Information about this center is no longer updated. This data was last updated on 27 August 2015.
Phone: 785-749-1638Email: director@islamicsocietylawrence.org
Website: http://www.islamiccenterlawrence.org/
[flickr_set id="72157621939414048"] History The Islamic Center of Lawrence, located on the premises of the University of Kansas’ campus, was established in 1962 in a room at the University. In 1978 the Center obtained its own building at 1300 Ohio Street but moved in 1998 to 1917 Naismith Drive, a simple brick building that was once used as a Christian church. It is referred to as a center rather than a mosque because it sponsors a school and a community center in addition to being a place of worship. Activities and Schedule For activities and the schedule, please consult the web site: www.islamicsocietylawrence.org Demographics The members of the Islamic Center of Lawrence are diverse in age, ethnicity, and gender, including young children, high school and college students, middle-aged adults, and the elderly. At the center men and women may worship together, however; many choose to worship separately because of lack of space and personal preference. Men worship on the main level, and women worship upstairs. The call to worship is in Arabic, but the sermon is in English. Forty percent of the members are fluent in Arabic. The different ethnicities represented include Arabic, Indian, African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, and Italian. Description The current location of worship is a former Southern Baptist church. It is a red brick building consisting of sanctuary, upstairs worship area, offices, classrooms, kitchen, and a fellowship hall. The sanctuary faces east and includes clocks that designate the daily prayer times, which change relative to sunrise and sunset. Other Younger visitors should be aware that they should dress conservatively. Shorts and skirts are unacceptable attire, and shoes must be removed before entering the worship area. Visitors to Friday prayers usually sit in chairs at the back of the room. Pictures and video recording are allowed as long as guests do not wander around during the worship service. Guided tours of the building and conferences are available. Visitors to a service should arrive early. During Friday midday prayers, the worship leader is downstairs with the men, and the call to worship and sermon are projected through upstairs speakers so the women can hear.