Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 12:41 PM
-Par: Naoufal Enhari-
New York – Conveniently located in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, the Islamic Cultural Center of New York is very busy during the holy month of Ramadan from members of the Muslim community in New York, a city that counts nearly a million Muslims from all over the world, according to the latest estimates.
While this city was last year the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, which in particular forced the closure of all places of worship, including during the holy month, this year Muslims of New York are delighted with the reopening of the Center Mosque, where they will be able to perform the Tarawih prayers in particular, and, for some, share the Iftar meal offered on site.
“We are delighted and happy with the opening of the (central) mosque this year and the resumption of prayers and the Tarawih, who we missed very much last year due to the pandemic,” said in an interview at MAP, Sheikh Chernor Jalloh, Imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.
“This year we are allowed to open the mosque during Ramadan and for the Tarawih. It’s not going to be easy (due to the pandemic), but it’s a moment of great joy for Muslims in the city, ”he said.
According to Mr. Jalloh, the mosque in the center welcomes daily a large number of members of the New York Muslim community who flock there from the four boroughs of the city.
A true melting pot, like New York, the Islamic Cultural Center is frequented daily by hundreds of Muslims from 46 nationalities, its Imam again affirms in this interview with the MAP.
– The Islamic Cultural Center of New York is more than just a place of worship. Tell us a little more about its activities?
Indeed, it is not only a place of worship, it is a cultural center and a place that many people come to visit to see the mosque and ask questions about Islam. It is also a place that journalists and local TV stations tend to contact whenever there is an incident involving Islam or Muslims, to ask questions and learn about Islam’s point of view. on this or that issue.
It is also a place that thousands of students, members of interfaith organizations and the clergy come to visit. Each year we receive nearly 30,000 non-Muslim visitors, representatives of NGOs, schools, universities and interfaith groups visiting the United States, as part of the programs of the United States Department of State. The center is where they learn about Islam and its pillars. It is also the place where many Muslims come to officiate their marriage.
The center receives, in fact, Muslims of 46 different nationalities who come to perform the five prayers in the mosque.
The centre’s board members are ambassadors from Muslim countries accredited to the United Nations, and several UN staff members come here regularly for Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha prayers. and Friday.
The center is also multicultural and open to serve the community at large, Muslim and non-Muslim, as our role is to instill the tenets of authentic Islam in Americans, reach out to them and teach them that Islam is a perfect religion, valid for all people, all places and all times.
– Regarding the Muslim community in New York, do you have any statistics or figures on the number of this community?
The number of Muslims in New York is estimated to be between 1 million and 1.1 million, and that number is on the rise. According to reports from some sources, the Muslim community grew between 2002 and 2011 by nearly 65% in New York.
In 2002 there were only 120 mosques, while in 2011 the number of mosques increased to almost 350 in the city. In 2015, the number of Muslims rose to over one million in New York City. The reason is that people are converting to Islam in large numbers. Indeed, this mosque welcomes a large number of people newly converted to Islam.
I will also add that New York is considered the main point of entry into the United States for migrants. Thus, many immigrants arrive first in New York, which remains a welcoming place where everyone can make a living, in that this city is different from many other American states.
The explanation for the numerical importance of the Muslim community is therefore the large number of immigrants (Muslims) who settle in New York, as well as the large number of immigrants converting to Islam. Added to this is the fertility rate which remains high within the Muslim community in New York.
– This is the second year Muslims around the world have welcomed Ramadan amid a pandemic. How difficult is it for the Muslim community and for you to organize prayers and other activities during this holy month?
We are delighted and happy to open the mosque this year and resume prayers and Tarawih, which we missed very much last year due to the pandemic.
This year, we are allowed to open the mosque during Ramadan and for the Tarawih prayers, but this is not without difficulties.
But it is certainly a moment of joy for Muslims, because we missed the mosque so much last year. We also work to follow the guidelines of the American Center for Disease Prevention (CDC) to protect ourselves and the faithful.
The mosque is frequented by all of the city’s Muslims who come there from New York’s five boroughs, especially taxi drivers, many of whom have chosen this profession because it is self-employment that allows them to take control. time to perform the five prayers of the day. Worshipers also come from states neighboring New York, particularly New Jersey and Connecticut.
– In terms of limitation, do you have any restrictions on the reception capacity due to the pandemic?
We are now allowed to accommodate around 50% of normal capacity, which was previously a total of 1,350 worshipers. As we do for the Friday prayers, where we decided to hold two separate prayers, the first between 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., and the second between 1:40 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. So we’re trying to accommodate two groups. But for the Tarawih prayer, it will be impossible to have two groups, because the night is too short.
However, we will ensure that we have enough food for all the faithful to break the fast. But we must respect the capacity limits, for the safety of all.
– You have been very active last year to help members of the Muslim community, especially the poorest who have been hit hard by the pandemic and the crisis. Do you have any programs in this direction this year?
We have always been very active in helping the needy. As a charitable organization, the center donates $ 25,000 every three months. We cooperate with ICAN Relief (Islamic Circle of North America), to whom we grant a check for $ 25,000 each quarter, and the center is responsible for distributing the money to the needy on a monthly basis.
The center also distributes food baskets to poor families, or prepaid electronic cards that we give to families in emergency cases.
So we try to help as much as we can. While we can’t solve everyone’s problems, at least we can do a little to not send them back empty-handed. We also distribute Zakat Al-Fitr, which is worth nearly $ 56,000 a year, and Zakat al-Maal, which totals over $ 100,000 a year.
The center also manages a cemetery, where we bought more than a thousand lots in fairly close quarters.
– What is your message or advice to the Muslim community, in New York or elsewhere, for this month of Ramadan in this difficult period of the pandemic?
My message to the Muslim community is to remember that the Muslim is always the one who has the conviction to wait for things and to accept them. The Muslim will never be overwhelmed by calamity. Because after each test, there will be ease. Allah will not test his subject to destroy him, but to test his patience.
Muslims should therefore not be overwhelmed by calamity, knowing that it will come and go later.
It should also be remembered that Allah created things with their opposites: good and evil, happiness and sorrow, wealth and poverty, disease and well-being. And these are all blessings. If you’ve never been hungry, you’ll never know the blessing of having food. If you’ve never been sick, you’ll never know the blessing of being healthy. Muslims must therefore be patient during this calamity to receive the full reward.
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