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|accessdate=November 12, 2009
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}}</ref> Dr. [[Esam Omeish]], former President of the [[Muslim American Society]], is a member of its Board of Directors.<ref>[http://www.daralhijrah.net/mosque/aboutus/Board%20of%20directors "Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, Home, About us, Board of Directors", accessed December 10, 2009]</ref>
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==Outreach==
==Outreach==

Revision as of 12:24, 10 December 2009

Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusMosque
LeadershipImam Shaker Elsayed
Statusactive
Location
LocationFalls Church, Virginia, US
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleIslamic
Completed1991
Construction cost$5 million
Specifications
Capacity5,000 (inside)
Minaret(s)1
Website
daralhijrah.net

The Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center (Arabic: مركز دار الهجرة الاسلامي, Template:Lang-en) is a masjid (mosque) and Islamic Center located in the Falls Church area of Northern Virginia.

Background

Founded in 1982 by a group of mostly Arab college students,[1][2] it is one of the first masjids to be established in Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC.[3] The mosque was established in 1983 in a house that is still on the Center's campus, and now serves as a food bank. The current facility, on a 3.4 acre plot, was finished for $5 million in 1991 ($11,184,950 in current dollar terms) with financial help from the Saudi Embassy's Islamic Affairs Department.[2] It is one of the area's oldest, largest, and most influential mosques.[2]

It is situated at the corner of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and Row Street, near a number of apartment units and single-family homes in which many Muslim families live. Numerous halal restaurants, grocery stores, and other Muslim businesses are also located nearby.

Activities

The mosque holds prayers five times daily, and Friday prayer attendance exceeds 3,000 people.[2][4] In September 2004, about 60 per cent of its membership was Arab, with an increasing percentage coming from countries such as Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh.[2]

Activities in addition to prayers include lectures, conferences, youth recreation and outdoor activities (such as camping and field trips) through its Youth Center, women's classes, health fairs, and financial assistance. It also operates an Islamic School called the "Washington Islamic Academy in Northern Virginia". In addition, Dar Al-Hijrah co-sponsors an annual civic picnic, along with other Northern Virginia organizations, at which candidates for local office meet Muslim voters.[2][5]

Dar Al Hijrah is open for group tours.

Leadership

Dar Al Hijrah has a seven-member Executive Committee; three committee members are elected by its membership every two years, while the other four are appointed by the mosque's board of directors.[2] It had 250 voting member families as of September 2004.[2]

The mosque's Imam from 1995-99 was Mohammed al-Hanooti, born in Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine.[6] In 1998, he criticized President Clinton for ordering U.S. military strikes in Sudan and Afghanistan, saying there was not enough convincing evidence to justify the violence.[7] Al-Hanooti was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.[8][9]

Anwar al-Awlaki

Anwar al-Awlaki, who was Imam at the mosque between January 2001 and April 2002,[10] is now wanted in Yemen on suspicion of al-Qaeda links.[11] Supporters of the mosque say that al-Awlaki publicly condemned the 9/11 attacks, and was not known to give radical speeches at the time.[12]

The mosque uses a "team approach". Its Director of Outreach since June 2002 is Brooklyn-born Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, who said:

“It’s important that there’s an American at the mosque to speak with media, to defend Islam who can talk about the rights of Muslims. It would be difficult for us if we had an imam who didn’t understand the process here.”[13]

Sheikh Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, formerly a Muslim Brotherhood member in the Sudan, and one of the founders of both the mosque and the Muslim American Society (MAS), was the mosque's Imam between August 2003 and May 2005, leaving to become the executive director of the Fiqh Council of North America, an association of Islamic legal scholars.[2][14] Commenting in 2004 on the beheadings of American hostages Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl, he said:

"beheadings are not mentioned in the Koran at all. According to Islamic penal law, killers will be sentenced to death, but the means of execution are not mentioned. ...we don't condone this. They are not following Islam. They are following their own whims."[15]

The resident Imam since June 1, 2005, has been Shaker Elsayed, a Shariah law scholar, who was born in Cairo, Egypt.[16] From 2000-05 he was the Secretary General of the MAS.[17] Dr. Esam Omeish, former President of the Muslim American Society, is a member of its Board of Directors.[18]

Outreach

Dar Al Hijrah is active in community outreach and service,[19] and promoting mutual understanding in the local area.[2] It participates in community food, back-to-school supply, and clean-up drives, is engaged in interfaith projects, and participates in civil rights work.[2] It's social services department provides food, clothing, and other household items to needy local families of all faiths.

During the Islamic month of Ramadan, Dar Al Hijrah serves everyone who wants to come eat, whether Muslim or non-Muslim; over 800 free meals every night.[20] Also during Ramadan, it sponsors interfaith and civic iftar dinners with different faith groups to promote mutual understanding. It also distributes tens of thousands of dollars in zakat every Ramadan.

Controversy

Several sources have indicated that Nidal Malik Hasan, the sole suspect in the November 5, 2009, Fort Hood shootings, attended the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque at the same time in 2001 as Nawaf al-Hazmi and Hani Hanjour (two of the September 11 hijackers) who attended the mosque for several weeks during 2001 when Anwar al-Awlaki was Imam there, though none of these sources have suggested that Hasan knew or conspired with the hijackers.[2][21][22][23][24] The mosque has issued a statement condemning the Fort Hood shootings and al-Awlaki's praise of them.[25] Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, who was convicted of providing material support to al Qaeda and conspiracy to assassinate President George W. Bush, taught Islamic studies at and was a camp counselor for the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center and also prayed at the mosque around that time.[26][27][28] Abelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar, a member of the mosque's Executive Committee, was convicted in November 2007 of contempt and obstruction of justice for refusal to testify before a grand jury with regard to Hamas, and sentenced to 135 months in prison.[29][2][30] In addition, it has been reported that the phone number for the mosque was found in the Hamburg, Germany, apartment of one of the planners of the September 11 attacks, Ramzi Binalshibh, though the significance of this finding was not stated.[31]

Jeffrey Goldberg, in his 2008 book, characterizes Dar Al-Hijrah as an openly political mosque that has conducted militant Friday sermons, especially prior to the September 11 attacks.[32] The Washington Post reported that its leaders have strongly criticized U.S. law enforcement actions against Muslims and U.S. policies in the Middle East.[2] The Washington Post also reported that the mosque is closely affiliated with the Muslim American Society, which has been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.[2][33]

Notes

  1. ^ Stewart, Nikita, "Muslims Find Room to Grow in D.C.'s Outer Suburbs," The Washington Post, August 1, 2005, accessed November 12, 2009
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Caryle Murphy (September 12, 2004). "Facing New Realities as Islamic Americans". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 12, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ The Congregation: About Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center (pbs.org)
  4. ^ Masters, Brook, "Sept. 11 witness languishes in jail; Volunteering information on hijackers led to lengthy incarceration," The Washington Post, May 5, 2002, accessed November 12, 2009
  5. ^ Muslim Voters Meet Candidates, Officials at Picnic (washingtonpost.com)
  6. ^ "Mohammed Al-Hanooti". Muslim American Society. Retrieved November 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Muslim Residents Doubt, Decry American Action; U.S. Lacked Evidence to Support Retaliation, Many Say". The Washington Post. Aug 22, 1998. Retrieved November 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Paul Sperry (April 9, 2007). "The Great Al-Qaeda "Patriot"". FrontPageMagazine.com. Retrieved November 15, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "List of Unindicted co conspirators in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing". Militant Islam Monitor. December 6, 2005. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
  10. ^ Imam Johari Abdul-Malik (November 9, 2009). "Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center Repudiates Praise for Fort Hood Killings". Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  11. ^ "US imam wanted in Yemen over al-Qaida suspicions". Associated Press. November 10, 2009.
  12. ^ Spencer S. Hsu and Carrie Johnson (November 9, 2009). "Authorities scrutinize links between Fort Hood suspect, imam said to back al-Qaeda". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Thousands of Muslims Celebrate Eid Al-Adha in US". Arab News. January 22, 2005. Retrieved November 14, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Mary Beth Sheridan (June 11, 2005). "Leader Named at Mosque". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  15. ^ Peronet Despeignes (June 20, 2004). "Koran doesn't call for beheadings, Islamic cleric says". USA Today. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
  16. ^ "Guest CV, Shaker Elsayed". Islam Online. Retrieved November 12, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Elsayed, Shaker". The American Muslim. Retrieved November 12, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, Home, About us, Board of Directors", accessed December 10, 2009
  19. ^ "Va. Mosque Reaches Out, Joining Immigrant Fabric". The Washington Post.
  20. ^ Daniel Hayes. "10 Cooks, 21,000 Dinners, 30 Nights". Muslim Link Paper.
  21. ^ Fort Hood shooting: Texas army killer linked to September 11 terrorists, The Telegraph, November 7, 2009
  22. ^ Alleged Shooter Tied to Mosque of 9/11 Hijackers, The New York Times, November 8, 2009
  23. ^ Sperry, Paul E., Infiltration: how Muslim spies and subversives have penetrated Washington, Chapter 12: "The 9/11 Mosque: Dar al-Hijrah," p. 110, Thomas Nelson Inc (2005), ISBN 1595550038, 9781595550033, accessed November 11, 2009
  24. ^ Thompson, Paul, The terror timeline: year by year, day by day, minute by minute : a comprehensive chronicle of the road to 9/11--- and America's response, p. 172, Harper Collins (2004), ISBN 0060783389, 9780060783389, accessed November 12, 2009
  25. ^ Imam Johari Abdul-Malik (November 9, 2009). "Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center Repudiates Prise for Fort Hood Killings". Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  26. ^ Dao, James, and Lichtblau, Eric, "Case Adds to Outrage for Muslims in Northern Virginia," The New York Times, February 27, 2004, accessed November 11, 2009
  27. ^ "Conviction upheld in Bush assassination plot". CNN. June 6, 2008.
  28. ^ Lichtblau, Eric, "American Accused in a Plot to Assassinate Bush," The New York Times, February 23, 2005, accessed November 12, 2009
  29. ^ Eggen, Dan, and Markon, Jerry, "Hamas Leader, 2 Others Indicted; Justice Dept. Targets U.S. Fundraising for Militant Group," Washington Post, August 21, 2004; accessed December 7, 2009
  30. ^ "Transcript of Sentencing Proceedings," US v. Ashqar, November 21, 2007, accessed December 7, 2009
  31. ^ "Report of the Joint Inquiry into the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001" (PDF). House Permanent Select Committee of Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence [redacted version]. December 2002. pp. p. 178. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  32. ^ Goldberg, Jeffrey, Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror, pp. 286-87, Random House, Inc. (2008), ISBN 0375726705, 9780375726705, accessed November 11, 2009
  33. ^ Sheridan, Mary Beth (June 11, 2005). "Leader Named at Mosque; Falls Church Site Selects Activist". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 12, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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