User:Hadia shams/Islamic Center of America
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The Islamic Center of America (Arabic: ٱلْمَرْكَز ٱلْإِسْلَامِيّ فِي أَمْرِيكَا, al-Markaz al-ʾIslāmīy Fī ʾAmrīkā) is a mosque located in Dearborn, Michigan. The Islamic Center of America, a 120, 000 sq. ft. facility is the largest mosque in North America and the oldest Shia mosque in the United States.[1] Although the institution dates back to 1963, the center's current mosque opened in 2005. It is the largest mosque in North America and the oldest Shia mosque in the United States. With its large Shia Arab population (consisting mostly of Iraqis and Lebanese), Dearborn is often called the "heart of Shiism" in the United States.
The Islamic Center of America is located at 19500 Ford Road in Dearborn. The institution was founded in 1949[2] by Muhammad Jawad Chirri, who remained its director until his death in 1994.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Islamic_Center_of_America%2C_Dearborn%2C_Michigan.jpg/640px-Islamic_Center_of_America%2C_Dearborn%2C_Michigan.jpg)