Arsalan
10-09-07, 06:19 PM
Islamic Center expands buildings, programs
Members hope to complete work in time for Ramadan
September 10, 2007
By Emily McFarlan Staff writer
The Islamic Center of Naperville plans to open its second location Tuesday - Insha'Allah , or God willing, and as long as the new sound system is installed.
The new Islamic Center will be housed in the old St. James Lutheran Church building at 2844 W. Ogden Ave. The new Ogden Center will house five daily prayer services, a preschool and a weekend school, and will relieve overcrowding at the existing Olesen Center.
"Like many of the other churches in the area, we've been growing," Islamic Center Board Secretary Aatif Rahman said.
HOW TO HELP To help the Islamic Center of Naperville renovate its new Ogden Center, donations can be made at www.islamiccenterofnaperville.org (http://www.islamiccenterofnaperville.org) or mailed to:
Islamic Center of Naperville
450 Olesen Drive
Naperville, IL 60540
Rahman said when the center first formed as a nonprofit organization in 1991, it served about 100 Muslim families in the Naperville area. That number has grown to nearly 1,000, according to the Islamic Center Web site."Whenever (Mayor Pradel) sees me, he says, 'You know, I like your community,'" said Ahmed Qadeer, former president of the Islamic Center and the secretary of the Naperville Interfaith Leaders Association.
That community has grown so large, the center began holding two midday prayer services on Fridays, Muslims' weekly holy day. Attendance at daily evening prayers also swells from about 50 people to more than 200 during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
With Ramadan beginning Thursday, Rahman said the Islamic Center wanted to open the new location as soon as possible so evening prayers could be housed in its own facilities. But after acquiring the building earlier this summer, there was a lot of work to do.
"It was closed down, so we're rehabbing and renovating it," Rahman said.
That included replacing the leaky windows and roof, replacing worn carpeting and adding some tiling, installing a sound system and painting.
The Islamic Center also plans to expand the existing parking lot and add modular classrooms on the 3.5-acre property to house its weekend school for children in kindergarten through seventh grade.
In the meantime, Rahman said members of the Islamic Center are looking forward to meeting their neighbors.
"We are planning something that we will invite the neighbors to come to, like a meet-and-greet type thing," he said.
Contact Emily McFarlan at emcfarlan@scn1.com or 630-416-5196.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/549621,6_1_NA10_MUSLIMS_S1.article#
Members hope to complete work in time for Ramadan
September 10, 2007
By Emily McFarlan Staff writer
The Islamic Center of Naperville plans to open its second location Tuesday - Insha'Allah , or God willing, and as long as the new sound system is installed.
The new Islamic Center will be housed in the old St. James Lutheran Church building at 2844 W. Ogden Ave. The new Ogden Center will house five daily prayer services, a preschool and a weekend school, and will relieve overcrowding at the existing Olesen Center.
"Like many of the other churches in the area, we've been growing," Islamic Center Board Secretary Aatif Rahman said.
HOW TO HELP To help the Islamic Center of Naperville renovate its new Ogden Center, donations can be made at www.islamiccenterofnaperville.org (http://www.islamiccenterofnaperville.org) or mailed to:
Islamic Center of Naperville
450 Olesen Drive
Naperville, IL 60540
Rahman said when the center first formed as a nonprofit organization in 1991, it served about 100 Muslim families in the Naperville area. That number has grown to nearly 1,000, according to the Islamic Center Web site."Whenever (Mayor Pradel) sees me, he says, 'You know, I like your community,'" said Ahmed Qadeer, former president of the Islamic Center and the secretary of the Naperville Interfaith Leaders Association.
That community has grown so large, the center began holding two midday prayer services on Fridays, Muslims' weekly holy day. Attendance at daily evening prayers also swells from about 50 people to more than 200 during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
With Ramadan beginning Thursday, Rahman said the Islamic Center wanted to open the new location as soon as possible so evening prayers could be housed in its own facilities. But after acquiring the building earlier this summer, there was a lot of work to do.
"It was closed down, so we're rehabbing and renovating it," Rahman said.
That included replacing the leaky windows and roof, replacing worn carpeting and adding some tiling, installing a sound system and painting.
The Islamic Center also plans to expand the existing parking lot and add modular classrooms on the 3.5-acre property to house its weekend school for children in kindergarten through seventh grade.
In the meantime, Rahman said members of the Islamic Center are looking forward to meeting their neighbors.
"We are planning something that we will invite the neighbors to come to, like a meet-and-greet type thing," he said.
Contact Emily McFarlan at emcfarlan@scn1.com or 630-416-5196.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/549621,6_1_NA10_MUSLIMS_S1.article#