Masjid al-Ikhlas
Encyclopedia
Masjid al-Ikhlas also referred to as The Islamic Learning Center of Orange County
, is a mosque
in Newburgh, New York.
Formerly a warehouse, the mosque was founded in 1992. Previously, Newburgh's Muslim community met in town's NAACP office or a local store front.
As of 2009, the imam
is Salahuddin Mustafa Muhammad
.
. When the mosque opened in 1992, its membership was an estimated 50 families, but growing to nearly 500 members, the mosque could no longer hold support its growing congregations. Plans were made to double the existing size of the mosque to 6750 square feet (627.1 m²), including a large dome based on a mold made for the Masjid Al-Noor
mosque in the nearby town of Wappinger Falls
. Costs were reportedly being covered by donations from mosque members and the community.
, a plan, stopped by the FBI, to shoot down military planes at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh and blow up two synagogues in the Riverdale neighborhood of New York City.
Shahed Hussain, an Albany hotel owner now known to have been an FBI informant, regularly attended the mosque, approaching congregants in the parking lot after Friday services and talking of jihad and violence. Members of the congregation interviewed after the terror plot was exposed stated that "most" members of the congregation had believed Hussain to be an informant. None had reported his talk about Jihad
to the authorities.
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, is a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Newburgh, New York.
Formerly a warehouse, the mosque was founded in 1992. Previously, Newburgh's Muslim community met in town's NAACP office or a local store front.
As of 2009, the imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
is Salahuddin Mustafa Muhammad
Salahuddin Mustafa Muhammad
Salahuddin Mustafa Muhammad is an American imam. He is the imam of the Masjid al-Ikhlas mosque in Newburgh, New York. He is also the Muslim chaplain of Bard College and has been a chaplain by the New York State Department of Corrections since 1985....
.
Expansion
In 2005, the mosque began an expansion project to accommodate the growing Muslim population of the Hudson ValleyHudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
. When the mosque opened in 1992, its membership was an estimated 50 families, but growing to nearly 500 members, the mosque could no longer hold support its growing congregations. Plans were made to double the existing size of the mosque to 6750 square feet (627.1 m²), including a large dome based on a mold made for the Masjid Al-Noor
Mid-Hudson Islamic Association
Mid-Hudson Islamic Association is Masjid and Islamic Association located in Wappingers Falls, New York United States....
mosque in the nearby town of Wappinger Falls
Wappingers Falls, New York
Wappingers Falls is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The name is derived from the local Wappinger Indians. One half of the village is in the town of Wappinger and the other half is in the town of Poughkeepsie, with Wappinger Creek forming the dividing line between the...
. Costs were reportedly being covered by donations from mosque members and the community.
2009 Bronx terrorism plot controversy
The mosque came to national attention when it was revealed that it had been regularly attended by four men who were arrested in the 2009 Bronx terrorism plot2009 Bronx terrorism plot
On May 20, 2009, US law enforcement arrested four black Muslim men in connection with a plot to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, New York and blow up two synagogues in the Riverdale community of the Bronx....
, a plan, stopped by the FBI, to shoot down military planes at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh and blow up two synagogues in the Riverdale neighborhood of New York City.
Shahed Hussain, an Albany hotel owner now known to have been an FBI informant, regularly attended the mosque, approaching congregants in the parking lot after Friday services and talking of jihad and violence. Members of the congregation interviewed after the terror plot was exposed stated that "most" members of the congregation had believed Hussain to be an informant. None had reported his talk about Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
to the authorities.