US EditionBroken Arrow City Council Votes Down Proposed Islamic Center
The council cited land use and infrastructure concerns in its 4-1 vote, despite support from local faith leaders and over 1,000 residents at the meeting, officials said.
- On Jan. 12, 2026, the Broken Arrow City Council rejected the rezoning request in a 4-1 vote at Northeastern State University–Broken Arrow, blocking Islamic Society of Tulsa plans for a 15-acre Olive Avenue site.
- After the Planning Commission's Dec. 18 recommendation, council members cited feasibility and zoning concerns, opposing rezoning the 15-acre Olive Avenue site currently zoned agricultural due to traffic and flooding risks.
- A packed public hearing saw more than 1,000 attendees and over 50 public commenters, with opponents using Islamophobic claims and supporters including Muslim doctors, business owners, and the Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry.
- State scrutiny followed when Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond launched an investigation Thursday, IST expressed disappointment at the 4-1 denial and is reviewing options, while backers signaled possible legal action.
- Looking beyond the city, advocates argue the Council on American-Islamic Relations–Oklahoma said Islamophobia dominated debate as state political figures weighed in, while IST stressed overcrowding affects more than 200 Broken Arrow families needing a 20,000-square-foot mosque and retail center.
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News AddictsCommunity Opposition Strikes Down Planned Islamic Center In Red 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 h…
Islamic Society, religious leaders react to mosque rejection
The Islamic Society of Tulsa expressed disappointment after the Broken Arrow City Council denied their proposal to construct a mosque in a 4-1 vote, strictly citing feasibility concerns.WATCH: 2 New's Oklahoma's Samson Tamijani reported from the council meeting PUBLIC INPUT: BA city officials deny mosque zoning request"It was shocking," said Muhammad Afzal, chair of the Islamic Society of Tulsa. "We were not expecting that at all."Afzal said the…
Oklahoma mosque project voted down after weeks of anti-Muslim pushback, zoning debate
(RNS) — City Council members in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, suburb denied a rezoning request for a proposed mosque after weeks of public debate that involved anti-Muslim pushback and a state attorney general’s investigation. The denial came despite a recommendation from city staff and the Broken Arrow Planning Commission to approve the rezoning and issue a permit for a mosque and retail center in the city about 15 miles southeast of Tulsa, setting up wh…
Zoning or bigotry? Supporters question why Broken Arrow rejected mosque
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