The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), responsible for distributing aid in Gaza, has recruited members of the “Infidels Motorcycle Club,” a group with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric, according to the BBC.
The British outlet reported that 10 members of the club, known as “The Infidels,” work for UG Solutions, the company operating GHF, with seven holding senior roles overseeing aid distribution sites.
GHF workers distributing aid in Gaza
The Infidels MC, founded in 2006 by U.S. Iraq War veterans, view themselves as modern “crusaders,” emulating medieval Christians who fought Muslims for control of Jerusalem. The BBC noted the group’s Facebook page promotes anti-Muslim hate speech and has hosted events like a “pig roast” to oppose Ramadan.
Edward Ahmad Mitchell, deputy director of the controversial U.S.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), criticized the hiring, saying, “Putting the Infidels biker club in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza is like putting the KKK in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan. It makes no sense whatsoever.”
He condemned the group’s glorification of historical crusades, stating, “When you see anti-Muslim bigots today celebrating 1095, celebrating the Crusades, they are celebrating the wholesale massacre of Muslims - the erasure of Muslims and Jews from the holy city of Jerusalem.”
The club’s leader, Johnny “Taz” Mulford, a former U.S. Army sergeant disciplined for bribery and fraud, serves as a “team leader” managing UG Solutions’ Gaza contract. In May, weeks before deploying to Gaza, Mulford posted on Facebook, urging U.S. military veterans who “can still shoot, move and communicate” to apply.
A former contractor estimated that at least 40 of UG Solutions’ 320 Gaza employees were recruited from the Infidels MC. The North Carolina-based company defended Mulford, saying, “He is a trusted and respected figure with over 30 years of experience supporting the U.S. and its allies globally. We stand by his reputation and contributions to complex missions.”
UG Solutions rejected the BBC’s criticism, asserting, “We stand by his reputation, record, and his contributions to the success of complex missions.” The company emphasized that employees undergo thorough background checks, with only qualified individuals deployed.