Tag: imams in america

The Spokane Islamic Center wants something mosques all across the country are seeking and can’t seem to find — an educated, bilingual, experienced imam who understands American culture.

According to the report “The American Mosque 2011: Activities, Administration and Vitality of the American Mosque” by Ihsan Bagby, half of all mosques in the U.S. have no full-time staff, and only 44 percent of imams work as paid, full-time leaders.

The Islamic Center of New England has always been led by imams born outside America. The two-campus mosque would like to change that, but it's proving harder than leaders had thought.