Mosque Renamed After Long Time Leader

NEW HAVEN,CT–The Muhammad Islamic Center in New Haven was renamed after its long time leader Dr. Abdul-Majid Karim Hasan. The renaming was announced last November when the local New Haven/Hamden Muslim community celebrated its 50th anniversary. At that gathering members hailed Hasan, who has led them for more than 40 of those years, with a particular emphasis on interfaith dialogue.

Hasan himself arrived in 1961 and took on the imam or leadership role in 1968.

Saturday’s proceedings included presentation of an award to Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson, who accepted gracefully, after spending some time wrangling with his sons Eli and Max.

Spokesman Karim said the gesture was also important historically. “We wanted to establish a tradition of African-Americans’ legacy in Hamden and New Haven. Our ethnic background, who we are as a people, Muslim and African-American.”

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