“There are two reasons we are here today – to get the blessings of jannah, and we are here celebrating this opportunity for a strong future.”
These words began the ribbon cutting ceremony opening Masjid Al-Ihsan in Gwynn Oak -- Baltimore City's first masjid “built from the ground up” -- on a cloudy Saturday afternoon on March 5, 2016. Master of ceremonies Mujahid Muhammed, who is also the public relations representative for the Gwynn Oak Islamic Community (GIC), spoke these words to remind the approximately 200 guests of the reason Muslims established a community in this neighborhood near the western border of Baltimore City.
A community building effort started by Baltimore Muslim activist John “Yahya” Cason, several dozen Muslim families moved into the Howard Park - Gwynn Oak neighborhood over the last fifteen years, renovating and remodeling some of the old, large single family homes, mostly within a one mile radius. Wikipedia describes the neighborhood as a “Muslim enclave.” The official GIC website gicoak.org says that about Muslim 60 families make up the community.
“When the Muslims left [different] parts of Baltimore to find Gwynn Oak, it came with hardships … like in Madinah, it developed slowly and it took work, they lived with one another and they created a strong society … these are the values of Islam,” said Muhammed. “Young people have such a strong group of people [here in Gwynn Oak] to support them, both Muslim and non-Muslim,” he added.
And so, speaker after speaker, elected official after elected official, came to the podium and praised and thanked the Muslims of Gwynn Oak for their presence in the neighborhood, for their positive impact on the environment, and for their partnership in making the city's 5th district a better place to raise a family.
Chaplain Mikail Abdul-Mateen asked Allah to make the day “a day pleasing to [Him]” and that “this masjid and neighborhood be a beacon of guidance and light” for everyone in the region.
Current GIC president Presley Cason, Jr thanked all the attendees for coming out, and vice-president Presley Cason, III talked about some of the challenges faced over the six year effort to build the three-story masjid.
“When you come across something that looks too good to be true, it is,” said Cason III to laughs. The first builder GIC hired was a Muslim firm that offered the lowest bid. Midway through the construction, GIC fired the builder, prompting a lawsuit. Cason praised Baltimore City zoning officials, some who were present at the ceremony, and thanked them for guiding GIC through the process.
Baltimore City mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was scheduled to attend but due to a personal situation she canceled and sent a certificate of recognition with a representative instead.
Citations and certificates of recognition also came from Governor Larry Hogan, presented by the head of the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives Jennifer Gray, the Baltimore City Council, the Office of State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, the office of United States Senator Ben Cardin. Delegate Hasan Jalisi, the only Muslim in the State Legislature, offered words of congratulations, saying he is confident “[GIC] will do great work for the community and for Maryland.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony followed the presentations. Members of the Cason family, GIC board members, donors, and elected officials stood behind the ribbon as it was cut. After refreshments, Muslim community members assembled in the masjid on the second floor for prayer and some Islamic words of advice.
“I want to remind [everyone] of the work done by the Prophet [Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam] and the Muslims who established the community, from the [areas] of business, religious, sciences, and health, everyone came together to build the community. Now the work starts to build from within. Let's not drop the ball,” said Mujahid Muhammed.
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