The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

History

The first Muslim arrived in Boise in 1955 and was a student at Boise State University. In 1982 the first community of Muslims formed with 15-20 people. Prayers were held in individual homes until 1989 when the community began renting an apartment building. In 1990 the community relocated to a room that is part of Boise State University, and then in 1991 they began renting an office space again. In 1996 the Muslim community grew significantly due to the influx of computer software companies and refugees from Bosnia, Somalia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Challenges and Discrimination

The community struggles to support the refugees, as they are a small and relatively new religious community to the Boise area. The Boise Muslims rented a building on Idaho Street for 12 years while raising the money to purchase their current building. In 2002 they purchased the current building that is now the Boise Mosque and Islamic Center. The building was formerly a church, and then a dance studio.

They community is challenged to fight the stereotypes of Muslims in America. The Muslims in Boise stand apart from their neighbors visibly, as many are Middle or Far Eastern and most of the women veil themselves in public. Post 9/11, the Muslim community of Boise has gained new positive and negative attention from the public. Community members are very proactive about fighting these stereotypes and educating their neighbors about Islam. Many of the members of the mosque are active in interfaith activities, have begun programs to educate non-Muslims about Islam, and publicly discuss their religion regularly. However, the federal government has recently begun investigating members of the community for their religious affiliations and activities. Some of the investigations have been fair, but others have not. In many instances, the individual under investigation was singled out simply because he/she was a Muslim. The Boise Mosque now provides an attorney, free of charge, to all Muslims that come under investigation. Furthermore, the Boise Chief of Police attends Friday afternoon prayers to ensure that the community feels safe while praying and to show his, and the city’s, support to the Muslim community.

Demographics

The majority of community members are refugees from Bosnia, Somalia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It is a predominantly younger community, with many children. In the Muslim community of Boise there are approximately 4000 Bosnian refugees, 2000 Somali refugees and 300 Afghan refugees. In total, there are 44 nations represented at the Boise Mosque. There are also a significant number of professionals who are members of the Mosque that moved to Boise for their jobs, and therefore, most of the members are not originally from Idaho.

Activities and Schedule

The Mosque holds daily congregational prayers for Fajr, Zuhar, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. There is also Friday congregational prayers (Khutaba), which begin at 1pm. The Khutaba begins with a sermon by the Imam, then prayers, and often concludes with a small community lunch. There is weekly Islamic school for children on Sundays from 12-2pm. Furthermore, Arabic classes are offered daily prior to Magrib prayers. The last Saturday of each month, following Asr prayers, the congregation has a community dinner at the Islamic Center.

In addition to the prayer schedule, the Islamic Center offers a variety of free community services. These services include refugee orientations, hosting of Muslim speakers, lectures, mosque tours for non-Muslims interested in learning about Islam, language classes, burial assistance, access to a Muslim cemetery, counseling, marriage performances, charity distribution and charity work, Islamic school, and access to an attorney if a member of the Mosque comes under investigation for terrorist related acts.

Description

The Boise Mosque and Islamic Center was formerly a dance studio. There are two main rooms: a large room for the women, and a large room for the men. Each room is lined with full-length mirrors (remnants from the dance studio) and the floors are covered with Persian carpets. Prior to being a dance studio, the building was a church.