A worldwide organization of Muslim student associations, the International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations (IIFSO) received its initial impetus from the establishment of the Muslim Student Association in the US, the forerunner of what would grow to become the US Muslim Brotherhood. The IIFSO grew to become essentially the international youth organization of the Global Muslim Brotherhood and many important leaders of the global Brotherhood have served as officers over the years. A Hudson Institute report, authored by the GMBDW editor, explains the origins of the IIFSO:
The International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations (IIFSO), an international counterpart to MSA, was founded in 1969. After a series of exploratory meetings in Africa, an organizational meeting was held in Mecca during February 1969 and a draft constitution for the organization circulated. The IIFSO held its first and second meetings in 1969 and 1971 in Aachen, a known center of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood in Germany.A letter to the UN Secretary General from Dr. [Ahmed] Totonji dated 24 August 1969 identifies Dr. Totonji as the IIFSO Secretary General and, according to his own biography; Dr. Hisham Altalib was the second IIFSO Secretary General. Dr. Kepel has written that the IIFSO translated the works of Sayyid Qtub, Sayyid Mawdudi, and Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. These three authors are key ideologues in the Muslim Brotherhood and fundamentalist Islamic movement.
A memo purporting to be a 1998 briefing document prepared for the South African President Thabo Mbeki has long been posted on the Internet and describes the IIFSO as working closely with Hamas:
According to information HAMAS members in South Africa does not recognise the MUSLIM YOUTH MOVEMENT (MYM) as the official organ representing the Muslim youth in South Africa. HAMAS is of the opinion that the MYM have lost their control of the youths representation. Based upon this situation HAMAS, with the help of the INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC FEDERATION OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (IIFSO) are busy to establish institutions for the Muslim youth in South Africa to take over the role of the MYM. These youth centres are implemented in Pretoria and Cape Town.
The current status of the IIFSO is unclear.