Northwestern University employs a Hamas-linked professor at its Qatar campus, raising questions about the school’s partnership with the Gulf state.
Ibrahim Abusharif, listed by Northwestern as a “former book publisher,” cofounded and served as treasurer of the Quranic Literacy Institute (QLI) in suburban Chicago. A federal court later ruled QLI operated as a “money-laundering clearinghouse” for Hamas. In 2004, the family of David Boim—a 17-year-old American killed in a Hamas attack—won $156 million in damages against QLI, a ruling reaffirmed in 2008.
As treasurer, Abusharif oversaw finances during a period when QLI used nearly $1 million from a Saudi financier to purchase property, with proceeds funneled to Hamas operative Mohammad Salah. A federal court order in 2004 stated: “It is certainly no great leap to infer that Mr. Abusharif, who served as Treasurer of QLI, has first-hand knowledge of how and why QLI was funded.”
Abusharif has taught at Northwestern’s Qatar branch for over 17 years, including the mandatory “Doha Seminar.” A Middle East Forum report said the course exists to “promote the Qatari government’s narrative.” Qatar remains home to Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook, who told the New Yorker after Oct. 7 that “he and other Hamas political leaders had authorized the attack’s over-all strategy, including its scale and ambition.”
Northwestern has faced broader scrutiny for its Qatar ties. After anti-Semitic protests erupted following Oct. 7, the Trump administration cut $790 million in federal funding to the university, citing its handling of campus unrest.
Abusharif defended QLI in 2002, telling the Chicago Tribune, “The whole forfeiture is unjust and QLI is challenging it. Just because someone makes an accusation, it shouldn’t be like a scarlet letter that you carry around for life.”
