Commission postpones action on rescinding funding to Masjid Al Nasser after public outcry

An off‑agenda request to rescind remaining county funding for Masjid Al Nasser (listed on the agenda as Masjid Anasur Inc.) drew extensive public comment on Sept. 17 and ended with the board voting to lay the item on the table, a procedural action that pauses consideration and, in practice, prevents immediate rescission.

What happened: Commissioner Joshua Wostel placed an off‑agenda item (F5) asking the board to rescind current and future funding allocated to the Masjid. The Masjid’s humanitarian services manager, Idris Farooq Mohammed, and other representatives addressed the board to state the mosque’s nonprofit work in Sulphur Springs, including a food pantry and youth programs. The Masjid’s board announced it had removed and terminated a board member following the member’s public comments that the Masjid’s leadership said were inappropriate.

Opposing viewpoints: Megan Eimer, policy director for the Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR), told the board the agenda item amounted to singling out a mosque and raised concerns about Islamophobia. “This is Islamophobia to specifically single out this 1 mosque that serves our African American Muslims,” Eimer said. Other speakers warned about the consequences of cutting funding from community service programs that feed families and run youth entrepreneurship programs.

Board action and procedure: Commissioners debated whether to proceed with immediate rescission or to delay action while the organization and county oversight bodies complete reviews. The board voted on a procedural motion to lay the matter on the table (postpone indefinitely), a step described during the meeting as effectively ending immediate action unless a commissioner later brings the item back. The vote on that procedural action passed by a majority (the meeting record shows the procedural motion carried with a majority vote and subsequent procedural clarifications by the clerk). Board members also discussed that any commissioner may move to bring the matter back at a future meeting.

Discussion vs. decision: The board’s procedural vote does not constitute formal rescission; instead, the item was tabled pending possible future action. Speakers and commissioners emphasized the Masjid’s community services and the organization’s statement that it had removed the individual responsible for the contested remarks.

Ending note: County staff and commissioners clarified that laying the item on the table halts immediate rescission but does not preclude a future motion; they noted that contracted county funding and FY26 allocations will be handled in accordance with the county’s contracting and budget processes.