Every Friday around lunch time, a line of cars drives into the empty parking lot of an empty building. Around to the back lot, the men park and enter. Over speckled blue carpet, they walk into the gym, lay out their rugs and begin their prayers.
Mir Asif is among the men who come to this St. Charles chapel each Friday, like they have for the past three years.
This illustrated a mostly quiet, largely unknown relationship between the Muslim Community Center of St. Charles and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Old Highway 94.
The Muslims in your neighborhood
Our son was married last summer, and before the temple sealing, close friends and family gathered for a brunch and some humerous parental advice at the stake center near the temple. Summery day, sliding glass doors flung open onto the patio. I was speaking, when I heard a sound, music-like, in the background. It grew louder, then really loud. Guests moved to close the doors. As I spoke on temple covenants, I realized it was a Muslim call to prayer. As we walked to our cars after the brunch, we noticed the parking lot was full of cars and men were still streaming into the mosque. Stuck me funny…where else but in America would Muslims feel safe parking in a Mormon stake center on their way to pray?