Community grows, thrives

Immigration cited as main reason for growth in area

By Jim Warren - HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

Mahmoud Shalash recalls that, when he moved to Lexington 30 years ago, places for Muslims to gather and worship were few and far between.

"When I first moved here, students at the University of Kentucky were going to Friday prayers at the student center, and people in the community would go to the American Muslim Mission on Georgetown Street," Shalash said. "But things have changed. There's been a great deal of growth since I came to Lexington."

Indeed, Lexington now boasts two mosques -- one led by Shalash -- as well as an Islamic school. And mosques are proliferating all over the area -- in Richmond, in Danville, in London, in Frankfort.

And the days when a Muslim who moved to Lexington might struggle to find others of his or her faith in town are past.

Shalash notes that between 2,000 and 3,000 people now regularly turn out at Heritage Hall in downtown Lexington for Eid ul-Fiter, the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan.

None of that surprises Ihsan Bagby, associate professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at UK and imam at Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah, a mosque on Russell Cave Road in Lexington. In 2001, Bagby co-wrote a national survey that identified more than 1,200 mosques in the United States. Bagby says he expects that a recount scheduled next year will show a substantial increase.

He estimates that there are at least 22 mosques operating in Kentucky today, although he said there might be some other, smaller ones he's unaware of.

As churches do for Christian groups, mosques form the centerpiece of a Muslim community. It is where Muslims gather for Friday prayers, the main observance of each week, as well as for other religious and social activities.

Worldwide, Islam has 1.4 billion followers, second only to Christianity, and is considered the world's fastest-growing religion.

'Doctor mosques'

Bagby says that, although some people in Kentucky have converted to Islam in recent years, immigration is the main factor driving the increasing numbers of mosques.

"Here in Kentucky what typically happens is that someone will move into an area, other people will join them and they will establish Friday prayers in someone's home," Bagby said. "At a certain point, they want a regular place and they establish a mosque."

Usually, the group will rent an apartment or other space to serve as mosque, Bagby said. After a while, they might buy a building and covert it, usually with the goal of constructing a new building.

Bagby's own mosque, for example, recently moved to a converted residence on Russell Cave Road where it holds services. But Bagby said members hope to erect a new building someday.

Bagby says that a key factor in the number of mosques turning up in smaller, rural towns is immigration by physicians of Middle Eastern origin. Often, they set up medical practices in rural areas, and then eventually establish mosques, he said.

"Many of the mosques we see in the area now started off as what I call 'doctor mosques,'" Bagby said. "What has happened is that many of the Middle Eastern immigrants who came into the United States would go to larger places, a New York or a Chicago. After a while, they would tire of that and start to look for other opportunities.

"Some of them eventually came into Kentucky, which is their second or third move. They were looking for a place that was a bit slower, with a more peaceful, family-oriented lifestyle, which Kentucky certainly has to offer. That's definitely part of the dynamic."

Figures hard to find

Accurate figures on the number of Muslims in Kentucky are hard to come by.

Kentucky had almost 4,700 Muslims in 10 congregations as recently as 2000, according to an estimate by the Religious Congregations and Membership Survey.

But Mahmoud Shalash,who is imam at the Islamic Center of Lexington, estimates that Lexington alone now has between 5,000 and 6,000 Muslims. Like Bagby, he cites immigration for the growth. He uses his own family as an example.

"I came here in 1977 after going to school in Chicago," Shalash said. "My sister and brother-in-law had moved to Lexington, and so I was drawn here. I came and brought my mother and father, and then four brothers and three sisters with their families. Now, I am a grandfather and my sister that I followed here has two sons married and four daughters married. So, you probably have more than 100 people, including children and grandchildren, and that's just my family.

"Everybody is looking for an opportunity to be a better person, and Lexington is a good place to be. I've probably been in 30 states since I've been in America, and every time I leave I can't wait to get back to Lexington."Insight on Islam: Today's story is the second installment of a three-part series highlighting Central Kentucky's Muslim community. For last week's story, a profile of Abdul-Munim S. Jitmoud, principal of Lexington Universal Academy, visit www.kentucky.com/living. Next week, read excerpts from an interview with one of the leaders of the Islamic community, who will answer questions submitted by readers.