Several groups with ties to Iran and the Chinese Communist Party have begun to voice radical opinions in support of the Iranian regime at Texas’ public universities.
According to Texas Public Policy Foundation Senior Fellow Sam Westrop, an “Islamist network working to radicalize Shia Muslim students at educational institutions across the state, including Texas public universities, is made up of agents and proxies for the murderous Iranian regime.”
Westrop’s investigation into the issue uncovered several active Islamic student groups with questionable ties.
Several groups celebrated Al-Quds Day, an annual pro-Palestine day of protest against Israel. These celebrations often paint proxy terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as heroes and martyrs in a holy war against Zionist forces.
On March 13, the Al-Quds Day celebration took place on the Grassy Knoll in Dallas. The protests were organized by the DFW Shias for Justice and the Ahlul-Bayt Student Association (ABSA) at the University of Texas at Dallas.
ABSA frequently invokes anti-American rhetoric, including calls for Muslims across the globe to “reject American Imperialism” and “unify against our common enemy.”
In addition to pro-Iran propaganda, the Al-Quds Day rally was backed by several left-wing groups that supported the 2025 protests in Los Angeles and have ties to the CCP. The protesters were also aided by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which Gov. Greg Abbott designated a foreign terrorist organization in November 2025.
DFW Shias for Justice has also called terrorist members of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the IRGC “freedom fighters” and claimed that Palestine will be free by next Eid.
The Houston-based RISE Against Oppression, a self-proclaimed organization of “Muslim grassroots activists,” also led pro-Iran charges for Al-Quds. Its Al Quds post called for “Islam and the teachings of the Quran [to] prevail in all countries.”
According to Westrop, “The Al Quds event was also promoted by the University of Houston’s Ahlul Bayt Student Organization, along with far-Left China-linked organizations such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation.”
Muzzamil Zaidi, the primary speaker of the Al-Quds celebration in Houston, was investigated and pleaded guilty to an illicit scheme to funnel thousands of dollars back into Iran.
“To begin, as alleged in the criminal complaint, the defendants have considerable operational links to the IRGC, which has conducted multiple terrorist operations throughout the world over the past several years. The life-blood of these terrorist operations is cash – and the defendants played a key role in facilitating that critical component,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
RISE has seen copious amounts of backing from the Islamic Education Center of Houston, whose Imam was “directly appointed by the office of the [Iranian] Supreme Leader as Imam-e-Juma and Resident Aalim of IEC.” The IEC has faced past criticism for teaching its school-aged children to sing verses that call for its parents’ martyrdom under the command of Ayatollah Khamenei. The IEC posted a statement mourning Khamenei after his death.
Other Texas-based groups, such as Camp Arafah, have also publicly begun collecting tithes from Khamenei’s followers. Westrop suggested this practice could possibly violate sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department.
Camp Arafah and the IEC are all linked to a group called the Ahlul Bayt Student Association. The ABSA states that it offers “a vibrant community where Shi’ah youth can cultivate a deep sense of belonging and foster their religious growth.” However, it is a subsidiary of Al Kisa, which promotes Khamenei’s teachings.
Westrop also highlighted concerns with pro-Iran entities providing financial support to students in Texas.
A “partial but necessary” answer to the issue was offered in the last legislative session in the Texas House, according to Westrop. House Bill 4195 would have put a prohibition on public schools accepting funds or support from hostile nations, including scholarships or sponsorships. However, the proposal never received a hearing in the Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“Such safeguards are overdue,” argued Westrop. “A dangerous foreign Islamist clerical and student network, working in alignment with a hostile state with which the United States is in open conflict, today operates openly in educational institutions across the state, propelled by regime-aligned activist groups and wealthy Khomeinist mosques and their regime-trained imams.”
