Mujama al-Islamiya
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Type | NGO |
| Location |
|
Area served | Palestine |
Key people | Ahmed Yassin |
The Mujama' al-Islami ("Islamic Centre") is an Islamic charity founded in 1973 in Gaza by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who had been involved with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's Palestinian branch. Mujama established clinics, blood banks, day care, medical treatment, soup kitchens and youth clubs, and extended financial aid and scholarships to young people seeking to study in Saudi Arabia and the West.
In 1979, Israel recognized Al-Mujama' al-Islam as a charity, allowing the organization to set up the Islamic University in Gaza (IUG) and build mosques, clubs, schools, and a library in Gaza.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, al-Mujama' al-Islami coerced urban educated women in Gaza to wear Islamic dress or hijab.
In 1984, the Israeli military infiltrated a suspected mosque and found a cache of weapons. Sheikh Yassin and others were jailed for secretly stockpiling weapons, but he was released in 1985 as part of the Jibril Agreement. He continued to expand Mujama's reach across Gaza.