Florida officials and lawmakers are responding to a report by the Network Contagion Research Institute that alleges documented overlap between some Florida-based nonprofits and religious organizations and individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses or associated with groups including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as Gov. Ron DeSantis highlights recent state actions aimed at curbing support for designated terrorist groups.
A report by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) says it identified “documented overlap” between Florida-based nonprofit, religious, and advocacy organizations and individuals who have been convicted of terrorism-related offenses, are sanctioned by the U.S. government, or are publicly associated with groups including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The report, as described by The Daily Wire, highlights Hatem Fariz, who The Daily Wire says served roughly three years in federal prison after pleading guilty in a case tied to providing material support to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and also faced additional counts in a separate case involving a reported $1.4 million food-stamp fraud scheme.
Fariz is described as the director of the Islamic Community of Tampa, also known as the Al-Qassam Mosque. The Daily Wire, citing the Tampa Bay Times, reported that after his release from federal prison in 2010, Fariz organized pro-Palestinian protests and became a prominent community figure in Tampa. The outlet also cited a 2024 Tampa Bay Times report as saying Tampa Police Chief Kenneth Albano called Fariz “a force for reason within the Muslim community.”
The Daily Wire also reported that the Tampa mosque was registered in the name of Sami Al-Arian in 1995, citing Florida state corporate records. Those state records list Fariz as the registered agent for “The Islamic Community of Tampa, Inc.” Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor, was deported to Turkey in February 2015 after years of legal proceedings that included a 2006 plea agreement.
Al-Arian is listed by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University as the director of its Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). The Daily Wire reported that CIGA has hosted speakers including Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official sanctioned by the U.S. government, and that it hosted an event involving Majed al-Zeer after the U.S. Treasury sanctioned him in 2024.
Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins told The Daily Wire he is “100% serious” about addressing the NCRI report’s allegations, describing what he said was a “deceptive and slow insidious method” of radical groups “embedding in communities.” Collins, who is running for governor, also said, “We better understand that we have to get ahead of this now so this doesn’t become a problem.”
The response comes as DeSantis continues to pursue state-level counterterrorism policies. In December 2025, DeSantis issued an executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist organizations” for purposes of the order, directing Florida agencies to restrict contracts, employment and funding connected to the groups.
CAIR and allied plaintiffs sued, arguing the governor lacks authority to make such designations and that the order violates the First Amendment. In March 2026, a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the executive order.
Separately, DeSantis signed a law in April 2026 that allows a senior Florida Department of Law Enforcement official—subject to approval by the governor and three Florida Cabinet members—to designate organizations as domestic or foreign terrorist groups under state procedures. The law also authorizes public universities and colleges to expel or otherwise discipline students for providing “material support” to a designated group, a provision criticized by free-speech advocates.
The Daily Wire reported that CAIR’s Florida chapter has promoted appearances or materials involving Fariz and Al-Arian in past programming and fundraising, and that the Islamic Community of Tampa has been listed as a sponsor for at least one CAIR-Florida event. The Daily Wire said Fariz, Al-Arian and CAIR did not respond to requests for comment.
