December 2, 2008 By LYNNE STIEFEL
The beauty of the jamatkhana was praised by speaker after speaker during an opening ceremony of the Ismaili Muslim house of worship and community center today.
“I was struck by the serenity of the prayer hall and the care and thought that has been taken in its design,” Patti Blagojevich, filling in for her husband, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, told an invited gathering of about 200. “I have no doubt you’ll use this facility to reach out to others and be the valuable and valued community that you’ve (been) shown to be wherever you’ve become established.”
The 26,000-square-foot facility at 100 Shermer Road opened a year after Gov. Blagojevich symbolically started construction at a groundbreaking ceremony.
The center includes a prayer hall that can accommodate up to 900 members, administrative offices, 10 classrooms and a social hall, which the Ismaili group has offered to make available for use to area residents.
“This is clearly an oasis of calm within a bustling metropolis, and its architecture is fitting for Glenview,” remarked U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-9th, whose congressional district now has two Ismaili facilities within its borders. “It is always exciting to see a vibrant community grow and prosper.”
Ismailimail 