The Islamic Circle of North America is a Muslim education and advocacy organization based in New York City. It claims to be one of the representative organizations of the American Muslim community. The organization has been criticized for its links to Islamist organizations both inside and outside the United States. The organization was originally established as the U.S. affiliate of the Jaamat-e-Islami movement, which is an Islamist movement that is active in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. ¹

In 2000, a former president of the ICNA wrote an article that among other things called for the establishment of an Islamic state in the U.S. ²

In addition to its ties to Islamists in the Indian subcontinent, the organization has cultivated ties to Turkey’s Islamist government. It has featured representatives of that government at its annual convention. ³

Overview

The Islamic Circle of North America is a Muslim educational, charitable, and advocacy organization based in New York City. It claims to be a representative of the American Muslim community. The organization was founded in 1968 by South Asian Muslims in the U.S. From the beginning, it was accused of being the U.S. affiliate of the Jaamat-e-Islami movement, an Islamist movement that is active on the Indian subcontinent. JI’s military wing has been designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government. ¹

The organization has chapters all over the country. It also hosts an annual conference attended by Muslims from all over the United States. Conference speakers come from all throughout the Muslim world. In addition, it has a youth organization called Young Muslims. ¹

Controversies

Ties to Islamic Extremism

From the beginning of the organization, it has been ensnared in ties with Islamic extremism. An early leader of the organization was Ashrafuzzaman Khan, who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971 as a commander of a JI militia group. In 2013, a Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal found Khan guilty of war crimes for his role in abducting and murdering 18 Bangladeshi intellectuals. He was sentenced to death in absentia. ¹

In 2000, a leader of ICNA, Mohammad Yunus, said one of the goals of ICNA was to establish an Islamic state in the U.S. In addition, Yunus also wrote that the establishment of the Islamic state in the U.S. would pave the way for the reestablishment of the Caliphate. ²

In 2019, the then-president of ICNA Zahid Bukhari called on Muslims to “establish Islam as a way of life” in the U.S. He also pointed out that it would take time because Muslims were a minority in the U.S. He based his call with discussions he had with Rached Ghannouchi, the founder of Tunisia’s Ennahda movement, which was inspired by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. ⁴

Ties to Antisemitism

In January 2010, the Anti-Defamation League released a statement denouncing ICNA, and other American Muslim groups, for bigotry against Jews. It alleged that at the 2009 ICNA conference, it hosted speakers who attacked Jews from the stage. ¹

Ties to Turkey

At the 2019 ICNA conference, the event was to feature a representative of Turkey’s Islamist authoritarian government. Ibrahim Kalin, who was the chief advisor and spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was originally invited to address the audience. Among other things, Kalin had called for the abduction of Erdogan critics, no matter where they lived. ³

After a backlash, Kalin was disinvited. Instead, the audience heard from Umut Acar, who was Turkey’s chief consul in Chicago. ³

Condoning Terrorism

In September 2021, ICNA joined other American Islamist organizations in hosting a memorial ceremony for Pakistani Islamist Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Geelani, among other things, was a sympathizer of Osama bin Laden. ⁵

Political Activity

The ICNA is a co-founder and member of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations. In addition to ICNA, the USCMO features Muslim Brotherhood-aligned Muslim American Society, CAIR, American Muslims for Palestine, and fellow JI front group Muslim Ummah of North America. ⁶

The USCMO receives support from Turkey’s Islamist government. The Turkish government has reportedly provided free room and board for those participating in USCMO’s annual Congressional lobby day. ⁶

The USCMO advocates for left-of-center and far-left policies such as student loan forgiveness, restrictions on criticizing Muslims, and left-of-center immigration policies for Muslim immigrants. ⁶

Leadership

Moshin Ansari is the president of ICNA. He was elected in 2021. ⁸

Finances

According to its 2020 tax return, the organization raised $3,340,102 and spent $2,920,814. It had assets of $8,199,614. ⁹

Despite its ties to Islamist organizations, it has received grants from the U.S. government. In 2016, it received a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ¹

1. Westrop, Sam.  “Pakistani Islamism Flourishes In America”. Islamist Watch. Jan. 24, 2018 https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/54806/pakistani-islamism-flourishes-in-america.
2. An IPT Investigative Report On Jamaat-E-Islami Network’S Support For Jihad And Islamism. Ebook. The Investigative Project on Terrorism. June 2019 https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/misc/1058.pdf.
3.  Ayasun, Abdullah. “American Muslims’ Love Affair With Erdogan And ICNA Convention”. Medium. Jan. 11, 2019 https://abyasun.medium.com/american-muslims-love-affair-with-erdogan-and-icna-convention-b786626448b5.
4. “Emboldened Islamists Call For Theocracy In America”.  Hindu Post. Aug. 17, 2019 https://hindupost.in/world/emboldened-islamists-call-for-theocracy-in-america/.
5. Shankar, Abha. “American Islamists Pay Tribute To Bin Laden Sympathizer”. The Algemeiner. Sept. 20, 2021 https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/09/20/american-islamists-pay-tribute-to-bin-laden-sympathizer/.
6. Baird, Benjamin. “Islamist Lobby Day: Congress Welcomes Turkish-Backed Extremists To Capitol”. Middle East Forum. July 17, 2022 https://www.meforum.org/63394/islamist-lobby-day.
8.  Previously, he served as the chairman of ICNA Relief. Ansari is an alumnus of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami’s branch in Pakistan. Ansari also has a long history of making bigoted online posts against Jews and others.⁷ Westrop, Sam.  “Pakistani Islamism Flourishes In America”. Islamist Watch. Jan. 24, 2018 https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/54806/pakistani-islamism-flourishes-in-america.
9. “Islamic Circle Of North America Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer”. Propublica. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/112925751/202113059349300601/full.