The Northside Islamic Center of San Antonio has defended its planned Bexar County expansion after U.S. Rep. Chip Roy called for a federal investigation into the project. Roy (R–Austin) had cited concerns about the organization’s funding, leadership, and the planned center’s proximity to a military installation.
In a statement, NICSA condemned “terrorism, extremism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, hatred and violence in all forms” and argued “judgments about an American religious institution should be based on verified facts and actual conduct, not assumptions about its faith.”
The organization did not directly address several specific accusations outlined in Roy’s August letter. Roy has asked the U.S. Departments of Justice, War, and the Treasury to review NICSA’s efforts to establish a community center near Camp Bullis, a military training installation in northwest Bexar County. He requested the agencies examine whether the project violated any applicable criminal, civil, financial, or immigration statutes.
In his letter, Roy cited the community’s “ties to nefarious groups, questionable funding sources, and faith leaders espousing violent and terroristic rhetoric to their mosque.”
Roy specifically referenced past statements from NICSA’s resident scholar and imam, AbdulRahman Kattab, who described the October 7 Hamas attacks as “a day of remembrance,” as well as alleged ties between NICSA and the Muslim Brotherhood. Texas has designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
NICSA’s statement did not directly address these accusations.
“We respect the responsibility of elected officials to protect our nation and examine legitimate concerns,” reads the NICSA statement. “At the same time, serious allegations concerning any American religious or civic institution should be evaluated fairly – based on evidence, complete context, governing documents and actual conduct rather than assumptions about a community or its faith.”
The organization invited “Congressman Chip Roy, other elected officials, civic leaders, members of the media and [NICSA’s] neighbors” to meet its leadership, review its governing principles, and ask questions. “We are Muslims. We are Americans. We are Texans. And San Antonio is our home. Our doors are open.”
Following NICSA’s response, Roy reiterated his concerns that their “expansion appears to be a Sharia-compliant and Muslim-only community. Sharia has a storied history of treating women, children, and those of other faiths harshly while trying to supplant our Constitution.”
Roy told Texas Scorecard that “if NICSA has nothing nefarious to hide, it should welcome transparency into its finances, affiliations, and disavow Sharia before completing its development near a national security facility.”
NICSA has not announced a formal construction timeline, though the organization has stated that the project is “approaching the finish line.”
