American Zionist Women Worth Knowing” list (Washington Jewish Week). AMMWEC has received congressional recognition for its outreach (The News).
| Origin | Karachi; Southern California since 1996 |
|---|---|
| Profession | Retired teacher, author, philanthropist, advocate |
| Organization | Founder, board chair and president, AMMWEC |
| Core issues | Women’s rights, civic engagement, interfaith relations, religious freedom, countering extremism |
| Political role | DNC delegate 2012 and 2016 |
About The Author
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