Ads by Muslim Ad Network

Getting Affordable Housing Is Hard, So Utah Muslims Build Home for Imam

Commuting for three hours to get to work is a difficult daily routine for anyone. This is the ordeal imam Habib Sarfraz faces as he commutes daily to perform his duties.

โ€œThe imam has so many responsibilities, as you know, he has to be here for five daily prayers,โ€ imam Sarfraz told FOX 13 News in an interview at the Khadeeja mosque.

โ€œMe, specifically, Iโ€™m living far from here in Lehi.โ€

๐Ÿ“š Read Also: Utah Designates July as Muslim American Heritage Month

Seeking to help their imam back, the Utah Muslim community has started constructing a house for the imam amid skyrocketing cost of housing.

Ads by Muslim Ad Network

โ€œThe cost of housing as we know is skyrocketing,โ€ said Aden Batar, the president of the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake. โ€œEasily over $2,000 rent which is really, our society cannot pay that much. Weโ€™re a small community.โ€

โ€˜Letโ€™s Build A Houseโ€™

To keep the imam closer to the community, Society trustee Ghulam Patel said they came up with an idea: โ€œLetโ€™s just build a house.โ€

The Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake has so far raised over $100,000 to help pay for the home. The entire project will cost about $400,000. They are fundraising and asking for community donations to help pay for the remainder of the costs. 

The imam was touched by the nice gesture from his community.

โ€œThis is a nice gesture from the community to say that โ€˜Hey, weโ€™re here to support you,'โ€ Sarfraz said.

This large increase in mosques over the past fifty years is a testament to the growth of Utahโ€™s Muslim population.

According to Society trustee Ghulam Patel, the Muslim population in Utah grew from 120 in the 1980s to around 100,000 now.