The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

History

The new Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) is the third expansion of the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) since 1981. In the late eighties the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) set aside the area in Roxbury for a religious and cultural center. After unsuccessful applications from several other mosques to construct a center at the site, the land was sold to the ISB. In November 2002 the ISB broke ground in Roxbury at an onsite ceremony attended by government leaders such as Mayor Thomas Menino, Boston City Councilman Chuck Turner, U.S. Representative Michael E. Capuano and religious leaders such as Bishop Filipe Teixeira of the Catholic Church of the Americas and Imam Talal Eid, then representing the Islamic Center of New England.

Demographics

The demographics of the ISB have shifted over the years and will continue to change as Muslims from diverse communities choose to worship at the new mosque. The ISB started with a largely Arab population but its membership has grown to become remarkably diverse. At any given Friday Jum'ah prayer service, it is estimated that twenty-seven different ethnicities are represented. The large African-American and African Muslim populations already present in Roxbury will likely affect the demographics of the Center.

Center Construction and Controversy

The ISB has faced several challenges during the design and construction process. One was financing the center: this project is unlike any Islamic center or mosque undertaking in New England in its size and facilities; those who began the effort did not foresee its enormity. The cost is well over 20 million dollars and the Islamic prohibition against paying interest precludes traditional financing options. After 9/11 the ISB had to focus many of its personnel resources to counter the anti-Muslim backlash that affected Muslims across the country. However, the largest roadblock to the construction process was the complicated, 5-year-long legal battle and media controversy over the new complex. Starting in 2002, allegations were made against the ISB regarding improprieties during the sale of government property for the cultural center as well as alleged ties to Islamic extremists through fundraising and the group's board of directors. In 2004, the Boston Redevelopment Authority was sued over their sale of the Roxbury plot to the ISB. The ISB then counter-sued, claiming a conspiracy of both opposed parties and media outlets to publicly defame the ISB and some of its leadership. Construction on the mosque was halted indefinitely. In 2006, private reconciliation efforts were initiated by the Interreligious Center on Public Life (ICPL) in an attempt to settle the dispute outside of court through mediation.

In February 2007 a judge threw out the suit against the Boston Redevelopment Authority that questioned the ISBCC land deal, and in May 2007 the ISB dropped their defamation suit. With the legal battle over, the ISB was able to resume construction and held a minaret capping ceremony, co-sponsored by the Muslim American Society (MAS) - Boston Chapter, on June 9, 2007. On June 27 the ISB and MAS held what was called an "Intercommunity Solidarity Day" to emphasize the valuable addition of the cultural center, for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to the rich cultural and religious diversity of the Boston area. Currently the Boston Chapter of the Muslim American Society is the responsible body for the mosque, and houses its offices within the complex.

Description

The ISB Cultural Center is the largest Islamic complex in New England. The architects of the complex were interested in integrating the architecture of the mosque with the surrounding neighborhood and region, and have used brick and beige concrete together with traditional Islamic motifs of pointed arches, a 140-foot minaret, and a gilded dome. The new cultural center will include: administrative offices; a media and da'wah (outreach) center; a store for Islamic art and books; an aerobic fitness center for women; and a multipurpose hall and kitchen for social events such as Ramadan, weddings, and lectures. There is underground parking garage as well as an adjacent lot, accommodating a total of 570 cars.

The new facility includes a mosque that will accommodate 1200 men and 400 women in prayer rooms, and an addition is planned for 2013, which will house an Islamic school for students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school will have 18 classrooms serving 20 to 23 students each. Currently the nearest Islamic schools are in Sharon and Methuen, both over 25 miles outside of Boston. The center will include a library with a general collection to support the school, as well as a more specialized collection of books on Islamic history and culture. Salma Kazmi, former assistant director of the Islamic Society of Boston, said the ISBCC hopes to open the library to the public, although the technicalities about borrowing privileges have not been decided. The library committee is still in the process of finding sponsors and has also discussed having a consortium with the libraries at nearby Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School. The library will feature a selection of books on interfaith activities that will contribute to the center's overall goal of engaging Muslims and non-Muslims in the metro Boston area.

The center also houses a morgue with facilities for washing the dead and making burial preparations in accordance with Islamic law. Currently local Muslims must make special arrangements with area funeral homes. Also, it is often impossible to hold prayer services for the dead in mosques with the bodies present, as is Islamic custom. The new facility will make it possible to meet the ideal for an Islamic burial. Kazmi added that the library and the funeral facilities are probably two of the things that people are most looking forward to in the new center. These two new resources will no doubt draw Muslims from the local Roxbury community as well as from other areas.

According to Kazmi, a major element of the mosque's significance "is that it really adds visibility to the Muslim community in Boston." She recounted a time when the ISB held an open house in their Cambridge location and several people walked in and were surprised to find out the building was a mosque. "I think that that’s the case with a lot of mosques," Kazmi said. "People don’t even know that there’s a community around.”

The two ISB centers plan to host collaborative events including celebrations for Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.

Community Relationships

The new center is directly adjacent to the Roxbury Community College (RCC) on a parcel of land that has been vacant for the past 40 years. As part of their agreement with the BRA for the purchase of the Roxbury property, the ISBCC will offer monthly lectures for the next ten years at RCC and will donate books to the college's library.

Both the city and the ISB hope the cultural center will attract Muslim businesses and residents to the Roxbury community, which could have an enormous impact on the area's economic situation. The center also agreed to maintain two local parks as a method of compensation to the city for setting aside the land. The center will also benefit the larger Boston community by providing a forum for interfaith dialogue and interactions with civic leaders.

Much of the information contained in the original profile was obtained from an interview conducted by Summer Intern Jessie Thisell with then Assistant Director Salma Kazmi on June 20, 2005. Updates were made by Summer Intern Katie Merriman, after attending the minaret capping ceremony and the Intercommunity Solidarity Day in June 2007, as well as intern Alexis Gewertz.