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The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) held its annual banquet on February 1, 2025, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Boca Raton, Florida. Though the event was promoted as a community gathering centered on faith and charity – innocuously titled “Seeds Of Change, Harvest Of Goodness” – ICNA’s history raises serious concerns due to its documented ties to terrorism and extremist ideology. Additionally, questions have emerged regarding the individuals involved in this recent event, further highlighting the controversy surrounding the organization.
Among those participating in the Boca Raton banquet was Abdul Rauf Khan, the CEO of ICNA’s largest division, ICNA Relief, who also serves as the President of the radical Islamic Center of Boca Raton (ICBR). Khan has a history of promoting extremist content on social media, including rhetoric targeting the Jewish and LGBTQ communities. He has shared videos glorifying Nation of Islam (NOI) leader and virulent anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan and posted an anti-Semitic video labeling comedian Bill Maher “Zionist Jew Bill Maher.”
The event also featured as a keynote speaker the head of the Islamic Law and Theory Department at AlMaghrib, Yaser Birjas, a man who has a history of defending convicted terrorists. Birjas has publicly supported Ali al-Tamimi, the ex-leader of the “Virginia Jihad Network,” and Aafia Siddiqui, an al-Qaeda operative. In October 2024, just as the world marked one year since Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israeli civilians, Birjas delivered sermons referring to Israelis as “the enemy” and stating that they “deserve their punishment from Allah.”
ICNA’s Roots in Jamaat-e-Islami and the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide
ICNA operates as the US arm of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), a South Asian Islamist group with extensive links to terrorism. One of JI’s most notorious offshoots, al-Badr, played a leading role in the mass killings during the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. One of al-Badr’s death squad commanders, Ashrafuz Zaman Khan, has held leadership positions within ICNA for over three decades, including serving as ICNA’s national Vice President and President of ICNA-New York. Khan was sentenced to death in absentia in 2013 for the murders of 18 individuals.
ICNA’s Direct Ties to the Funding of Hamas
ICNA has been involved with JI’s social services arm, the Al-Khidmat Foundation (AKF), since at least November 2000, when the two entities entered into a formal working relationship. This partnership has had implications for international terror. In August 2006, AKF led a delegation to Damascus, Syria, where it delivered $100,000 to then-global Hamas leader Khaled Mashal. Mashal thanked AKF for its support and reaffirmed Hamas’ commitment to violent jihad against Israel. At the time of the delivery, ICNA was a top donor and partner of AKF.
WhyIslam: ICNA’s Extremist Propaganda Arm
WhyIslam, ICNA’s religious outreach (dawah) initiative, has served as a vehicle for extremism under the guise of Islamic education. In 2008, a promotional video for WhyIslam featured Mazen Mokhtar, an ex-administrator for al-Qaeda’s online recruitment site, qoqaz.net, who has voiced support for Hamas and suicide bombings. WhyIslam’s now-defunct online message board was run by moderators who posted messages glorifying Hamas and Hezbollah, denigrating Jews, and calling for Israel’s destruction. WhyIslam currently advocates for the beating of women.
ICNA’s Promotion of Terrorist Organizations and Extremist Icons
ICNA has provided platforms and praise for terrorists. ICNA’s South East division has promoted links on its website to the official sites of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Taliban and a request for “material support” for al-Qaeda’s qoqaz.net. ICNA has promoted Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT), the group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in its materials and events. In 2014, ICNA co-sponsored a pro-Hamas rally in downtown Miami, where rally goers chanted “We are Hamas.” In 2000, ICNA called dead Iranian dictator Ayatollah Khomeini a “great leader.”
Young Muslims: ICNA’s Youth Division and Indoctrination
ICNA indoctrinates youth via its Young Muslims (YM) division. The “YM Personal and Collective Development Plan” describes “Jihad” as “the highest act; sacrificing everything.” Prior to 9/11, YM ran “Jihad Camps.” Texts found on YM’s website have reeked of violence and bigotry. One, The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam, suggests that putting homosexuals to death “maintains the purity of Islamic society and… keeps it clean of perverted elements.” Another, The Amazing Quran, states “[A]s a whole, the Jewish community is to be viewed as an avid enemy of Islam.”
Conclusion: A Dangerous Presence in Boca Raton
Despite presenting itself as a benevolent organization, ICNA’s ties to terrorism, extremist ideology, and antisemitism are undeniable. The group has harbored a war criminal, partnered with those funneling money to terrorist groups, and provided platforms for the spread of Islamist propaganda.
The Boca Raton banquet was not just a religious or charitable event – it was a gathering backed by an organization with a long and troubling history of supporting terror.
As Boca Raton reflects on ICNA’s event, the community must remain vigilant and question the legitimacy of an organization with such deep-rooted connections to extremism. The history of ICNA is a stark reminder that groups operating under the banner of religion and charity can often have far more sinister agendas.
Beila Rabinowitz, Director of Militant Islam Monitor, contributed to this report.