NATALIE WINTERS. MAR 20, 2026
EXCLUSIVE: LEFT-WING FOUNDATIONS BANKROLL PUSH TO BRING THE QUR’AN INTO AMERICAN CHURCHES
ROCKEFELLER-LINKED FUNDING AND GRANTS FROM THE COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS ARE UNDERWRITING THIS CAMPAIGN ---ALL FRAMED AS A FIGHT AGAINST “ISLAMOPHOBIA.”
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A Chicago-based “interfaith” group is pushing churches toread the Qur’an from the pulpit --- and to confront what it calls “Islamophobia in the Church.”
Challenging Islamophobia Together Chicagoland(CITC) has quietly rolled outinitiatives like its “Reading the Qur’an in Churches” campaign, while promoting a broader effort toreshape Christian teachingfrom within. Thepremise is not subtle:
Christianity itself must be re-examined --- its theology reconsidered, itstraditions reframed, its posture toward Islam fundamentally reoriented.
But this is not just a local outreach effort.
Behind CITC sits a national advocacy network --- the Interfaith Alliance — backed by millions in foundation funding. Public records show that network has drawn support frommajor institutional playersincluding the Henry Luce Foundation, which awarded a $300,000 grant in 2025, as well as the Rockefeller Family Fund , the Collaborative for Gender and Reproductive Equity, and theCommunities Foundation of Texas. In 2023 alone, theInterfaith Alliance Foundation reported roughly $2.87 millionin total revenue, including about $1.4 million in contributions and grants. (Governor Abbott allowed to build their city in TX, and the Americans are pissed because they are basically stealing all the land and homes, and Texans can’t find homes or afford them. The Muslims also buy homes in towns and cities there. Some of the neighborhoods are run by Muslim led HOAs)
What looks like a small, regional interfaith initiative is,in reality, part of a much larger ecosystem, one financed by progressive-aligned philanthropy anddeeply embedded in the political and cultural battles over religion in America.
CITC itself is led by Anna Piela and Michael Woolf, both clergy figures operating within interfaith activism networks. But the structure of the organization makes clearthis is not simply Christian outreach.CITC operates with a Muslim Leadership Councilthat helps guide its priorities, programming, and messaging. As the group explains:
“Having the Muslim Leadership Council helps ensure that our efforts andinitiatives are informed by the lived experiences, concerns, and insights of those directly affected by Islamophobia.
Leaders in Muslim communities can provide valuable perspectives on issues they face, guide the organization’s priorities, and help shape programs and policies to be more effective and culturally relevant.”
That model places Muslim leadership not at the margins, butat the center of how Christian-facing initiatives are developed and executed.
The implications of that structure become clearer when looking at CITC’s programming. One of its most prominent efforts --- the “Reading the Qur’an in Churches” campaign — encourages congregations to engage directly with Islamic scripture inside church settings. This is not framed as academic comparison or optional dialogue. It is positioned as a corrective to Christianity itself.
That same visionis formalized in a new book by the group’s leaders,Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice. The summary leaves little ambiguity about the scope of the project:
“Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice challenges Christians to stand up against Islamophobia as an expression of discipleship. Anna Piela and Michael Woolfexpose the Church’s role in fostering anti-Muslim prejudice and equip congregations to dismantle it.Blending sharp history, “holy envy” theology, and ready-to-use resources thatweave Islamic scripture into the lectionary calendar, they make interfaith engagement both practical and transformative.
This is a call to replace fear with solidarity---and to live the Gospel fully in a pluralistic world.”
The key phrase is not subtle: “weave Islamic scripture into the lectionary calendar.” This is not simply about understanding Islam --- it is about integrating it into the rhythms of Christian worship.
(https://nataliegwinters.substack.com/p/exclusive-left-wing-foundations-bankroll
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That broader framework has also been articulated publicly by the group’s leaders. In a lecture at Georgetown University discussing the book, they outlined how their approach extends beyond theology into social and political questions. As they put it, “Islamophobia intersects with our immigration crisis and also with anti-blackness,” while also arguing that “soft Islamophobia is saying women have a subservient role.” Their framework draws on the concept of “Holy Envy” and is explicitly positioned as a “theological counterweight to white Christian nationalism.”
In that same discussion, they emphasizedthe role churches can play in reshaping perceptions of Islam, arguing that “Churches are very powerful in being able tosituate Islam not as an other not as a security threat but as a really interestingtheological tradition you ought to know about,” and urgingChristians to “be as generous a reader of the Quran as you are of the Bible.”
That agenda mirrors the priorities of the Interfaith Alliance, which has madeopposition to “Christian nationalism” a central pillar of its work. Through initiativeslike “Democracy Not Theocracy,” the organization frames its mission as combating what it describes as An“authoritarian theocracy” and theinfluence of conservative Christianity in public life. It’s also been involved with high-profile political battles, including opposition to Supreme Court nominees such as Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, alongside support for Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The through-line is difficult to ignore. Foundation money tied to reproductive policy, “democracy” initiatives, and progressive social causes flows into Interfaith Alliance, which in turn supports affiliates like CITC --- groups that are actively working inside churches to redefine how faith is taught and practiced.
What presents itself as alocal campaign against Islamophobiais, in reality, part of a broader effort --- one that sits at the intersection of philanthropy, politics, and theology.
And the deeper question is not whether interfaith dialogue is valuable,or whether religious prejudice exists.
It is why a network funded by some of the most prominent institutions in progressive philanthropy is investing in efforts thatgo beyond dialogue--- into the terrain of liturgy, doctrine, and theinternal life of the American church.
Because at that point, this is no longer just about tolerance.
It is about transformation.
https://nataliegwinters.substack.com/p/exclusive-left-wing-foundations-bankroll
A peaceful Islam?
Harlan Johnson’s claim that Islamic terrorists betray the teachings of the Quran was very much misguided. Presumably, in his desire to believe that Islam is a religion of peace, he assumed a lot about what the Quran actually says.
The Quran has 123 verses that call for fighting and killing anyone who does not agree with the statement, “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.” Jews and Christians are specifically included among such “infidels.”
The Quran’s Sura 5:33 says about infidels, “They shall be slain or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off.” Sura 9:5 says, “Slay the infidels wherever you find them ... and lie in wait for them ... and establish every stratagem (of war against them).” Sura 47:4-9 promises paradise to whoever cuts off the head of an infidel.
There are, of course, other verses that call Muslims to lead a peaceable life, but the underlying theme in the Quran is that there never can be true peace until everything is submitted to Allah. Thus violence to that end is justified.
The surahs (chapters) of the Quran are generally organized by length, with the longest surahs appearing first and the shorter ones toward the end. They are NOT arranged chronologically or thematically.
This is important because if the surahs were arranged chronologically, you would see the "peaceful" ones first. They then become progressively more violent. The reason is that when Islam was starting out, they had few followers, so they were not in any position to pick fights. However, as they grew in number over time, they could afford to be more belligerent and aggressive, leading to the exhortations to fight and kill the infidels.
Will the Mahdi(Islam's Messiah) call for the death of those who reject worshipping him?
Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) will not call for the death of those who reject worshipping him in the sense of personal worship. However, according to Shia Islamic traditions, he will enforce the acceptance of Islam as the true religion through a strict policy during his uprising.
He will offer Islam to all people, including Jews, Christians, Sabians, materialists, and non-believers. Those who accept Islam voluntarily will be required to perform prayers, pay zakat, and fulfill other Islamic duties. Those who refuse to accept Islam will be beheaded, as stated in several hadiths, with the aim of eliminating disbelief from the earth. This is seen as a divine command to establish justice and the true faith. In summary, according to traditional Shia hadiths, yes, the Mahdi will command the execution of those who reject Islam, but this is understood as a divine, final judgment during a specific era of global transformation, not a call for personal vengeance.