The Islamic Center of Tucson (ICT) is a mosque located in Tucson, Arizona, that provides religious services to Muslim students at the University of Arizona and other Muslims living in southern Arizona. ^{1 2}

According to the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), the Islamic Center of Tucson acted as an incubator of al-Qaeda operatives in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The IPT reports that ICT members and leaders included senior advisors to 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden as well as the terrorist who planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. ³

Activities and History

The Islamic Center of Tucson (ICT) is a mosque and Islamic religious center located in Tucson, Arizona, near the University of Arizona. While the ICT focuses on religious outreach to university students, it also is open to members and visitors throughout southern Arizona. ICT has its roots in Islamic student outreach in the 1960s; adopted its first constitution to govern the organization on April 1, 1989; and made subsequent revisions in 1999, 200, and 2016. ^{1 2}

According to its constitution, ICT promised to “establish and maintain continuous affiliation” with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a nonprofit organization that advocates for connecting Muslim communities throughout the United States. ISNA was allegedly founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood. ^{2 4}

The ICT claims to have over 500 people attend weekly prayer services. Other services provided by the ICT include Qur’an education, charity work, and funeral and marriage services. ^{1 5}

The ICT also hosts youth, children, and adult programs as well as a Sunday weekend school to provide Islamic and Quranic education. ⁶

According to the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), the ICT allegedly operated as the “de-facto Al-Qaeda headquarters in the United States” from 1985 to 1993. IPT claims ICT was the satellite office of an organization that served as the precursor to Al-Qaeda, the Mektab Al Khidmat, and that members and leaders of the mosque became leaders within Al-Qaeda, including ICT Imam Awel Julaidan and ICT members Adih el Hage, Ramzi Yousef, and Abdullah Azzam. Julaidan was allegedly a senior advisor to 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, Hage was allegedly Osama bin Laden’s secretary, Yousef allegedly planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Azzam was allegedly bin Laden’s mentor. ³

Leadership

The Islamic Center of Tucson is governed by three entities: The general assembly, the board of directors, and the shura council. Membership in the ICT is restricted to Muslim residents of southern Arizona who live in accordance with the Qur’an and are at least 17 years old. The purpose of the general assembly is to elect the board of directors, nominate members of the shura council, approve amendments to the constitution, consult on the hiring of an imam, and approve all real-estate transactions above $50,000. The board of directors contains nine members elected by the general assembly who retain all administrative authority in the ICT. The shura council is made up of nine to 15 members who consult with the board of directors on annual budgets, mediate between members of the board of directors, and assume control of the ICT if the board of directors is dissolved. ²

1. “About.” Islamic Center of Tucson. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://ictucson.org/about/.
2. “Constitution of the Islamic Center, Tucson.” Islamic Center of Tucson. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://ictucson.org/wp-content/uploads/ICT_Constitution_Final_03_04_20161.pdf
3. “Islamic Center of Tucson.” The Investigative Project on Terrorism. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://www.investigativeproject.org/mosques/419/islamic-center-of-tucson
4. Ahmed-Ullah, Noreen S., Sam Roe, and Laurie Cohen. “A Rare Look at Secretive Brotherhood in America.” chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune, September 19, 2004. https://www.chicagotribune.com/investigations/chi-0409190261sep19-story.html
5. “Services.” Islamic Center of Tucson. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://ictucson.org/service/
6. “Weekend School.” Islamic Center of Tucson. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://ictucson.org/program/weekend-school/.