Muslims in Texas Outline Plan for an Islamic Community Center and Education Campus

A livestreamed event at the Sufaraa Center in McKinney, Texas, presented a public case for expanding Islamic facilities and programming in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The event featured Shaykh Uthman ibn Farooq and was hosted by Authentic Ilm Mission (AIM), an organization led by Dr. Karim AbuZaid and Farooq.

AIM is fundraising for a multipurpose campus on a four-acre site near Plano, on land formerly occupied by a Christian church. The campaign describes a 40,000-square-foot complex intended to host Islamic K–12 education, a seminary, and training in Da'wah (Islamic proselytization). AIM's website says the project had raised $300,000 of an $800,000 target, with donors reportedly spanning 1,500 individuals across 50 countries.

During the livestream Farooq said, "We love this country. We want good for this country. And that's why we want Islam for this country, 'cause we think that's the best thing. And we're not going to be ashamed of that." He argued that Muslims in America are constitutionally protected to believe in Sharia, saying, "That's our right to believe in the Sharia. Yes, I said it. That's our right."

Farooq used historical references and polemical framing to caution against compromising religious principles, citing centuries of Muslim presence in parts of Europe and characterizing a loss of influence as a result of accommodation. He also characterized efforts at outreach and apologetics as central to educating youth to "refute Christian apologists and Islamophobes and hadith-rejectors."

Farooq is associated with the One Message Foundation and has a large social media presence (reported follower counts appear on his profiles). One Message's site claims about 1,500 conversions during the World Cup when working with partner groups. AIM's fundraising materials include images showing the former church building and visuals of a proposed mosque on the same site.

The reporting notes Farooq's prior controversies. He has made statements that drew a UK ban in the past related to comments about wartime captives, and a 2025 speech in Birmingham included rhetoric about a "future" for Muslim communities in Europe. The coverage also mentions other local institutions: the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) serves a large membership and has been involved in a legal dispute over plans for a Muslim-focused housing development.

The event combined fundraising, community-building plans, and public advocacy for the legitimacy of practicing Islamic law in the U.S. It highlights active efforts to expand institutional infrastructure—education, seminary training, and organized outreach—within a growing Muslim population in North Texas.