As suburbs grow, Muslim population booms, too

It was only 17 years ago when the first mosque opened in Naperville, now a community of 145,000 people.

Like the city, its Muslim population grew in leaps and bounds.

A second mosque was established last year, and the Islamic Center of Naperville is acquiring land for a third mosque to be built on the southwest side of town.

There were about 50 Muslim families in Naperville in the late 1980s; today, there are roughly 1,300 families, said Kareem Irfan, former chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.

That story has been repeated throughout the suburbs. The Chicago area's Muslim population has grown from a few thousand in the early 1970s to more than 400,000 today, Irfan said.

In 2001, there were 50 mosques in the metropolitan area. That number doubled by 2005. Most recently mosques were built in Bensenville, Burr Ridge, Carol Stream, Des Plaines, Schaumburg and West Chicago, while another is in the works in Elgin.

Irfan attributes the increase to immigrants coming to the area in the 1970s, bringing over families once established, having kids and settling in the suburbs.

Ashraf Elessawy, president of Islamic Center of Naperville, believes the city's Muslim community has grown tremendously because of the city's popularity and because Muslims want to live close to established mosques.

Neighbors have been welcoming.

"Most of the people that live in Naperville, and the Muslims that live here, are professional people," Elessawy said. "We mix with them on the same level, and there's nothing that singles us out or makes us different."

However, ignorance does linger.

Irfan said in general, times have been difficult for Muslims since Sept. 11.

"There's a misconception about what Islam stands for, and the alleged connection of Islam to violence," he said. "When you couple it with the so-called war against terror and the focus on global negativity of Islam, that has made things very difficult for Muslims."

But this has forced Muslims to assimilate more quickly. They've become more active in politics, social services and interfaith programs, Irfan said.

"While there have been some difficult times and pressures," he said, "This has helped the Muslim community mature faster in the United States and build up their own identity."

Expansion projects

• The Institute of Islamic Education in Elgin, which originated in 1987, is constructing a mosque on their school's site at 1280 Bluff City Blvd. The project is should be completed this year.

• Islamic Center of Naperville's new facility is planned at 248th and 95th streets. The project is planned to proceed in three phases; a mosque; multipurpose facility and full-time school. The work will take at least five years.

• Al-Huda Mosque in Schaumburg used to hold services at nearby park district facilities for years. Leaders started the Al-Huda Mosque project 12 years ago and finished construction in 2003.

• Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, which originated in 1973 when a school was purchased, expanded in 1998 with the construction of an attached mosque. It's now adding a $7 million full-time school.

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