Islam in Washington, D.C.

Yarrow Mamout, a formerly enslaved Fulani Muslim property owner and entrepreneur, is one of the earliest known Muslim residents in DC history.{{cite news|last1=King|first1=Colbert I.|title=Yarrow Mamout, the slave who became a Georgetown financier|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/yarrow-mamout-the-slave-who-became-a-georgetown-financier/2015/02/13/06710a98-b30b-11e4-827f-93f454140e2b_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=December 14, 2023|date=February 13, 2015}}

The Islamic Center of Washington, founded in 1952, is the oldest mosque in DC. At its dedication ceremony, President Dwight Eisenhower described it as among the "most beautiful buildings in Washington". The second oldest mosque in DC is the Masjid Muhammad, which began in 1960 as Nation of Islam Temple 4 and was founded with help from Malcolm X. Since 1975, the mosque has been affiliated with mainstream Sunni Islam. Masjid Muhammad is the oldest mosque in DC founded by African American descendants of slaves.{{cite web|url=https://www.history.com/news/oldest-mosques-arab-american |title=The 7 Oldest Mosques in America |publisher=The History Channel |accessdate=2023-12-14}}

In 2006, Keith Ellison became the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress. He was sworn in on a copy of Thomas Jefferson's Quran, which caused controversy among right-wing pundits.{{cite web|url=https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/quran/#:~:text=Thomas%20Jefferson%20owned%20a%20copy,by%20the%20Library%20in%201918. |title=Qur'an |publisher=Monticello |accessdate=2023-12-14}}{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/01/02/complicated-history-thomas-jeffersons-koran/ |title=The complicated history of Thomas Jefferson’s Koran |publisher=Washington Post |accessdate=2023-12-14}}

In a 2010 survey of religious congregations in Washington, D.C., the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies found that 0.6% of congregants belonged to a Muslim congregation.{{cite web | url=https://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/rcms2010.asp?U=11&T=state&Y=2010&S=Name | title=The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports | publisher=Association of Religion Data Archives | accessdate=2023-12-13 | archive-date=2021-09-26 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926225315/https://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/rcms2010.asp?U=11&T=state&Y=2010&S=Name | url-status=dead }}

Some members of DC's Muslim community identify as LGBT. Daayiee Abdullah, an imam based in DC, is one of the few openly LGBT imams in the world. Imam Abdullah worked for many years to create a LGBT-inclusive mosque in DC. In 2011, Imam Abdullah created Masjid Nur Al-Isslaah (Light of Reform Mosque), which was held at a library in DC. He also runs the Mecca Institute, an online progressive Muslim organization.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/28/us/lgbt-muslims-pride-progress/index.html |title=In a survey of American Muslims, 0% identified as lesbian or gay. Here’s the story behind that statistic |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2023-12-17}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/affirming-mosques-help-gay-muslims-reconcile-faith-sexuality-n988151 |title=Affirming mosques help gay Muslims reconcile faith, sexuality |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=2023-12-17}}

• Fazl Mosque
• Islamic Center of Washington, Embassy Row
• Masjid Muhammad, Truxton Circle

• History of the Jews in Washington, D.C.
• Islam in Maryland
• White House Iftar dinner

{{Reflist}}

{{Commonscat|Islam in Washington, D.C.}}

• [https://centerdc.org/ Official website], Center DC
• [https://masdc.org/ Official website], Muslim American Society DC
• [https://thedccenter.org/organizations/listing/muslims-for-progressive-values Muslims for Progressive Values], DC LGBTQ+ Community Center
• [https://dcmwa.org/ Official website], Muslim Women's Association of Washington, D.C.
• [https://www.capitalpride.org/events/queer-south-asian-muslim-voices/ Queer South Asian Muslim Voices], Capital Pride Alliance

{{Islam in the United States by state/city}}

{{Islam by city}}