40 years ago, Sakin Muhammad spent hours making trays of baklava to sell at a small stall to raise funds for an Islamic center in Maryland. On November 16, 2016, she was waiting for an Uber to pick up her husband and her daughter. They were all attending the celebration of Muslim Community Center’s 40th anniversary in the main hall of MCC. The hall was decked with black and gold balloons. Several hundred members of the MCC family— new and old — gathered with elected officials, interfaith friends and celebrated the coming of age of the iconic masjid on the stretch of land on New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Md., called the highway to heaven.
“On this night, we will celebrate the progress of an idea [started with a few faithful pioneers] that has now grown into a hub. We will also celebrate the cornerstone of what the Muslim Community Center (MCC) stands for – Service,” stated Usman Sarwar, a product of MCC, and current President of Board of Directors.
The idea emerged in 1974. Leaflets were printed and distributed at the Islamic Center of Washington, which was the main masjid for families in the area. 40 families collected $130 in cash and several thousand in pledges.
Arshad Qureshi, of the Board of Trustees, shared a few words about the vision of MCC, highlighting the diversity of the congregation, which makes it a microcosm of what one finds at Hajj.
“I am crying because my wife is not here,” said Ali Tangoren, missing his wife, Dr. Gulen Fatima. “She wrote the first big check. She would stay late for the initial meetings and get up early the next day to perform surgery,” he shared with the crowd, as tears welled up in many eyes.
“When you do it for Allah, it will grow,” said Dr. A. S. Hashim, who with wife, Nancy, was amongst the first founders when MCC was just an idea in 1974. Gomaa Abutaleb, Mr. & Mrs. M. Aniba, Dr. Ali Atia, Nazir Baig, Nader Dajani and Dr. Aref Dajani, Sajjad Durrani, Dr. Ahmed Elrefai, Imtiaz Husain, Mr. Ajmal Khan, Dr. S. I. Khan, Dr. S. Mahallati, Dr. Azizali Mohammed and , Mohammed, Dr. Hamid Quraishi, Arshad Qureshi, Mrs. A. Rau, Mrs. Z. Usmani and Dr. A. Zaghloul were all pioneers. The center recognized other first families, including Mr. and Mrs. Shamsul Islam Khan and the Zuberis, as well as the thousands of volunteers over the years. "They are what makes MCC what it is and do so for pleasing Allah and out of their love for the community."
Bylaws were developed and formal legal incorporation was approved in November 1976 and MCC received its 501c-3 status in 1977. By 1978, the center had collected enough money to purchase the 9.5-acre property. In August of 1980, Phase One of the building started. Over the years buildings were expanded and added on the property. Phase Two of the main building started in '85, giving the community the main hall and extending classrooms. 1985 also saw the conceptual designs of the masjid. In 1992 construction started on the masjid. 2016 saw the addition of a dedicated women’s musalla and an extension of the school building.
This small family masjid grew over the years to a hub of activities and MCC became ‘the place to be’ for Muslims and people of other faiths from around the world. 80 countries are represented
The center focused itself around education. A Sunday school, which started at the Tilden Middle School, developed into a weekend school which now serves over 500 students. The renowned Al-Huda School has it roots at MCC. A vibrant youth group holds regular events every Friday night.
Many MCC alums are settled in the area and have gone to accomplish great things. Dr. Mustafa A. Haque was named among “Top doctors” in the Washingtonian Magazine; Fatimah Waseem writes for the Baltimore Sun; Dilshad D. Ali runs the Muslim section of the Patheos blog. The Mokhtarzada brothers started Webs in 2001— later acquired by Vistaprint for $117 million.
For the past five years, an English as a second language class teaches people from 28 countries. A new Satellite After School (SAS) program designed to meet the needs of the congregation was started in 2016.
An active Muslim Young Professionals group meets over a monthly halaqah, iftars, and dinners. At Shepherd's Table, a local charity, members of YAP serve the greater community by feeding the less fortunate. The sister committee runs exercise classes, henna nights and a monthly halaqah. Mommy and Me group meets
As a result of a survey conducted at MCC — by the weekend school principal, Zahirah Eppard — every teacher and principal in the district was trained in bullying, shared Reverend Mansfield “Kasey” Kaseman, Interfaith Community Liaison for Montgomery County.
The renowned MCC Clinic, founded by Dr. Qadri in 2003, has a new Executive Director, Rashid A. Chotani, MD, MPH, DTM, is a Senior Fellow of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. According to an independent study, the economic value of the services provided by the MCC Medical Center exceeds $2.5 million. The MCC Medical Clinic has been cited by the Washington Post as the second largest of its kind in the nation after a similar faith-based medical facility in Palo Alto, California.
Senator-elect Chris Van Hollen’s Constituent Services representative Yi Shen shared a story of a Syrian refugee, who called the senator’s office. Facing the hardships and loneliness, he didn’t want to live anymore. The office reached out to MCC and followed up with him every week for a month. “You saved that man’s life,” stated Shen. The MCC Senior Committee is working with the Montgomery County Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Neighbors (MCIRRN) to support 9 refugee families from Syria, two from Afghanistan, and one from Sudan. This includes English language classes and in-kind help. Fifty families are served monthly through the food pantry, also a project of the MCC Seniors.
Ike Leggett, County Executive of Montgomery County and Jennifer Gray, Director of Interfaith Outreach, of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, presented MCC with a proclamation and a citation.
Sanjana Quasem, who grew up in the MCC community, organized the event with volunteers Salma, Tasnuva, and Kamran. Quasem collected photos from Eids long gone and showcased the progress of the community in a presentation that will soon be available on the MCC website.
“All the above is the product of early visionaries who planted and nurtured the strong roots [of] our ever-growing tree of service which continuously sprouts new branches and bears more and more fruits as the day’s pass,” said Sarwar. “Every generation has its mandate; with Allah’s mercy, the ever-growing community’s support, and the support and partnerships we have built over the years with the larger community, we will continue to strive and work hard to make “MCC the place to be” - for all.”
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