Born and raised in Pakistan, Rizwan moved to the US with his wife in 1992 after living in England for several years. He lived and worked in Chicago before coming to Indiana, PA. Rizwan has worked in the community for over 20 years and is well known in the town. At the time we spoke, Rizwan had been the President of the mosque for many years.
Rizwan describes establishing the first mosque in Indiana, PA in the house on Philadelphia street.
“We bought this old house back in 1997 for $37,000. It was a very rundown place. So we, at that time, we had a very handy man whose wife was actually doing a PhD at IUP. And we engage some other people who are also handyman, professionals to do this. So we did the remodeling of this old house and make it presentable and clean enough that we can call it a mosque and start praying few times of the day. Of course, there were not enough people, so it may happen once or twice. And we surely made that we will have Friday in a congregation.”
“So slowly and gradually from a rental, we moved on to buying a very old house and calling it a mosque, which we had it for several years. And then so gradually people, when we actually had a mosque label, although it was an old house, then from neighboring town, people living in a smaller town, in a neighboring area, they started coming. So, you know, it wasn’t a huge large community, but surely they were more. So if you’re going for a prayer, you could see rather than four people, there may be 10 people, for example.”
“Over a period of time, we started noticing that place was getting really crowded. It wasn’t a real mosque, it was a very old house to accommodate people, it was becoming impossible.”
With an established gathering place and a growing community, plan for a more permanent location are made.
“I started noticing that there is the potential that we can actually build a mosque as such, but a lack of resource, and number of people who were actually permanent resident in Indiana was very few. Most of the people who are Muslims, who will come and go are IUP students. And back then IUP didn’t have as many Muslims as now […] But you know, we had some goal and vision to see building a mosque. So we had few, you know, permanent families who mostly were physicians and IUP professors. So we sat down and we had done few, you know, fundraising to collect some money. So we were able to collect enough to buy a lot.”
“So we were able to raise enough money that we had enough money. Then there was a lot which opened up and we inquired and negotiated and we were able to buy that lot. So we had that lot from 2007 until we actually built this mosque in 2014 when we moved in.”
“So we started having a few more fundraisers periodically. So we generated a significant amount of money that we started at least talking about having a mosque, proper mosque. And that’s when we started. So when we got to that point, I think in 2013, a group of us, we started planning and then we engage architect and looked at it and see what it requires, how much money we have, and then start doing proper fundraising and then was able to generate significant enough money that we were able to at least start the project.”
We discuss how the mosque board is organized today and the role Rizwan sees for himself in the community.
“I’ve been the president for the mosque forever, you know, because I had been the most senior person living in this city, in this town. So I have, I’m sure you know, other professors who are in IUP, who are part of the mosque too. So there are four or five people who we basically [make up the board].[…] I am always there [at the mosque], like everything comes back to me. [For example] unfortunately there was a garbage truck was there to pick up the garbage yesterday and hit the mosque. So it’s my responsibility now to, you know, engage and, you know. I have a friend from IUP, Kustim […] So he goes there, he informs me and then we always plan. So we went there and call the insurance company, call our contractor, so we have things in place. And then we had Friday prayer today. So I announced what happened”
“I don’t personally go out and preach, you know, but I would be there and represent myself and, you know, it’s a small town. Most of the people know I’ve been here 22, 23 years now. So most of people know who I am. […] I always believed in setting yourself as an example, okay. So if my standing in Indiana, PA is like: I am a practicing Muslim. I come from Pakistan. I’m an immigrant. I’m a normal person, like any other person living in this country. I’m not what, you know, the TV or the news portray for all Muslims, like everybody is, you know, bad guy. No. Bad guys belong from every religion, every race, every part of the world. And the gods which we believe in, I think every faith believes in the same thing.”
Have you noticed changes in anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant rhetoric in your time in the US?
“I think in the past few years it has gotten worse. I don’t think it was as bad post-9/11 until the past few years. I think the news and the media feed, like, you know, you have these things stands out more, you know, you’re walking in, if you’re, you know, back in the good days, living here for the last 28 years, I never thought anybody will pay attention of what language you’re speaking in a public, or if you’re praying in a public place, anybody is going to pay attention. Now you really have to think twice doing all those things. So if I’m in a public place or traveling and having a conversation on the phone and happened to be one of my friends who we are talking in Urdu, I have to really be making sure that I’m not around people, you know, because who knows what somebody is going to interpret that conversation with my friend or whoever I’m talking in Urdu, for example.
So yes, that definitely has affected [me]. You are a little bit more, you know, like paying attention, what you’re doing in the public place. Making sure that, you know, like… there have been so many incidences, you know, where people just like, you know, Muslim women wearing hijab and then people have refused to sit next to it. […] I mean, if you ask my personal experience, thankfully I have not been affected, but I cannot say that I won’t be affected, you know? But it’s sad that, you know, you are being pointed just because of your attire or your different language. And that’s what we were so proud of America, that you know, you can do whatever you want to do. But feel like things have changed in the recent past few years.”
Muslims in PA 