A mosque located near the Houston home of the individual suspected of killing at least 15 people in New Orleans in a terrorist attack has instructed members of its congregation not to speak with media or the FBI about the incident.
In a post on social media, Masjid Bilal, a mosque affiliated with the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) published a statement urging its attendees to “[S]tay very vigilant and aware of your surroundings” because “The safety of our community is the most important thing.”
If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond. If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR [Council on American Islamic Relations] and ISGH.”
The statement concludes by stressing that “It is crucial that we stay united at this time as we condemn these terrible acts.”
The Houston-Area Mosque attended by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the ISIS-Affiliated Terrorist who carried out today’s Terrorist Attack in New Orleans, has instructed its Members to not respond to inquiries by the Media, and if approached by the FBI to refer them to the Council on… pic.twitter.com/By5bZJ6cDH
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 2, 2025
The national Council on American Islamic Relations issued a statement shortly after news broke of the attack extending their condolences to the families of the victims who lost their lives in the “senseless and infuriating Bourbon Street attack.”
If reports that the perpetrator was a man with a history of drunk driving and spousal abuse who plotted to kill his family before supposedly experiencing dreams telling him to join Daesh are true, then his crime is the latest example of why cruel, merciless, bottom-feeding extremist groups have been rejected by the overwhelming majority of the Muslim world – from Islamic scholars, to mosques, to organizations, and to individual Muslims.
Eiad Soudan, Imam of the mosque where the suspect was believed to have worshipped, has a history of extremist rhetoric. In a video circulating on social media, he can be seen arguing that Jewish people want to control the economy and saying this is why Adolf Hitler murdered Jews.
Eiad Soudan, Imam of Houston Mosque Where New Orleans Attacker Worshiped: Jews Seek to Control the Economy Wherever They Go, That’s Why Hitler Killed Them; Europeans Support Israel Because They Don’t Want Jews Back in Their Countries (Archival) pic.twitter.com/AFXc7cIC82
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) January 2, 2025
The suspect in the attack was identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din-Jabbar, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran and former Deloitte employee. The suspect had recently become radicalized and was an operative working on behalf of the Islamic State (ISIS). The terrorist group’s flag was in his truck as he drove through a crowd of people in the French Quarter on New Year's Day. He was later killed by police during a gunfight.
The FBI is currently investigating the incident. Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan told reporters that the agency does “not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible” for the attack. Surveillance footage appears to show three men and a woman planting improvised explosive devices in the area.
The truck Jabbar used in the attack contained explosive devices in coolers. They were wired for remote detonation, indicating that Jabbar and his collaborators likely intended a more devastating attack.
The authorities have released disturbing details about Jabbar’s life. He was living in a dilapidated trailer park after having two failed marriages. He had recently pledged his support for ISIS and had traveled to Egypt in 2024 despite having been raised as a Christian.