Muslim in Moscow

Lobna Abdel-Rahim is a junior at the University of Idaho, and when she isn’t working on schoolwork, she enjoys hanging out with friends and going out as much as any other student at UI. She is also a follower of Islam, and a prominent member of the UI Muslim Student Association. For Abdel-Rahim, these roles can sometimes conflict.

George Wood Jr. | Argonaut Yousef Bayomy, University of Idaho senior, leads prayer during Jumu'ah service to a packed group of around 50 attendees. Bayomy is a member of the UI Muslim Student Association, an organization that seeks to accommodate the needs of muslim students at UI. There are about 25 members in MSA.

George Wood Jr. | Argonaut
Yousef Bayomy, University of Idaho senior, leads prayer during Jumu’ah service to a packed group of around 50 attendees. Bayomy is a member of the UI Muslim Student Association, an organization that seeks to accommodate the needs of muslim students at UI. There are about 25 members in MSA.

“I’m 20 years old, and many people are drinking, and partying, and I can’t do any of that,” Abdel-Rahim said. “So it’s kind of like, what do you do for fun? I party too, but not with alcohol.”

This is one of the difficulties of practicing a religion that — on the Palouse — doesn’t have a large community. Despite this, Islam still has a devout following on and off the UI campus.

Islam at UI

Ahmed Abdel-Rahim is the adviser for the Muslim Students Association on the UI campus, and he said it is difficult to gauge the exact number of practicing Muslims on campus — due to the lack of data on that demographic.

However, he said there are about 25 active members of MSA on campus. He said he estimates about 50 people show up to the Islamic Center of Moscow on Fridays around midday for the largest prayer service at the center.

“[The Islamic Center population] is correlated to the number of students at University of Idaho, and there has been a significant increase of Muslim students since 2008,” Ahmed Abdel-Rahim said.

Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, who has attended the Islamic Center since 2002, said UI faculty and students make up the majority of the mosque’s membership. This demographic of members does impact attendance at the Islamic Center during the summer, when many students and faculty leave Moscow.

“We have a very dynamic group here,” said Yousef Bayomy, an active member of the MSA.

Bayomy occasionally leads Friday prayer services.

“We’ll have students completing their doctorate degree, or their master’s, or finishing grad school, and then they move,” Bayomy said. “There are only two or three families that are permanently here.”

The MSA exists to accommodate the needs of Muslim students of UI, while promoting the awareness and understanding of Islam to the university community and the general public.

However, MSA promotes awareness of Islam differently on campus. Some members of other religions around Moscow will disseminate information by handing out Bibles or preaching at various populated areas on campus, advertise their congregation on the Argonaut Religion Directory or approach students to talk about their beliefs.

The MSA waits for students to come to them with questions, Bayomy said.

“We’ll do panels, we’ll do tables, there’s even a prospect to do an MSA night, kind of like [the] Africa Night program,” Bayomy said.

MSA also makes itself available around campus by hosting a booth at Palousafest, and the UI library will also host a series of community-based programs collectively known as the Muslim Journeys programs.

Lobna Abdel-Rahim said students are generally very sensitive when asking questions, and she wants people not to be afraid to inquire about the Muslim community or Islam.

“Many people are curious, they ask questions, and we are happy to answer them,” Lobna Abdel-Rahim said.

Fouad Bayomy, who has attended the mosque since 1991, said the Pullman and Moscow communities are polite and understanding toward the Muslim community.

However, he said he did have one experience at the Pullman-Moscow airport — he had a mattress, brought along for his mother’s comfort at the airport — and was searched for almost a half hour.

Ahmed Abdel-Rahim also recalled some instances of female Muslims being harassed in Moscow for their outfits, but he said these were isolated cases.

School, homework and Islamic prayer

George Wood Jr. | Argonaut UI Senior Dhari Aldehani prays during the Jumu'ah prayer service that is held midday every Friday at the Islamic Center of Moscow. Friday is the Islamic day of relaxation and rest, comparable to Sunday for Christianity.

George Wood Jr. | Argonaut
UI Senior Dhari Aldehani prays during the Jumu’ah prayer service that is held midday every Friday at the Islamic Center of Moscow. Friday is the Islamic day of relaxation and rest, comparable to Sunday for Christianity.

Muslims pray five times a day, and each prayer occurs at a different time of the day.

Fajr is the dawn prayer, Dhuhr is around noon, Asr is completed in the afternoon, Maghrib is done at dusk and Isha is the nighttime prayer.

Ahmed Abdel-Rahim said generally students and faculty don’t have too many issues working the 10-15 minute prayer session into their schedules.

While many members come to the mosque to complete their daily prayers, Muslims are able to complete their daily prayers in any quiet place.

Fouad Bayomy, said Islamic prayer times are very flexible. This is convenient for UI students who may not be able to get to the mosque due to classes during the day.

Ahmed Abdel-Rahim also worked with the university to reserve a room in the Idaho Commons for a block of time on Fridays during the Jumu’ah prayer time to make it more convenient for students who cannot make it to the mosque.

Other Muslim community members choose to pray in their home, rather than the prayer rooms at the Islamic Center. Still, Ahmed Abdel-Rahim wants to find a permanent prayer location that is convenient for students at any time of the day.

“We are working with the university to find a place to perform their prayers during students busy schedule, to make it easier for them,” Ahmed Abdel-Rahim said.

The Moscow Mosque

Before entering the Islamic Center of Moscow, one must check a couple things. First, shoes are never worn inside the mosque. The rugs inside are ornate, and shoes will only get them dirty. Also, it’s bad form to walk into the mosque dressed slovenly.

The duplex house of prayer is two stories high, well lit and has cushions lining the walls for the comfort of those who pray.

There are few chairs within the mosque, as Islamic prayer is almost always done on rugs, which is partly done to show humility.

Yousef Bayomy said the downstairs prayer room at the Islamic Center is reserved for men, while women pray in the upstairs prayer room. The separation of men and women is a common practice within Islam.

Yousef Bayomy said more men pray at the mosque than women. The men’s prayer room is especially packed during Jumu’ah, with members squeezed shoulder to shoulder in rows.

“We need to extend the building to double the size of the prayer room,” Fouad Bayomy said.

Fouad Bayomy also serves as the president of the board of trustees that manage the building. “We’re still awaiting approval from the Moscow city zoning board,” Fouad Bayomy said.

Fouad Bayomy said they sent in the proposal around two or three months ago, and Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, who is in charge of the project, has not received any approval yet.

2 replies

  1. Mumtahin Hasnat

    May Allah protect all muslims in Moscow and help to prosper. Spent two years (2017-2019) going to that beautiful and peaceful mosque. All praise to Allah.

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    I was extremely pleased to uncover this website. I need to to thank you for ones time due to this fantastic read!! I definitely liked every part of it and i also have you bookmarked to see new information in your web site.

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