[Want even more content from FPM? Sign up for FPM+ to unlock exclusive series, virtual town-halls with our authors, and more—now for just $3.99/month. Click here to sign up.]

New video footage discovered by this author now proves that Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the horrific New Year’s ISIS-inspired attack on Bourbon Street, was associated with Masjid Bilal, a mosque located near Jabbar’s Houston residence that has a troubling history of extremism itself. This revelation comes as investigators continue to probe Jabbar’s radicalization and the institutions that may have influenced him.

The footage, recorded during a July 2022 service, shows a very visable Jabbar kneeling in prayer, eyes closed, head bowed, wearing a gray thobe (robe) and a black kufi (hat). He is seen in the midst of the congregation, less than ten feet from the mosque’s head imam Eiad Soudan, who was kneeling in front of the congregation and smiling for the camera.

The video places Jabbar at Masjid Bilal less than two years before he is said to have proclaimed allegiance to ISIS. This new evidence solidifies the connection between Jabbar and Masjid Bilal, despite earlier attempts by the mosque to obscure their association.

The Attack and its Aftermath

On January 1, 2025, an ISIS-inspired attack turned the New Year’s celebration on the iconic Bourbon Street in New Orleans into a war zone, leaving 14 innocents dead and 35 others injured. The suspect, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a Texas resident, drove a rented Ford F-150 truck into a crowd of revelers, mowing down pedestrians in what the FBI classified as an “act of terrorism.”

The sequence of events leading to the attack have been well documented. On December 31st, Jabbar rented a truck in Houston and drove to Louisiana. Along the way, he posted disturbing videos on social media in which he declared allegiance to ISIS and expressed a desire to harm his family. In one chilling message, he said, “I don’t want you to think I spared you willingly.” Investigators believe this was motivated by his concern that media coverage of an assault on his family might detract from his narrative of a “war between the believers and the disbelievers.”

After crashing to a stop, Jabbar exited the truck and opened fire, injuring two police officers before being fatally shot himself. Surveillance footage revealed that he had earlier placed two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) hidden in coolers along Bourbon Street. A third IED was discovered inside the truck, along with an ISIS flag. Additional bomb-making materials were later found at his home in Houston.

In the wake of the attack, investigators have been probing Jabbar’s motivations for unleashing such horrific violence. Though it has been speculated that he may have worked alone, authorities are also examining his recent travels to Egypt, Canada and Tampa, Florida, in search of connections to his radicalization. As well, Jabbar’s ties to Masjid Bilal have drawn a significant amount of scrutiny from both media and law enforcement.

The Role of Masjid Bilal

In May 2021, Masjid Bilal participated in an anti-Israel march and protest, where attendees chanted “From the river to the sea” and displayed anti-Semitic signs. Slogans included “Israel isn’t real,” “Exist is to resist,” and “Zionist Media Lies.” One sign equated the Jewish Star of David with a Nazi swastika, accompanied by the words “Spot the difference. There is none!”

The head imam of Masjid Bilal, Eiad Soudan, has made inflammatory statements (exposed by MEMRI TV). At a November 2023 youth gathering, Soudan attempted to justify Hitler’s genocide against Jews. He questioned why Jews were “killed, destroyed [and] persecuted” in Europe. He said that Jews “like to take control of the economy” and that is why “the other countries don’t want them back.” He added that Hitler’s hatred of Jews stemmed from “the economy thing” and claimed that nations today support Jews solely to keep them isolated in the Middle East.

In August 2024, during a Friday khutbah (sermon) at Masjid Bilal (exposed by MEMRI TV), Imam Mohammed ElFarooqui repeated a notoriously anti-Semitic narrative in the Quran where Jews were turned into “monkeys,” “pigs” and “rats” as punishment from “Allah” for their wrongdoing. He claimed that Jews have – “everywhere on the face of this earth” – “created havoc.” He called on “Allah” to “liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque” in Jerusalem from “the Zionists, the aggressor and enemies.”

Extremism within ISGH

Masjid Bilal operates as a subsidiary of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH), an umbrella organization for over 20 Islamic centers in the Houston area. Both Masjid Bilal and ISGH have partnered with terror-linked Islamist groups, including the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Relief (IR), and the Muslim American Society (MAS).

A 2005 study conducted by the human rights advocacy group Freedom House revealed that ISGH has propagated materials targeting Jews and Christians and encouraging jihad or holy war. One text, Islamic Guidelines to Reform the Individual and Society, found at ISGH facilities, lists actions that “nullify one’s Islam,” including “supporting Jews, Christians, and communists against Muslims” and “support for democracy” – heresy that can be grounds for a death sentence, according to Sharia law.

In December 2008, ISGH imam Zoubir Bouchikhi of Houston’s Abu Bakr Siddiqui mosque was arrested and later deported in 2011 for immigration violations. Bouchikhi is quoted about non-Muslims (exposed by MEMRI TV), referring to them as “the worst of Allah’s creations, even lower than animals.”

Is Masjid Bilal hiding something?

Multiple media outlets have attached Jabbar to Masjid Bilal, most probably assuming the short distance from his home meant he had membership there. Newsweek referred to the center as “Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s Local Mosque.” However, until now, no direct evidence, such as photos or videos of Jabbar praying at Masjid Bilal, has been reported or circulated. The New York Post questioned whether he had ever been there.

Complicating the investigation, Masjid Bilal discouraged its congregation from speaking with authorities or the press. The mosque enlisted CAIR, an organization with several ties to terror, to manage its public response. In an official statement, the mosque instructed, “If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond. If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR and ISGH.” Telling congregants to refuse to cooperate with the FBI’s investigation implies that the mosque has something to hide.

With the newly surfaced video footage, now the mystery of Jabbar’s ties to Masjid Bilal has been resolved.

The Need for Vigilance

The revelations about Jabbar’s ties to Masjid Bilal and the mosque’s broader connections to extremist ideologies highlight the importance of closely monitoring centers that propagate radical views. Instances such as this underscore the need for vigilance against those who exploit religious spaces to incite hatred and violence.

As investigators continue to piece together the full scope of Jabbar’s radicalization, it is essential to hold accountable not only the individuals but also the institutions that enable such dangerous ideologies to take root. The tragedy on Bourbon Street serves as a sobering reminder of the devastating consequences of ignoring the extremism located in our own backyards.

Beila Rabinowitz, Director of Militant Islam Monitor, contributed to this report.