The Mother Mosque of America, once known as The Rose of Fraternity Lodge, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is said to be the first permanent structure to be built specifically to serve as a mosque in the United States. Construction was completed on February 15, 1934. When a larger local mosque, the Islamic Center of Cedar…

Among Black Muslims, two names stand out: Wallace D. Fard and Robert Poole. Even if you’re familiar with the history of this indigenous Islamic religion, you may not recognize them — both were better known under different monikers: Wali Fard and Elijah Muhammad. Robert (or Elijah) Poole was a laborer in Georgia before migrating north…

The shipments of human cargo in the mid-16th century (via the efforts of Sir John Hawkins) disembarked on Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico rather than on the North American mainland. The first black slaves to arrive in what is now the United States were 20 Negroes sold from a Dutch man-of-war to the settlers…

The 49th annual conference of the Islamic Society of North America takes place over Labor Day weekend in Washington, D.C. “One Nation Under God, Striving for the Common Good” is the theme for the event, set for August 31 through September 3, 2012, in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW,…

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