Islamic Center of America

The Islamic Center of America is one of North America's oldest Islamic institutions. Established in 1963, the Islamic Center has been serving the needs of Muslims in the greater Detroit area as well as throughout the United States. The Islamic Center of America has a long a rich past that embodies the American Muslim community's search, struggle and triumph to find a place to belong. The story begins in 1949, when Imam Jawad Chirri, a man who could not speak or understand English, came to America at the request of a small group of people who where yearning for Islamic guidance. It culminates as an Islamic Center that has become more than a place of worship but an Institution and a beacon for Islam in North America. 'New Beginnings: The Story of the Islamic Center', by Raad I. Alawan, is an in depth documentary of this journey.