One of Vermont’s few mosques is racing against the clock to purchase two new buildings its leaders say will better serve the growing Muslim community around Burlington.
The Islamic Community Center of Vermont, which currently operates out a cramped Winooski building, says it needs to raise $100,000 by April 28 to guarantee ownership of two much larger Burlington properties on Riverside Avenue.
For the approximately 300 Somali families who use the mosque’s services, the change in location would be like “moving from a one-bedroom apartment to a mansion,” center board member Mukhtar Abdullahi told the Burlington Free Press.
The mosque’s current space limits services. It can only run a few small Qur’an reading and recitation classes each day and weekend, resulting in waitlists for some classes.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had to turn people away simply because we don’t have the capacity to accommodate everyone,” Abdullahi said.
The mosque also lacks sufficient space for women and their children, who for instance must share the facility’s single bathroom with men, “which is far from ideal,” Abdullahi said.
The small size is also a safety concern.
“If something was to happen, there’s no quick exit,” he said.
The deadline is built into a purchasing agreement and financing terms from a bank, Abdullahi said. The center has paid an upfront deposit of $30,000, he said, and the remaining balance of the down payment and closings costs is due April 28.
A bigger space would allow the center to offer multiple classes for different demographics, including age and gender, giving families more flexibility. The organization would also be able to expand Qur’an instruction and provide followers with more activities.
Abdullahi especially dreams of one day cultivating a place just for local youth, which the mosque and the greater Burlington area as a whole lacks, he said.
“Regardless of religion, our youth are the future,” Abdullahi said. “We want to make sure we take care of them.”
How Islamic Community Center of Vermont came to be
The center is one of only two state-registered mosques in Vermont, according to Abdullahi. The other is the similarly named Islamic Society of Vermont, based in South Burlington.
The Islamic Society of Vermont formed in 1995. The Islamic Community Center of Vermont followed in 2011. Together, the two mosques serve the Green Mountain State’s 6,200-6,500 Muslim residents.
The main difference between the organizations is who each serves, Abdullahi said.
His center formed 15 years ago in response to a growing number Somali immigrants, many of whom do not speak English or have a car, to the greater Burlington area. The Islamic Society of Vermont’s services are offered primarily in English and its mosque is a long walk from where the majority of Somali families live, Abdullahi said.
Although the Islamic Society of Vermont has done its best to welcome and accommodate Somali attendees, “there was a need for a mosque where they could communicate easily, ask questions and feel fully understood by people who share their background,” Abdullahi said.
“This wasn’t about replacing that but about creating additional support and accessibility for our community,” he said.
The prospective location, which used to be a laundry mat and a car wash, is a 20-30 minute walk from the mosque’s current spot in Winooski.
Despite its small size, the mosque is “the heart of the community,” Abdullahi told the Free Press, adding that many Somali residents “would struggle to live our daily lives without it.”
The center performs marriages and funeral rites. It’s where people go to settle disagreements.
“We teach children how to be good citizens, how to stay away from trouble, how to read the Qur’an,” Abdullahi said. “It’s where we tell stories about back home.”
“It’s a small building that stands for and does more than what the eye sees,” Abdullahi said.
How fundraising is going
Should the religious nonprofit fail to raise enough money, it will forfeit thousands of dollars in already paid fees and must look for a different location, according to Abdullahi.
Despite the tight deadline, Abdullahi told the Free Press he feels confident the group will secure enough donations.
“We already have several committed donations and meetings lined up, and we’re continuing to connect with supporters,” he said. “Our community has always shown up in meaningful ways, and we’re hopeful that, as more people hear about this effort, they’ll contribute financially or support us in other ways as well.”
Donations will pay for the down payment and closing costs, which originally amounted to $300,000, according to Abdullahi. The center has raised $200,000, a significant amount of which came from Vermont’s non-Muslim population. It has a GoFundMe that as of April 14 had raised about $8,300.
“Regardless of where you come from, always, at the end of the day, community depends on each other,” Abdullahi said.
Real estate records show that the owners of the Riverside properties have been trying to sell them, or parts of them, for several years now.
When would the new mosque open to the public?
Should the center succeed in purchasing the two properties, the new mosque will open sometime between fall and the end of the year, Abdullahi said.
“The place needs a lot of renovations to make it a place of worship,” Abdullahi said, but “it’ll be doable.”
Just as before, people of all faiths, or people with no religious affiliation at all, are invited to visit the mosque.
“We don’t care what religion you are,” Abdullahi said. “It’s a place for the community. Anyone’s welcome.”
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.
