History of ICCR

In 1895, the very first Muslim set foot in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Over the coming years, more and more Muslim immigrants arrived in Cedar Rapids, most of them from Lebanon. As the community grew, a place of worship was needed. After years of renting halls for prayers, it was finally decided in 1929 to build a dedicated mosque. After a long process (hampered by the effects of the Great Depression), June 16, 1934 marked the opening date of this mosque, then called The Rose of Fraternity Lodge (currently the Mother Mosque). It is the oldest purpose-built mosque in the entirety of North America.

As the years passed, the Muslim community in Cedar Rapids continued to grow, and continued to participate in what was happening around them. Sixteen young men from the community joined the American forces during World War Two, and of them two never returned.

In the 1960s, a need was recognized for a larger mosque to accommodate the ever-growing community. In 1972, construction on the brand new Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids was completed. The new mosque was much larger than the Mother Mosque, and underwent multiple expansions, gaining classrooms and a large gym.

Today, we are still in the same building as the one built in 1972. The Mother Mosque is now a museum and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The community has grown exponentially, and is known for being extremely diverse, with people from every area of the world. We are approaching another expansion in the upcoming years to accommodate the ever-growing community, now numbering in the thousands. And it all started nearly 130 years ago with that one first Muslim in 1895.