The Islamic Center has long welcomed women in participation and leadership roles throughout the organization’s history, with Betty Jean Alsabery being the first woman who served on the Board in various capacities from 1958-1967. The trio of Alice Audeh, Pat Awad and Ruth Akbarut were considered the community’s mainstay in the early years. Another milestone...
Three weeks before the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the Islamic Center along with the Muslim Public Affairs Council led the effort in creating the 9/11 Remembrance Quilt in honor of the 3,022 victims whose names are embroidered in the quilt. Handmade and created with a “twist ‘n turn” pattern, the enormous care that...
When renowned Islamic thinker Dr. Fathi Osman moved to Los Angeles in 1987, he became a resident scholar at the Islamic Center, advancing the credibility of the moderate-thinking institution. Dr. Osman served the community through his prolific sermons and academic lectures that advanced the understanding of progressive Islam, including the understanding of women’s issues in...
In response to the growing misunderstanding about Islam and Muslims, the Islamic Center launched the Muslim Political Action Committee in 1986, led by Dr. Maher Hathout and Salam Al-Marayati, a Muslim Youth Group alumnus. Its name was changed to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), becoming one of the most prominent organizations established by the...
As the community settled in Southern California and their families grew, the challenge arose of how their children would be educated in Islamic knowledge and values. In 1984, the Islamic Center founded the New Horizon School as a preschool in a leased building in the city of South Pasadena. Three years later, NHS moved to...
The country’s most well-known American Muslim was a frequent visitor of the Islamic Center when he often stopped for prayers and connecting with the community from his nearby home in Hancock Park in the 1980s. “Muhammad Ali was not only the world’s most famous Muslim person but also a great ambassador of Islam. He was...
After moving to Los Angeles in 1978, Dr. Maher Hathout began a 40-year tenure with the Islamic Center as chairman, spokesperson and visionary. He became widely known as “Father of the American Muslim identity,” which emphasizes a vision of Islam in America rooted in his definition of home: “Home is not where my grandparents are...
The community continued to burst at the seams with the influx of new families every year, making the St. Andrews Place location too small for its growing needs. In the mid-70s, the Islamic Center began a fundraising drive to acquire a new location, and in 1976, moved to its present location at 434 S. Vermont...
As the Islamic Center community grew and more families flocked to Southern California, the Muslim Youth Group (MYG) became a natural offshoot of the Islamic Center, providing youth with ways to develop their American Muslim identity, socialize with peers and strengthen their Islamic knowledge. The MYG has fostered Muslim leadership and provided fellowship for over...
The Islamic Center moved from Fountain Avenue in Hollywood to a newly purchased building located on City Terrace Drive in East Los Angeles, the first building owned by the growing Muslim community. It was purchased from members of the Jewish community, which also used the building for their congregation meetings. The community continued to grow...
