At local mosques, the hunt is on for qualified leaders.When Sheik Ahmed Dewidar, 40, arrived in New York from Egypt in the mid-1990s, he led prayers at a mosque in the basement of a small office building on 44th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Packed to the gills, the space could hold 300 people.
Today, Dewidar’s mosque occupies a trim six-story building on 55th Street between Lexington and Third avenues. The Islamic Society of Mid-Manhattan comfortably accommodates 1,000 men and women. For Dewidar, the fantastic growth of his community – with 36 nationalities, numerous languages and many worship traditions – is a direct result of America’s religious freedom. “I should give credit by the grace of almighty God to the system of this land,” he said.
Attendance has risen steadily in recent years at mosques across the city and the nation. The influx has been fueled partly by growing immigration from Muslim countries and partly by newfound interest in Islam from Muslims already here. But now American mosques are having trouble finding enough imams like Dewidar who are qualified to serve their growing and diversifying congregations.
The imam serves as a religious and social guide to the Muslim community. Traditionally, the term denotes a high level of theological training. In the U.S., though, the term often is used more loosely to recognize religious leadership within a community.