Bloomington Islamic Center

The previous viewer has not been to the Bloomington Islamic Center for a long time. The Masjed now has expanded the main prayer hall. Women do pray upstairs in the main prayer hall during Ramadan's Tarawih prayer or the 5 daily prayers. The women prayer hall downstairs (for crowded Friday prayer) was completely renovated. A new beautiful thick carpet installed in addition to wall fans. All rest rooms completely renovated and hallways downstairs got a new marble floor. Women serve on the Masjed Board of Directors, and Women Executive Committee President is very active and involved in every decision. This Masjed has a community like no other. There's a free Iftar offered every night during Ramadan where the whole community gather and eat together, then pray Tarawih. It's an experience you have to try if you're passing by Bloomington. Community is always eager and ready to help if one of its members or a passer-by in need. Eid Prayers, celebrations and parties are exceptional, thanks to a very active women leadership. Community dinner every first Friday of the month keeps the community in touch on a monthly base. Summer picnics at Lake Monroe add fun to the kids and adults as well. Sunday school is available for kids to learn Arabic and Qura'an. From time to time, "Arabic for adults" classes are offered. I gave this Masjed and its community the "Excellent" review. Try it yourself, visit "“ especially in Ramadan - and you wouldn't regret it.

This mosque has a beautiful main prayer hall - and it has been used only for men. For women, the basement hall is used, which is inferior in quality, carpeting, architecture, and even heating. Some women have tried to pray upstairs but several men campaigned against them and excluded them from the area. Main community meetings/discussions are staged in the (men's) prayer hall, and women may ask for mikes to participate from below - however they are invisible and so do not necessarily get turns to speak. There is a small CCTV in the women's hall (which kids sometimes turn off and which doesnt always work) so women are sometimes at a loss during prayer. The heating is below par in the women's hall which is bad during winter taraweehs. A makeshift room was built just outside the women's hall but it has no insulation, so women often eat/work in this room in the cold. Kitchen and library facilities are shared, but sometimes men dislike women to come in and use them.