The Noesis project in Texas: how the Muslim Brotherhood circumvents its ban
Following its ban in the state of Texas, the Muslim Brotherhood is attempting to bypass the decision and continue expanding within society under a misleading cover designed to deceive.
In a striking paradox, state authorities approved the reconstruction of the Noesis Mosque, which is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, despite the decision that designated the group as a terrorist organization, according to the American foundation “Rair.”
Last November, Texas announced the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “foreign terrorist organizations” and “transnational criminal organizations.”
The project associated with the group is not limited to building a mosque. Rather, it aims at establishing what could be described as an “Islamic fortress,” worth more than 25 million dollars, near the University of Texas in Austin — which appears to serve as a testing ground to replicate the model in other American cities and states, according to the same source.
The reconstruction of the Noesis Mosque was explicitly designed as a model for the Brotherhood’s expansion across American universities, accompanied by public calls to implement it in “almost all major universities in the United States.”
The mosque’s relationship with the Brotherhood dates back to its founding in 1977 by the Muslim Students’ Association at the University of Texas — an organization historically established by members of the movement in the 1960s.
Funding
The project also includes a residential complex that functions both as a fundraising tool and as a means of control. The four-story student housing is expected to generate more than one million dollars annually, providing financial self-sufficiency for the mosque.
What is notable is the role of Austin city officials, who significantly facilitated the project. Instead of financial scrutiny or oversight, the municipality approved the relocation of a protected historical landmark to make room for construction — an exceptional concession rarely granted to private projects.
These facilitations also overlook the official designation by the state of Texas of the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign and transnational terrorist organizations.
The beginning
According to planning documents, the reconstruction of the Noesis Mosque seeks to shape “the future of political Islam in the West” by directly linking worship, housing, education, and university outreach — beginning with the University of Texas at Austin.
The location was no coincidence: the project sits on Noyes Street, next to the University of Texas and just steps from the Texas Capitol — at the intersection of higher education, political power, and student life in one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
Choosing Austin — a Democrat-leaning city in a predominantly Republican state — also reflects a familiar pattern seen across Europe and increasingly in the United States: the deliberate establishment of institutional centers of influence where youth, power, and politics converge.
According to official documents, the project consists of a vertical complex of 74,677 square feet. The first floor will house a mosque covering more than 14,000 square feet.
The second floor will include a religious school, the “Mufti Omar Ismail Center” for education and outreach, as well as spaces dedicated to Islamic education and civic engagement.
The upper four floors will contain 32 apartments with 96 bedrooms, designated for student housing.
A model to replicate
During a fundraising event, leaders of the Noesis Mosque described the project as a model intended for nationwide application, urging supporters to think beyond Texas.
The project is not limited to gathering students for prayer; it also prepares them to become future Islamic leaders through hands-on training in mosque administration, oversight of finances and institutional programs, and religious education — in line with cadre-building models used by Islamic movements worldwide.
These projects raise several questions: Why has a mosque rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood not undergone formal review under Texas’ terrorist designation? Why has there been no investigation into the project’s financial structure? And why did the state allow it to expand without objection?
In all cases, the project represents a real test of how serious Texas is about its counter-terrorism policies — and whether they are merely slogans, according to the American foundation “Rair.”
