Islam in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

Islam first came to Dallas through the Nation of Islam, whose members were sent by Elijah Muhammad during the 1950s, founding Temple #48 in Downtown Dallas. When Elijah Muhammad was succeeded by his son Wallace Deen Muhammad in 1975, the Dallas Temple #48 was reorganized as The Dallas Masjid Al-Islam. Dallas Masjid al Islam was the first and oldest Muslim community in Dallas area. It started the first Muslim school in Dallas and the first Mosque in the city.^[5] Meanwhile, international Muslims established the Islamic Association of North Texas in 1969.^[6] In 1977, the African American Muslims and the International Immigrant Muslims had the first combined Eid al-Fitr on Baghdad St. in a backyard in Grand Prairie, TX.^[7] In 1980, IANT was joined by Imam Yusuf Ziya Kavakçı. Throughout the next few decades, more Mosques were built.^[8] IANT established the longest running free health clinics of the Muslim community, followed by the East Plano Islamic Center and Valley Ranch Islamic Center later on.^[9] Eventually, Nouman Ali Khan moved to Dallas, followed by Omar Suleiman.^[10] This led to an increase of Muslim immigration to Dallas from other parts of America. There is also a growing number of Hispanic Muslims in Dallas.^[11]

The Holy Land Foundation (HLF) was the largest Islamic charity in the United States. Headquartered in Richardson, Texas,^[15] and run by Palestinian-Americans, it was originally known as Occupied Land Fund.^[16] In 2004, a federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas charged HLF and five former officers and employees with providing material support to Hamas and related offenses. The prosecution's theory was that HLF distributed charity through local zakat (charity) committees located in the West Bank that paid stipends to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers and Hamas prisoners; that Hamas controlled those zakat committees; that by distributing charity through Hamas-controlled committees, HLF helped Hamas build a grassroots support amongst the Palestinian people; and that these charity front organizations served a dual purpose of laundering the money for all of Hamas's activities.^[17]

The government did not allege that HLF paid directly for suicide bombings, but instead that the foundation supported terrorism by sending more than $12 million to charitable groups, known as zakat or charity committees, which provide social goods and services. The prosecution said the committees were controlled by Hamas, and contributed to terrorism by helping Hamas spread its ideology, recruit supporters, and provide a front for laundering money and soliciting donations.^[18]