The Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids (ICCR) is a mosque in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which hosts one of the oldest Muslim communities in North America. ^{1 2}

History

According to the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the first Muslim immigrants came to Cedar Rapids in 1895, mostly from Lebanon. Later, the community received refugees from Syria. In 1934, the community opened its first mosque and the first “purpose-built” mosque building in North America, which is currently known as “Mother Mosque” and operates as a museum. In 1972, a second mosque structure was built which serves as the headquarters of the ICCR as of 2024. ^{3 4}

Funding for the new mosque was partially provided by Khalil al-Rauef, a close friend of the Saudi Royal Family, who lived in Cedar Rapids. Al-Rauef also helped secure funding from Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal, the government of Kuwait, and the government of Libya. ⁵

The ICCR was damaged in 2008 when the Cedar River overflowed and flooded the town. ⁶

Islamism and Politics

According to Ryan Mauro of the Capital Research Center, the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids previously included writing on its website in a positive tone about the Muslim Brotherhood; Jamaat-e-Islami, a fundamentalist Islamist group in Pakistan; Egyptian Islamic Jihad; Hezbollah; and Takfir al-Hijra, an affiliate of Al Qaeda. The website also previously linked to Al-Haramain, a Saudi charity that funneled money to Al Qaeda. ⁷

Mauro argued that the ICCR has spoken out against “ultra-conservative Christians” for supposed acts of terrorism and blamed American culture for turning moderate Muslims “into anti-Western, anti-Christian Islamic revivalists.” ⁸

In 2008, the ICCR hosted a seminar taught by the Muslim American Society (which has been alleged to be the U.S. arm of the Muslim Brotherhood) and other groups training Muslims to participate in the Iowa caucus. ⁹

Bill Aossey

Bill Aossey has been a prominent member of the ICCR. In 1963, he became the first Muslim to enter the U.S. Peace Corps. In the early 1970s, he founded the Midamar Corporation, a major provider of halal food in the United States. Midamar has donated to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Society of North America, the Islamic Circle of North America and the Muslim American Society. ¹⁰

Aossy previously sat on the board of the American Muslim Council, a Muslim advocacy group whose former executive director, Abdulrahman Alamoudi, was imprisoned for his support of terrorist activities. ¹¹

In 2015, Aossey “was convicted by a federal jury on 15 counts of conspiracy, making false statements on export certificates, and wire fraud” related to his business activities with Midamar. Aossey was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment and fined $60,000. ¹²

ICCR Academy

The Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids runs the ICCR Academy, a hybrid standard school and Islamic academy that teaches grades four through 12 and plans to expand to kindergarten. The school’s Islamic curriculum includes studying Arabic, Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic creed, and Koranic memorization. The school historically operated entirely online but will be transitioning to in-person classes as of the fall 2024 semester. ¹³

Leadership

Hassan Selim is the imam of the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids. He was born in Egypt and became a U.S. citizen in 2016. ¹⁴

In January 2016, the National Public Radio interviewed Selim while profiling the ICCR’s stance on future president Donald Trump. Selim told the interviewer: “America is a great country. You don’t need to ‘make America great again’… I feel more safe here and safe to practice my religion here than anywhere else. This narrative that wants to ‘make America great again’ — no, it wants to make America someplace that is not welcoming, that’s not safe.” ¹⁵

In a February 2016 interview, Selim expressed support for letting more refugees from Islamic countries into the United States. He also claimed that refusing to accept refugees from the Middle East could push more people to join the then-ascendant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ¹⁶

1. “History of ICCR.” Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.crmosque.org/history.
2. Basu, Moni. “Voices from the heartland: Fear and hope in a city where Syrians settled.” CNN. February 1, 2016. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/us/iowa-syrian-community/index.html.
3. “History of ICCR.” Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.crmosque.org/history.
4. Basu, Moni. “Voices from the heartland: Fear and hope in a city where Syrians settled.” CNN. February 1, 2016. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/us/iowa-syrian-community/index.html.
5. Mauro, Ryan. “Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids Promotes Global Islamic State.” Middle East Forum. December 1, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/35045/islamic-center-of-cedar-rapids-promotes-global.
6. Basu, Moni. “Voices from the heartland: Fear and hope in a city where Syrians settled.” CNN. February 1, 2016. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/us/iowa-syrian-community/index.html.
7. Mauro, Ryan. “ISLAMIZATION IN CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA: RYAN MAURO.”Ruthfully Yours. December 1, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2011/12/01/islamization-in-cedar-rapids-iowa-ryan-mauro/.
8. Mauro, Ryan. “ISLAMIZATION IN CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA: RYAN MAURO.”Ruthfully Yours. December 1, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2011/12/01/islamization-in-cedar-rapids-iowa-ryan-mauro/.
9. Mauro, Ryan. “ISLAMIZATION IN CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA: RYAN MAURO.”Ruthfully Yours. December 1, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2011/12/01/islamization-in-cedar-rapids-iowa-ryan-mauro/.
10. Mauro, Ryan. “ISLAMIZATION IN CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA: RYAN MAURO.”Ruthfully Yours. December 1, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2011/12/01/islamization-in-cedar-rapids-iowa-ryan-mauro/.
11. Mauro, Ryan. “ISLAMIZATION IN CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA: RYAN MAURO.”Ruthfully Yours. December 1, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2011/12/01/islamization-in-cedar-rapids-iowa-ryan-mauro/.
12. “Federal Appeals Court Upholds Convictions of William B. Aossey, Jr., Midamar Corporation, and Jalel Aossey.” United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Iowa. April 14, 2017. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/federal-appeals-court-upholds-convictions-william-b-aossey-jr-midamar-corporation-and.
13. “ICCR Academy.” Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.crmosque.org/iccr-academy.
14. Basu, Moni. “Voices from the heartland: Fear and hope in a city where Syrians settled.” CNN. February 1, 2016. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/us/iowa-syrian-community/index.html.
15. McGuffin, David. “In Iowa, Campaign Season Finds Muslims Caught In A Harsh Spotlight.” Ideastream Public Media. NPR. January 31, 2016. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.ideastream.org/news/npr-news/2016-01-31/in-iowa-campaign-season-finds-muslims-caught-in-a-harsh-spotlight.
16. Basu, Moni. “Voices from the heartland: Fear and hope in a city where Syrians settled.” CNN. February 1, 2016. Accessed September 3, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/us/iowa-syrian-community/index.html.