Islamic Society of Central Virginia

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The Islamic Society of Central Virginia is an organization dedicated to building the Muslim faith in Charlottesville and surrounding communities.

History

Before 2000

The Islamic Society of Central Virginia started in 1994 when a Muslim community member purchased a house in walking distance to UVA and rented it to the community to use for congregational prayers. This space continued to be used until January of 2012.[1]

Around 1997 the society started to notice a marked increase in Muslim residents of the Charlottesville area mainly from UVA students and resettled refugees from countries including Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Bosnia and Kosovo.[2] To accommodate this growth, a search began for land to be purchased for the construction of a mosque (referred to by ISCV by its Arabic name: masjid). Two adjacent lots were acquired by the ISCV near the University for this purpose in 1999 and 2000.

2000 to 2020

Funds were raised for the design and construction through fundraising events locally and in Washington, DC as well as from contributions by other Islamic communities from around the US. A design was solicited from "a Muslim architect" in 2006. Fundraising continued for a few years and construction took another 2 years. Prayers were first held in the new building in January of 2012.

The Masjid

Since 2012, the ISCV has been using their new building as their main prayer and meeting space. The three floor brick building on Pine St. has 13,500 square feet of space divided between a library, a multipurpose room, 8 classrooms, an administrative office, and, the largest space, the prayer room (or musallah area). The space is open for the 5 daily prayers and of course Friday prayers and holidays. Special hours are kept during Ramadan.

Administration

The facilities are managed by a board of trustees elected by ISCV members. Trustees fill officer positions and are elected for a 2 year term.[3]

Visitors

Visitors are welcome to witness prayers and encouraged to follow the dress code.[4]

Address

The masjid is located at 708 Pine St Charlottesville, VA 22903


External links

Islamic Society of Central Virginia

Notes