Group Opposition Strikes Down Deliberate Islamic Middle In Pink State
A planned Islamic center and mosque in the community of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma was struck down by the city council in a 4-1 vote after months of steep pushback from residents.
The decision followed weeks of public debate, including packed meetings and an investigation announced by the Oklahoma Attorney General. The project, proposed by the Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST), aimed to address overcrowding at its existing Midtown Tulsa mosque, where half of its approximately 1,000 members reside in Broken Arrow.
The proposed development was planned for 15 acres on South Olive Avenue, just south of the Creek Turnpike, land purchased by the IST in 2014 for $625,000 and later deeded to the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT). It would have included a 42,000-square-foot building featuring a mosque for worship, a retail strip mall, and a public clinic.
Initial plans called for more than 700 parking spaces, but this was reduced to around 150-200 in a revised proposal presented to the council. The rezoning sought to change the land from its current designation to commercial use, aligning with the city’s 2019 comprehensive plan, which envisions the area for commercial or high-density residential development.
The Broken Arrow Planning Commission approved the rezoning on December 18, 2025, despite fierce public opposition at that meeting. However, the City Council, in a special meeting held at Northeastern State University’s Broken Arrow campus, rejected the request.
Mayor Debra Wimpee, along with Councilors David Pickel, Lisa Ford, and Justin Green, voted to deny, while Vice Mayor Johnnie Parks voted in favor.
The council cited incompatibility with land use standards, including concerns over traffic congestion, stormwater runoff, insufficient infrastructure, and parking adequacy
“My vote to deny the rezoning was based strictly on a lack of sufficient infrastructure on Olive Avenue for the influx of weekly traffic to a mosque,” Mayor Wimpee told local outlet KJRH.
BIG WIN: Broken Arrow Council rejects plan for a 15-acre IsIamic center after residents flooded tonight’s meeting
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 13, 2026
Community pushback was significant, with over 1,000 people attending the January 12 meeting and more than 400 signing up for public comment. An opposition-only community meeting on January 5, 2026, drew several hundred participants, where supporters were not allowed to speak.
Opponents focused on zoning, traffic, and environmental impacts, though some raised concerns about Islam and potential extremist ties. “When an organization has been repeatedly connected by courtroom rulings, FBI investigations and public officials to extremist groups, caution is not fear-mongering — it’s common sense,” said local resident Linda Russell, according to a report from the Tulsa Flyer.
The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) framed the opposition as a “witch hunt” and accused detractors of “racism.”
“I sincerely hope they will be guided by questions and conversations about facts as we heard — the traffic and rainwater and sewage — and not about Islamophobic discourse that has unfortunately dominated a lot of the conversation,” said CAIR-Oklahoma Executive Director Veronica Laizure-Henry.
IST spokesperson Aslam Syed indicated that the group will be challenging the decision in court.
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