Freedom is Our Future: AHA Foundation 2025 Impact Report
12/19/2025
In 2025, threats to freedom became harder to ignore. Antisemitism surged across universities and public institutions, Islamist movements gained renewed confidence, and women and girls continued to face violence through practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage.
Throughout the year, AHA Foundation acted not merely to comment on these threats but to confront them directly. Through public leadership, legislative advocacy, investigative research, frontline training, and survivor support, AHA focused on defending freedom where it was most at risk.
This report, Freedom Is Our Future, highlights progress across our core program areas:
- Institutional leadership through media
- Ending female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage
- Confronting Islamism through the CLARITy Coalition
- Exposing ideological pressure in education
- Strengthening leadership against antisemitism for a new era of impact
Together, these efforts laid the groundwork for even greater impact in 2026 as we work with our supporters and partners to defend our hard-won freedom for generations to come.
Speaking When Others Stay Silent: Ayaan Hirsi Ali and AHA Shape the Public Debate
Ayaan Hirsi Ali speaks at University of Austin on confronting the growing crisis of antisemitism and Islamism on campus and beyond.
In 2025, AHA Foundation significantly expanded its public-facing leadership through high-impact media engagement and expert commentary. Ayaan Hirsi Ali appeared on GB News, Sky News Australia, and ARC platforms, offering clear warnings about the rise of Islamism, the global resurgence of antisemitism, and the erosion of Western values.
Ayaan reached international audiences through essays in UnHerd, Newsweek, The Free Press, Restoration, and Courage.Media, addressing issues such as grooming gangs, Sharia courts, anti-Zionist violence, and ideological capture in academia.
Ayaan’s engagement shaped public debate, challenged institutional complacency, and provided policymakers, journalists, and concerned citizens with principled frameworks for understanding threats that are often minimized or mischaracterized.
AHA President, Trey Dimsdale, contributed articles to RealClear World and First Liberty’s Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, warning about the persistence of Islamic terrorism in the West and the risks created by Western reluctance to address its underlying causes.
Leadership Beyond Commentary
AHA’s leadership extended beyond media analysis. Amanda Parker, AHA’s Chief Operating and Financial Officer, was featured by the Pixel Project for her work combating forced marriage and honor‑based violence, highlighting AHA’s role as both a thought leader and a practitioner.
AHA’s Public Voice: Moral Clarity in a Time of Silence
In moments of institutional failure and moral confusion, silence is itself a position. In 2025, AHA Foundation used its institutional voice to break the widespread silence, publicly challenge policies, dangerous narratives, and practices that undermine a free society.
Throughout the year, AHA issued formal public statements addressing antisemitism, Islamism, academic freedom, violence against women, and the protection of liberal values in North America and abroad. These statements served as reference points for media, policymakers, and partner organizations seeking clarity in highly polarized debates.
AHA’s 2025 Statements
- Ending FGM: A Call to Action on International Women’s Day, March 8
- AHA Foundation Condemns the Murder of Two Israeli Embassy Staffers in Washington, D.C., May 22
- When “Never Again” Must Be More Than Words: AHA’s Statement on the Boulder Attack, June 2
- Academic Freedom Under Fire: Our Statement on the Unjust Removal of Collin May, June 17
- AHA Urges U.S. Congress to Recognize the Muslim Brotherhood as a Terror Threat, Aug 19
- Sierra Leone: The Time to End Female Genital Mutilation is Now!, Aug 26
- AHA Calls for Global Action to End FGM After Infant Death in The Gambia, Aug 29
- AHA Foundation Condemns Political Violence, Honors the Life of Charlie Kirk, Sept 10
- Champion of Western Values: Christopher DeMuth Honored with the Beaconsfield Prize, Sept 16
- Bolivia Says No to Child Marriage, Sept 19
- AHA Foundation Condemns Antisemitic Attack in Manchester, Oct 2
- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Nov 25
- AHA Foundation Condemns Attack on Jewish Community in Sydney, Australia and the Normalization of Terror, Dec 14
A National Push to End FGM and Child Marriage in the U.S.
In 2025, AHA launched a major national campaign, in partnership with the Independent Women’s Forum, calling on the President to issue an executive order making the eradication of FGM in the United States a true federal priority. The campaign focused on closing legal loopholes, improving enforcement, and directing resources toward girls at risk and survivors in need of care.
After six years of sustained advocacy, AHA also secured a comprehensive ban against FGM in Washington, D.C., marking a significant milestone in U.S. efforts to eliminate the practice. At the federal level, AHA led a multi-pronged campaign to protect and preserve the integrity of the STOP FGM Act of 2020, mobilizing opposition to H.R. 3492, legislation that threatened to weaken existing protections.
A Landmark Year in the Fight to End Child Marriage
2025 was AHA’s most successful year yet in the fight to end child marriage. We successfully championed the passage of child marriage bans in Washington, D.C., Maine, Missouri, and Oregon, bringing the total number of U.S. states with full bans to 16, marking a major national milestone.
Michele Hanash, Director of Policy and Women’s Programs at the AHA Foundation,
urges Maine lawmakers to take action against child marriage.
Michele Hanash (back row middle) and other advocates protesting child marriage in Washington, D.C.
Putting Evidence Into Policymakers’ Hands
Beyond legislative wins, AHA testified before legislative committees in five states and held direct advocacy meetings with lawmakers in at least seven others, providing expertise grounded in survivor testimony, legal analysis, and long-term policy strategy.
National Leadership and Collaboration
AHA was selected as a core partner in Unchained At Last’s Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action—a nationwide effort to end child marriage in the United States by 2030. This partnership positions AHA as a key leader in the national movement.
Strengthening National Capacity to Prevent FGM and Support Survivors
WE END FGM/C Chicago’s North Side: A New DOJ‑Funded Initiative
2025 marked the launch of AHA’s new DOJ‑funded program, WE END FGM/C Chicago’s North Side. This program is designed to integrate FGM prevention into local school systems and youth‑serving organizations through curriculum development, multi‑sector collaboration, and culturally responsive outreach.
Expanding Legal Resources for Survivors
Partnering with White & Case LLP and Reed Smith LLP, AHA has now published 18 award-winning state guides outlining the legal rights of FGM survivors across the United States, filling critical gaps in accessible, state-specific information.
Training Frontline Professionals Nationwide
Since 2007, AHA has trained 7,754 individuals and frontline service providers through online courses, webinars, and live presentations. In 2025 alone, this included:
- 651+ professionals trained through partnerships with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Medical Association, and the American Bar Association
- 24 advocates and domestic‑violence professionals who received targeted, in‑depth live training
These trainings ensure that teachers, healthcare providers, and service professionals are equipped to identify risk, intervene appropriately, and support survivors.
Direct Support for Individuals at Risk
AHA continued its direct support services. To date, 994 individuals have received assistance through AHA’s text line and email helpline, seeking help related to forced marriage, FGM, honor‑based abuse, and related threats.
CLARITy Expands Its Impact in Confronting Islamism
In 2025, the CLARITy Coalition played a central role in exposing and challenging Islamist influence within Western institutions. CLARITy co‑authored a landmark investigative report on Georgetown University, uncovering foreign‑funded influence within the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim‑Christian Understanding. This research provided policymakers and journalists with well‑documented evidence of ideological and financial ties that had long escaped scrutiny.
Driving Policy Change Through Direct Advocacy for Federal Bills
Coalition leaders met with 11 congressional offices to advocate for the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act and to support the DETERRENT and TRACE Acts, legislation aimed at reducing foreign influence in U.S. education.
CLARITy also issued major public statements opposing efforts to institutionalize “Anti‑Palestinian Racism” in Canada and condemning atrocities committed by Islamist regimes in Syria, and others defending liberal democratic values and academic freedom.
Growing Influence Across Canada
CLARITy expanded its presence in Canada through collaborations with partners, including:
- The Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA)
- The Network of Engaged Canadian Academics (NECA)
Amplifying Reformist Voices
Throughout the year, CLARITY sustained a steady stream of Substack articles, media appearances, and X (formerly Twitter) Spaces discussions, amplifying the voices of Muslim reformers and ex-Muslims who are often marginalized in mainstream media.
Exposing Ideological Indoctrination in K–12 Education
Michele Hanash (bottom right), Glenn Taubmann (bottom left), Susanna McIntyre (top left), and Brandy Shufutinsky discuss during “Antisemitism in Education: How Teacher Training and Unions Shape Classrooms”
AHA launched a six-part webinar series titled Recapturing Liberalism in Education, reaching more than 30,000 viewers across platforms. The series examined how Postmodernism and Critical Theory have shaped ethnic studies and K–12 curricula, explored the role of activist-driven materials and teachers’ unions in student indoctrination, and analyzed the ideological roots of rising antisemitism in education.
The series brought together scholars, educators, parents, and policy experts, helping audiences identify early warning signs of ideological capture and equipping them with tools to defend merit-based education and liberal principles in schools and universities.
By equipping viewers with practical tools and clear analysis, the series strengthened families, educators, and community leaders’ ability to advocate for balanced, academically rigorous education.
Watch the full series here.
AHA Expands Its Leadership to Build the Programs America Needs Now
Trey Dimsdale, AHA Foundation President.
In 2025, AHA Foundation expanded its leadership team to meet rising national challenges. Trey Dimsdale joined AHA as President, bringing strategic direction and day‑to‑day leadership to support the Foundation’s growing programs.
Working closely with Morgan Miller, AHA’s Director of Education and Alumni Outreach, they designed a national antisemitism initiative launching in 2026. The initiative will include:
- A campus‑based student fellowship
Morgan Miller, Director of Education and Alumni Outreach.
- A K–12 educator fellowship
- Cross‑campus faculty seminars
These programs aim to empower educators and students across educational settings to confront antisemitism.
AHA also developed a journalism training program to equip early‑career reporters with the skills to accurately cover Islamism, antisemitism, and related threats. This effort helps ensure that public reporting is informed, responsible, and grounded in evidence.
These leadership and program investments reflect AHA’s commitment to restoring our education and media institutions to shape public understanding and policy for years to come.
Looking Ahead
The accomplishments of 2025 reflect both urgency and preparation. As AHA Foundation looks toward 2026, the organization is positioned to expand its impact across education, journalism, survivor support, and policy advocacy. The threats facing free societies are not diminishing, but neither is AHA’s resolve.
With continued support, AHA Foundation will build on this foundation to defend liberty, protect the vulnerable, and ensure that the principles of free and open societies are neither abandoned nor forgotten.
