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$1.8 million Islamic recreational facility in Falls attracts more than 1,000 from around the state
By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Oct 05, 2008
CUYAHOGA FALLS: More than 1,000 Muslims from throughout Ohio attended a festive grand opening Saturday of a 13-acre outdoor recreational facility at the Islamic Community Center.
On a crisp and sunny fall day, youths and adults played soccer, basketball, tennis and volleyball on newly groomed fields and courts. Hundreds more gathered in a huge pavilion, where ethnic foods were served, and Islamic art and clothing were displayed on rows of picnic tables.
Muslims from Columbus, Cleveland, Youngstown and other areas of the state turned out for the daylong festivities.
Dr. Ihsan Haque, an Akron cardiologist and member of the board of trustees of the Islamic Society of Akron and Kent, said he was ''filled with joy'' about how well the $1.8 million facility was received by such an array of supporters.
''I'm very happy. It was money well spent. It was a dream come true. I remember having discussions when people thought this was pie in the sky. But that pie in the sky has landed,'' Haque said.
He said funding came from local contributions totaling about $4.5 million for the outdoor facility and the Islamic Center building on East Steels Corners Road, which has a prayer hall, a community functions hall and a school for grades 1 through 6.
''We started donating and collecting in 1989, in anticipation of what we were going to do. We bought the lot in 1995, and then it took us six years to collect the initial money,'' Haque said.
He said about 500 Muslim families from the area were involved in the project and yearly fundraisers.
''We worked long and hard for this,'' facilities director Jamal Hussein said. ''It feels great to see this kind of turnout.''
The project also had to overcome environmental issues.
Haque said surveyors had to work around the nesting and mating patterns of a group of Indiana bats — a medium-size chestnut, gray or black bat distinguished by its pink lips.
The bats, listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, gathered from August to October in the trees surrounding the recreational facility, delaying the surveying work until the spring of 2007, Haque said.
Daud Abdel-Aziz, a former secretary of the Islamic Center organization who moved to Columbus three years ago for his job in pharmaceutical sales, said the Falls facility is easily the best in the state ''and I would venture to say in most parts of the Midwest.''
He said this area's Muslims are like a large, close-knit family.
''This community — and I came here from the East Coast in 1992 — is one of the most diverse Islamic societies in the whole country,'' Abdel-Aziz said.
''You have every different country here, every different group here, and over the years, we've had African-Americans as president, Pakistanis, Saudis. There's never been one iota of factionalism.''
As a former organizer, Abdel-Aziz said he was ''tingling all over'' at how things came together here. ''All the meetings we had, all the hard work, it's very beautiful to see,'' he said.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
CUYAHOGA FALLS: More than 1,000 Muslims from throughout Ohio attended a festive grand opening Saturday of a 13-acre outdoor recreational facility at the Islamic Community Center.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 12:09 PM, 10/05/2008
This is a totally uncalled for comment and should be removed.
Sterling, Oh
Posted 12:58 PM, 10/05/2008
Demanding Fathers disqualified for affirmative action with white skin, Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and Americas grandchildren, low-income workers, volunteers without wages, and nonunion parasites willing to work for fewer wages than they can afford life. Pay for donors tax refund to fund a $1.8 million recreational facility. To benefit 1000 citizens is defiant of democracy demand that every benefactor pays and every benefactor plays.
