Glenview has a new house of worship for Muslims of the Ismaili sect

Ismaili ‘Jamatkhana’ Open For Worship

The new Glenview center is part of the Ismaili’s Golden Jubilee Project.

Glenview has a new house of worship for Muslims of the Ismaili sect, located off Shermer and Golf roads.

The Glenview Ismaili Jamatkhana opened earlier this month to a reception attended by local elected officials from several communities, including Glenview Village President Kerry Cummings and other mayors, Glenview village trustees, state legislators, U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-9th) and Illinois First Lady Patty Blagojevich.

Between 500 and 600 worshipers have come to Friday prayers each week since the opening reception on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The 28,000 square foot Ismaili center can accommodate 900 worshipers. It sits on 9.3 acres on Shermer Road just north of Golf Road near Glenview’s southern border.

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Though it is a house of worship for Muslims, Nazim Karim of the National Council of the Ismaili Community, who worked on the Glenview project, said it should not be called a mosque.

The house of worship is referred to as a Jamatkhana and serves only Muslims of the Ismaili sect.

Unlike many mosques, men and women worship at the same time in the same room, though they sit in separate groups.

The center broke ground in November 2007 and finished construction last month.

The building contains a large entrance lobby, an administrative and education wing, and a wing that contains the prayer hall.

The Jamatkhana does not have one central leader such as an imam, a rabbi or a priest. An administrator is hired to see to the administration of the building and several members of the center share in the responsibilities of conducting worship.

The Jamatkhana serves large Pakistani, Indian, South Asian and African populations that settled in the northern suburbs through the last 30 years.

The new Glenview center is part of the Ismaili’s Golden Jubilee Project.

The faithful are celebrating the 50th year of their international leader His Highness the Aga Khan.

Ismailis are Shea Muslims. Ismaili broke off as a separate branch of Shea Islam 200 years after the death of the Prophet Mohammad said Karim. The Caliph (religious leader) they followed was a direct descendent of Mohammad as is the current Aga Kahn, said Karim.

Karim said an Ismaili center located on the north side of Chicago has had a long history of service to the community and of working with religious leaders of other faiths. He said Glenview Ismailis are interested in working together with other Glenview faith communities on service projects locally.

http://www.journal-topics.com/gv/08/gv081214.6.html