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U.S. NEWSMonday 9 November 2015
American Living:
A mosque grows slowly amid opposition in New Hampshire
The state’s first mosque is seen in Manchester, New Hampshire. Muslim leaders trying to build the an estimated 3,782 adher- central gathering place
mosque face many of the same struggles other houses of worship contend with: Lack of funds and ents in 2000 to 1,616 in 2010, and realize a goal dating
shrinking attendance. ranking the northeastern to 1987, when a student at
state 46th, according to then-New Hampshire Col-
(AP Photo/Jim Cole) the Association of Religion lege rented a Manchester
Data Archives. apartment to serve as a
RIK STEVENS million for the project, less building committee. “And The numbers of Muslims — temporary mosque.
Associated Press than half of what it needs within that, the percent- like estimates of any faith In 1998, the society bought
MANCHESTER, New Hamp- to complete construction. age of affluent Muslims, group — need to be viewed 2.75 acres (1.1 hectares)
shire (AP) — The same fi- Now the society, which professionals in the space cautiously: Because theU.S. to build a true mosque, a
nancial difficulties that face relies on donations from of doctors, engineers and Census doesn’t ask about dome-topped, three-story
houses of worship across its very small local Mus- businessmen, is much high- religion, counts rely on self- octagonal structure with
the U.S. have stalled a 10- lim community, is casting er. Over here, we’re hitting reporting, institutional esti- plenty of prayer and meet-
year effort by New Hamp- a wider net — to Muslims the same group of people mates and, often, extrapo- ing space. Construction
shire’s small Muslim com- around the world — hoping again and again for dona- lation. started eight years later
munity to construct their to raise enough to finish the tions.” New Hampshire Muslims and, beyond fundraising,
first mosque — and build a building before it deterio- The number of mosques have three Islamic centers there were hurdles from the
bridge to their non-Muslim rates past the point of sav- in the United States rose — usually in rented office start.
neighbors who never want- ing. from 1,209 in 2000 to 2,106 space — where they can Zoning challenges came
ed it there in the first place. “Everywhere else mosques in 2011, the latest year for pray, the same number from neighbors who wor-
A decade after the still-un- are being built, the Muslim which data is available, found in states including ried their quiet way of life
finished red brick structure population itself is pretty according to a report is- Alaska, North Dakota and would come to an end,
began rising out of a stony dense and much higher sued by the Council on Wyoming. But New Hamp- ruined by cars spilling out
hillside overlooking the Mer- compared to what we American-Islamic Relations. shire lags behind other of the parking lot and lin-
rimack Valley, the Islamic have in New Hampshire,” Over roughly the same pe- sparsely populated states ing the street. In 2013, some
Society of New Hampshire said Mohammad Islam, riod, the number of Muslims such as Maine and South kids smashed windows,
says it has raised about $2 chairman of the mosque’s fell in New Hampshire, from Dakota with five each, causing more than $30,000
Idaho (6) and Nevada (7). in damage.
Those numbers pale com- There were strong — some-
pared to states like New times harsh — words. In
York with 257 centers and 2006, Douglas Lambert, a
mosques and California Gilford businessman, wrote
with 246. an op-ed piece in a news-
The small centers can’t paper in which he mused:
handle major festivals like “How many mosques have
Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha, been used throughout
so the New Hampshire the Moslem (sic) world as
society has rented out ammo dumps and hide-
stadiums and university outs for murderous thugs?”
gymnasiums for bigger Now 51, Lambert said he
events. The 17,000-square- has spent a lot of time “ag-
foot (1,579-square-meter) onizing” about whether he
mosque would provide a still feels the same.q
