The Al-Farooq Mosque of Atlanta stands out as you travel down 14th Street; its distinctive architecture, unlike any nearby building, gleams in the sun.
And there was some enlightenment awaiting me inside when I recently visited.
I joined several members of our staff on a visit to the mosque a couple of weeks ago, as part of an effort to build stronger relationships with the Muslim community. In our mission to report on metro Atlanta and Georgia, it is important that we have connections, relationships and sources to help us tell important stories in our community.
We were hosted by several of Atlanta’s prominent Muslims, including Dr. Khalid Siddiq, a physician who also serves as the mosque’s public relations director.
After the group greeted us outside the mosque, Siddiq asked us to remove our shoes and he led us into the building. He then guided us to an area near the door, where those coming to pray would wash their face, arms and mouth, in a tradition that recognizes a physical cleansing before engaging in a spiritual renewal brought on by prayer.
We then sat on the floor — there are no pews in a mosque — in the prayer hall, and talked.
Siddiq shared with us some of the basic information about the mosque, Islam and the Muslim community in Atlanta.
Al-Farooq traces its roots to 1980. Its location near Georgia Tech is no coincidence, because the school attracted students from around the world — including Muslims. Even today, many who pray there live nearby, and the central location makes it a convenient place of worship for the Muslim community.
It’s one of about 70 mosques in Metro Atlanta, according to Siddiq, who said that mosques are established where communities of Muslims have cropped up. He estimated that there are about 100,000 Muslims in metro Atlanta, although he acknowledged that it’s difficult to get a precise count because of the diversity within the religion.
Al-Farooq attracts about 1,000 worshippers on a typical Friday afternoon, a time when Muslims traditionally gather to pray together. Those worshippers represent about 30 countries of origin; Siddiq emphasized that most are American citizens.
A person doesn’t join a mosque, however.
“There’s no such thing as a member,” said Shuaib Hanief, a consultant who lives in Lawrenceville. Rather, mosques are places of worship, and “each mosque has a personality,” he said.
Siddiq added that worshippers have no obligation to financially support a mosque, but leaders at Al-Farooq ask them to.
“We want to be a part of the larger society and contribute to it,” Siddiq said.
The current Al-Farooq building was opened in 2008, at the site of the original mosque. It’s also the site of a pre-K through 8th grade school with about 200 students, and the mosque owns an off-site cemetery for Muslim burials.
Hanief came to Atlanta about 13 years ago as a student, and he founded Atlantamuslim.com, a web site dedicated to the Muslim community. He's now among a team of people who operate the site.
A native of India, Hanief has also lived in Saudi Arabia. He typically goes to a mosque near his home, but said Al-Farooq hosts key Muslim gatherings and speakers.
The web site has several purposes, Hanief said.
It connects Muslim community members to each other, and to activities around Atlanta. It also serves as “a window” for the non-Muslim community to learn more about the activities of local Muslims.
According to Hanief, metro Atlanta Muslims come in many varieties, with different nationalities and a range of faith practices.
“I just wanted to connect people and to let our community know about all the good things happening,” he said. “If you are a Muslim and have views to express, this is for you.”
The site stays away from controversy; it asks users to “have a constructive attitude.”
Of course, Islam and its followers are subject to controversy because of concerns about ties to global terrorism.
“It’s always distressing to see the negative things,” Hanief says. He blames it on “people who misrepresent the religion” in their views of it, or their practice of it.
He finds that he and his wife, who wears a hijab to cover her head, are almost always welcomed and treated well.
The diversity of the United States, he said, makes it a comfortable place for people of all faiths.
“I feel I have more opportunity to practice my religion in the United States than anywhere else in the world,” he said. “I feel more at home.”
But Hanief is not naïve. He does worry about his four children and the possibilities of intolerance. And he gets the occasional hate mail at the web site.
“I want my son to be comfortable being a Muslim,” he said. “But I fear things will get worse.”
He hopes that over time, people of all faiths can understand each other better. He expressed that hope with some simple advice for anyone who may be hesitant or even fearful of Islam.
“Get to know one person,” he said. “Get to know a Muslim.”
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