Dar al-Hijrah

Dar al-Hijrah is a large American mosque in the Washington, DC suburb of Falls Church, Virginia. The name means "Land of Migration." It was formed in 1983, and opened its formal building in 1991. It is a registered nonprofit organization, and has been affiliated, since establishing its constitution in 1999, with the Muslim American Society (MAS), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and North American Islamic Trust (NAIT).

Its Constitution calls for interaction with other faiths and obedience to the law of the land, and participation in the general community. The Muslim American Society, with which Dar al-Hijrah is affiliated, is a U.S. group, founded in 1992, has Muslim Brotherhood members among its founders.

Leadership

After an amendment in 2005, its Board of Directors consists of:

• The Current President of the Muslim American Society (MAS).
• The Current MAS DC Area Chapter President.
• The Executive Director of the MAS National Office.
• The Current President of the Dar Al-Hijrah Executive Committee
• Five Regular Members

Its original constitution included, as ex officio members of the board, the current Secretary General of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), current President of Muslim Arab Youth Association (MAYA), and the current General Manager of North American Islamic Trust (NAIT). These three officers no longer are automatic members.

The current imam is Shaker Eldsayed, who took office in June 2005. Samir Abo-Issa is the Executive Director and Imam Johari Abdulmalik is the Outreach Director. Other leaders include:

• Faridon Mohtasheme, Operation Manager
• Nadifa Mohamed, Weekend Schools Principal
• Mohammed Abdelilah, Social Services Chairman
• Aurang Zeb, Maintenance Chairman

Positions

The current imam preached in 2005, "The call to reform Islam is an alien call."

Muqtedar Khan, who worshipped there while a graduate student, said Shaker Elsayed is more like a political figure than a religious figure. Dar al-Hijrah is a very Arab-centric mosque, very much centered on Arab politics." Khan said it "Dar al-Hijrah has always been in the hands of the conservatives" since its founding in 1983, but emphasized that is not necessarily the position of the congregation. The Washington Post also reported that the leadership does not necessarily represent the congregation.

But many younger Muslims have shied away from active involvement in the mosque's affairs, viewing its aging leadership as secretive and cliquish and objecting to its strict segregation of men and women. Although about 3,000 people attend Dar's three Friday prayer services -- perhaps the highest attendance for any mosque in the area -- its last internal election attracted only 120 voters.

Souheil Ghannouchi, who was president of the Muslim American Society and on the mosque board in 2004, said its goal was

...to make up for years of isolation that put us in vulnerable position: being a largely unknown community and therefore easy target of stereotyping.Our main priority is to . . . develop viable models for American Muslim personality and for Islamic life in America.

In 2001, its imam was Anwar al-Aulaqi, now in Yemen and linked to al-Qaeda. He left after a year. The 9-11 Commission found he knew two of the 9-11 hijackers in California, from which the mosque hired him.