OK AG Gentner Drummond Claims Muslim Group Building Mosque Has Ties to Terrorism

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is getting involved in the controversy surrounding a proposed Islamic Center to be built in Broken Arrow. A Muslim group claims Drummond is embarking on a “witch hunt” targeting members of their faith, in violation of the First Amendment.
In late December, the Broken Arrow Planning Commission voted to recommend approval for rezoning and a conditional use permit for a project to build a mosque and commercial development in Broken Arrow. The request included rezoning approximately 15 acres from Agricultural to Commercial General to build a mosque and a commercial retail center north of Tucson Street, east of Olive Avenue and south of the Creek Turnpike.
Property records show the North American Islamic Trust purchased the land back in 2014 and have spent years planning the development.
More than 60 members of the community spoke at the planning commission meeting, urging the commission to reject the project. Several explicitly stated they objected to the project solely on religious grounds.
“If you want the next terrorist attack plot to happen, then approve this, and we’ll all come back and say I told you so,” resident Lane Brown said.
“This is a Christian nation; Islam is incompatible with Christianity; Islam is incompatible with our constitution,” said resident Cheri Thomas.
“I think it was surprising, and to be honest, a lot of the comments were based on assumptions and misconceptions,” Muhammad Afzal, chairman of the Islamic Society of Tulsa, told Tulsa news channel News6. “It was difficult to hear all that, but we are supposed to be patient, and that’s what we demonstrated.”
The local turnout against the proposal was drummed up by community groups. A post by user Renee Anspaw to the Facebook group South Broken Arrow Alert Neighbors on Dec. 17 outlined the objections echoed by several at the meeting.
“This ‘Mosque development’ and ‘Shopping Center’ is to be built starting at 129th & 121st location. Do we really want this in South Broken Arrow? Look to Michigan to see how things are now with many Mosques built in many communities and how it changed,” reads the post. “MANY Texas communities are lined with Muslim street names, parks with Islamic behavioral rules like ‘no alcohol’ and ‘no loud music,’ and homes proudly displaying signs such as ‘Masha Allah’ and ‘Bismillah.’ This includes nearby businesses becoming visibly halal-focused and religious in tone that the areas are a Sharia-adherent lifestyle zone. Is this what we want for South Broken Arrow ~ It’s A HELL NO for me!”
However, the planning commission found the application met all legal requirements and recommended approval. The Broken Arrow City Council is scheduled to consider the permit at special meeting on Jan. 12.
Rejecting the project on religious grounds would violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, according to legal experts who looked at the case.
That isn’t stopping Drummond, who is running for governor this year, from stepping in to take another look at the application. Drummond announced Thursday his office will investigate whether the proposed development complies with Oklahoma law and applicable federal statutes.
Drummond said the review is prompted by substantial public concern surrounding the proposal, as well as questions raised about the ownership structure, governance and financing of the project.
“Oklahomans deserve confidence that local land-use decisions are being made lawfully, transparently and in full compliance with state and federal law,” Drummond said in a statement released by his office.
Drummond claimed the North American Islamic Trust “reportedly has ties to the radical Muslim Brotherhood.”
“Given the realities of global terrorism, there can be no compromise on public safety and security,” he said. “In our state, we have already seen a radical Islamist sentenced for plotting mass murder. Several 9/11 hijackers had attended an Oklahoma flight school. It is only appropriate to act with caution when the project in question might have connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.”
The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said there is at play “a broader pattern of anti-Muslim initiatives we are seeing from public officials in multiple states.”
“Launching a witch hunt into a mosque without any evidence of wrongdoing sends the message to Oklahoma Muslims that their houses of worship will experience heightened scrutiny simply because of their faith,” said CAIR-Oklahoma Executive Director Veronica Laizure. “This unjust and unacceptable publicity stunt mirrors a broader pattern of anti-Muslim initiatives we are seeing from public officials in multiple states, where anti-Muslim fearmongering is used for political gain rather than to uphold justice or the Constitution. If Attorney General Drummond dares to flout the law by interfering with this house of worship, he should expect to find himself answering for his actions in a court of law.”
Last year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide.