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_Islamic Society of North America

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The mosque is situated among cornfields and approached by a long driveway. The plan is based on the square and its subdivisions, and the exterior elevation consists of a central cube surrounded rectangular volumes of various heights. The brick exterior is largely unadorned and is broken up by rows of standard rectangular windows and keyhole-shaped windows, as well as four large round second-story windows.

A courtyard paved with rectangles of concrete and brick, with a fountain, runs along the northwest face of the mosque. Externally, there are no traditional elements of Islamic architecture, and the mosque is an example of what Omar Khalidi calls an “innovative design” in American mosque architecture. There is no minaret, or visible external dome, though three internal domes are present.

The plan of the prayer hall is of two squares imposed on each other, forming an eight-pointed star. A dome on a two-story drum is centred over the prayer hall. Like the exterior, the interior is plain and lacking in ornament. The large round windows with geometric motifs let light into the interior space and casts shadows of the geometric shapes.

In 1979, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), an off-shot of the Muslim Student Association founded in 1963, invited the architect Gulzar Haider to design a headquarters mosque for the society in Plainfield. The mosque was completed by 1981 and has been in use since 1982, and includes prayer space, a library, and administrative offices.

The mosque is situated among cornfields and approached by a long driveway. The plan is based on the square and its subdivisions, and the exterior elevation consists of a central cube surrounded rectangular volumes of various heights. The brick exterior is largely unadorned and is broken up by rows of standard rectangular windows and keyhole-shaped windows, as well as four large round second-story windows. A courtyard paved with rectangles of concrete and brick, with a fountain, runs along the northwest face of the mosque. Externally, there are no traditional elements of Islamic architecture, and the mosque is an example of what Omar Khalidi calls an “innovative design” in American mosque architecture. There is no minaret, or visible external dome, though three internal domes are present.

The plan of the prayer hall is of two squares imposed on each other, forming an eight-pointed star. A dome on a two-story drum is centred over the prayer hall. Like the exterior, the interior is plain and lacking in ornament. The large round windows with geometric motifs let light into the interior space and casts shadows of the geometric shapes.

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America. ISNA holds an annual national convention which is generally regarded as the largest annual gathering of American Muslims to discuss their role in society, politics, public media, activism, educational institutions, and other areas. The organization has been the subject of several controversies throughout its lifetime.

Mosque Data

Architect

Gulzar Haider

Type

Central

Country

United States

Owner/Founder

North American Islamic Trust

Year

1981

Area

Drawings

Interactive Map

References

“Mission and Vision”. Retrieved April 6, 2021.

^ “Board Of Directors”. Retrieved April 6, 2021.

^ Jump up to:a b “Top Reform Rabbi Gives Watershed Address to Largest U.S. Muslim Group”. The Jewish Daily Forward. 5 September 2007.

^ “ISNA’s Change Convention”. Islamonline.net.

^ “10 minutes with … Mohamed Magid”. 2010-11-03.

^ Jump up to:a b “Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis”. washingtonpost.com.

^ Braswell, George W. (2000). What You Need to Know about Islam & Muslims. ISBN 9780805418293.

^ Fenton, John Y. (1988). Transplanting Religious Traditions. ISBN 9780275926762.

^ Hafiz, Yasmine (September 8, 2013). “Tahera Ahmad Is First Woman To Recite Quran At ISNA Convention (VIDEO)”. huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2014-01-25.

^ “MYNA | Connect . Belong . Inspire – Home”. myna.org. Retrieved 2014-01-25.

^ The Muslims of America. 13 June 1991. ISBN 9780198023173.

^ “Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) | Outreach, Education, and Social Services”. icna.org. Retrieved 2014-01-25.

^ “Speech of Thomas A. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, at the 49th ISNA Convention – YouTube”. youtube.com. Retrieved 2014-01-25.

^ “Valerie Jarrett Addresses the Islamic Society of North America | The White House”. whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2014-01-25 – via National Archives.

^ “Jeh Johnson at ISNA”.

^ “Board of Directors – ISNA”. isna.net. Archived from the original on 2014-01-25. Retrieved 2014-01-25.

^ Marc Perelman (September 5, 2007). “Top Reform Rabbi Gives Watershed Address to Largest U.S. Muslim Group”. The Jewish Daily Forward.

^ Wan, William (2009-07-06). “Rick Warren Speaks at Muslim Interfaith Event”. The Washington Post.

^ Lipman, Steve (November 16, 2016). “Muslim-Jewish Council Forms Amid Spike In Hate Crime Launch of first such national group buttressed by post-election bias incidents against the two groups”. The Jewish Week. Retrieved November 17,2016.

^ Sperry, Paul (7 December 2008). Infiltration. ISBN 9781418508425.

^ Jump up to:a b c Guttman, Nathan (2009-07-20). “Anti-Semitic Speech at Islamic Meet Mars Interfaith Push”. Haaretz. Retrieved 2017-07-26.

^ “Nation/World – Indianapolis Star – indystar.com”. Indianapolis Star.

^ The New Muslim Brotherhood in the West, Lorenzo G. VidinoISBN 9780231522298, pp 167-186

^ MacFarquhar, Neil (2007-08-16). “Muslim Groups Oppose a List of ‘Co-Conspirators. The New York Times.

^ Alexander Moens, A.; Collacott, Martin (2008). Immigration Policy and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and the United States. ISBN 9780889752351.

^ Gerstein, Josh. “Judge: Feds violated U.S. Islamic group’s rights”. POLITICO. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

^ Elder, Larry (2008). Stupid Black men: how to play the race card–and lose(1st ed.). New York: St. Martin’s Press. p. 295. ISBN 9780312367336. Dr. Michael Waller—an expert on foreign propaganda—in his October 2003 Senate testimony, called the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) a powerful Saudi-supported Islamic educational organization. It certifies Wahhabi-trained chaplains to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The ISNA seeks to impose Wahhabi religious conformity on American Islam.

^ “Antisemitic Rant Causes Red Faces at Islamic Confab”. The Jewish Daily Forward. July 15, 2009.

^ Avery, Dan (14 July 2017). “HRC Ejected From Largest Muslim Convention In North America”. LOGO News. Retrieved 2017-07-26.

Mosque Data

Architect

Gulzar Haider

Type

Central

Country

United States

Owner/
Founder

North American Islamic Trust

Year

1981

Area

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