Islamic Center of Washington
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The Islamic Center of Washington is a
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
and Islamic cultural center in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
It is located on
Embassy Row Embassy Row is the informal name for a section of Northwest Washington, D.C. with a high concentration of embassies, diplomatic missions, and diplomatic residences. It spans Massachusetts Avenue N.W. between 18th and 35th street, bounded by ...
on
Massachusetts Avenue Massachusetts Avenue may refer to: * Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston), Massachusetts ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Orange Line station), a subway station on the MBTA Orange Line ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Silver Line station), a stati ...
just east of the bridge over Rock Creek. When it opened in 1957, it was the largest mosque in the Western Hemisphere.


History

The center was conceived in 1944 when the Turkish ambassador
Münir Ertegün Munir Ertegun ( Turkish spelling: Münir Ertegün; 1883 – 11 November 1944) was a Turkish legal counsel in international law to the "Sublime Porte" (imperial government) of the late Ottoman Empire and a diplomat of the Republic of Turkey duri ...
died without a mosque to host his funeral. In 1948 Egypt appointed Kamil Abdel Rahim as Egyptian Ambassador to the United States of America succeeding Ambassador Mahmoud Hassan. The project of building a Mosque lay dormant during the war years and was not revived until Ambassador Rahim took his duties as ambassador in Washington, D.C. in 1948. The Egyptian ambassador, Kamil Abdul Rahim was appointed president of the mosque foundation and its executive committee. He was instrumental in assembling all of the heads of the accredited emissaries of Muslim countries in the U.S. He made several trips to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Muslim countries to solicit funds for the building the mosque. Howar (Mohammed Issa Abu Al Hawa, 1879–1982) and other Muslim diplomats helped found and provide early funding to a committee to build a mosque in the U.S. capital. In 1948, Howar, placing a silver dollar on the ground for luck, began work at the site. The mosque was completed in 1954 and dedicated by President Dwight Eisenhower on June 28, 1957. The Washington diplomatic community played a leading role in the effort to construct a mosque. Egypt donated a bronze chandelier and sent specialists who wrote Qur'anic verses to adorn the mosque’s walls and ceiling. Tiles came from Turkey along with the experts to install them. Persian rugs came from Iran. Support for the project also came from the American-Muslim community. The site was purchased in 1946 and the
cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...
was laid on January 11, 1949. The building was designed by Italian architect Mario Rossi. The mosque was one of three buildings taken over in the 1977 Hanafi Siege. Muslim gunmen holding hostages made several demands, including the demand that the movie ''
Mohammad, Messenger of God ''The Message'' ( ar, الرسالة, italic=yes, ''Ar-Risālah'', ''The Message''; originally known as ''Mohammad, Messenger of God'') is a 1976 Islamic epic drama film directed and produced by Moustapha Akkad, chronicling the life and time ...
'' be destroyed because they considered it sacrilegious." The mosque has been visited by many dignitaries, including several presidents. President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
visited on September 17, 2001, only days after the
attacks of September 11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Suicide attack, suicide List of terrorist incidents, terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, ...
. On national television, Bush quoted from the
Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
and worked to assure Americans that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful.Video and audio of President Bush's remarks
/ref> In 2015 a group of Muslim activists, politicians, and writers issued a Declaration of Reform which announced the founding of the
Muslim Reform Movement The Muslim Reform Movement is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to reform in Islam based on values of peace, human rights, and secular governance. The organization was founded on December 4, 2015, when the founders read a "Declaration of Reform" ...
organization to work against the beliefs of Middle Eastern terror groups. That year
Asra Nomani Asra Quratulain Nomani (born September 7, 1965) is an American author and former Georgetown University professor. Born in India to Muslim parents, she earned a BA from West Virginia University in liberal arts in 1986 and an MA from the American ...
and others placed the Declaration on the door of the mosque.


Facilities

In addition to the mosque, the center contains a library and classrooms where courses on Islam and the
Arabic language Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
are taught. The center's board of governors is made up of various ambassadors. Around the building are arrayed the flags of the Islamic nations of the world.


See also

*
List of mosques in the Americas This is a list of notable mosques and Islamic centres in the Americas, meaning individual buildings and congregations and administration, including notable current and former examples. This list is sorted alphabetically by country and building na ...
* Lists of mosques *
List of mosques in the United States This is an alphabetical listing of notable mosques in the United States (Arabic: ''Masjid'', Spanish: ''Mezquita''), including Islamic places of worship that do not qualify as traditional mosques. History of mosques in the United States A mosque ...
*
Islamic architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...
*
Islamic art Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide ra ...
* Islam in the United States


References


External links


Islamic Center of Washington D.C.
{{Washington DC landmarks, state=collapsed Mosques in Washington, D.C. Embassy Row Landmarks in Washington, D.C. Mosques completed in 1954 1954 establishments in Washington, D.C. Islamic organizations established in 1954