Mar 24, 2025
The Al-Hadi Islamic school and center in Houston, Texas, has grown from humble beginnings in 1996 into a sprawling institution with a vast 11-acre campus. Tied to Iran’s Shia leadership, particularly the Ayatollah Khamenei, the Al-Hadi foundation has been spearheaded by Sayyed Mohammad Baqir al-Qazwini, who regularly visits and delivers lectures. Over the years, the center has expanded into multiple facilities including a mosque, school, and youth sports center. Its rapid growth and global connections have drawn attention, especially given its links to Iran and its reported intent to foster a major religious and ideological hub in the American South.
The Al-Hadi center is part of a growing network of Shia institutions across the U.S. that promote Iran’s ideology and may contribute to the stealth Islamization of American communities. These institutions are often tax-exempt and appear focused on long-term cultural influence, rather than immediate political activism. Al-Qazwini has ties to Iran’s top Shia clerics and has been documented promoting martyrdom and Islamic governance in speeches. Meanwhile, organizations such as RAIR Foundation raise concerns about a lack of transparency regarding the curriculum and intentions of such centers, especially as they quietly expand and receive support from foreign ideologies.
Believers are called to be discerning in a world rapidly aligning with end-times prophecy. The increasing presence and influence of Islamic ideologies, particularly those aligned with anti-Israel and anti-Christian regimes, should not be ignored. The Bible warns of a time when deception will rise and global systems will coalesce under one false religion (Revelation 13:8). As centers like Al-Hadi grow, they serve as a sobering reminder that spiritual battles are taking place not only overseas but within our own borders. The call for the Church today is to remain vigilant, speak truth, and remember that our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). READ MORE
Stay Awake. Keep Watch.
Commentary by Joe Hawkins