County pauses plan to rescind funding for local mosque after public testimony and organizational response

An item on the Sept. 17 Hillsborough County agenda to rescind current and future county funding for Masjid Anasur (also identified as Masjid El Nasser) was tabled by the Board of County Commissioners after extended public comment and debate.

Idris Farooq Mohammed, manager of humanitarian services at Masjid El Nasser, spoke on behalf of the mosque and said the organization “does not condone violence in any form” and that its board had voted to remove Jarvis Kareem El Amin from his position and terminate any current association after El Amin’s comments about the death of a public figure prompted community concern.

"These comments are not only unacceptable and offensive," Mohammed said, adding that the mosque operates food pantries and youth programs and serves hundreds of families.

Speakers representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations and other advocates called the rescission proposal Islamophobic and urged the board to remove the item from the agenda and to avoid penalizing community services for the statements of one individual.

Commissioners debated the motion, citing free-speech protections and the potential effects on services for vulnerable residents. At one point a motion to lay the rescission on the table was proposed and, after parliamentary discussion, the board recorded a vote to table the item. A county parliamentarian clarified that tabling the item effectively postpones the matter and would not immediately interrupt service delivery or FY26 funding absent further action by the board.

The transcript shows the public comment record, the mosque’s statement about removing the individual named in complaints, and subsequent commissioner deliberations over due process and the appropriate remedy. The board ultimately voted to table the rescission item (motion recorded as carried), preserving funding status pending any future action.