Noor Islamic & Cultural Community Center      
        4035 Treat Boulevard, Concord, CA 94518
ﺠﺎﻤﻊ ﻨﻮﺮ ﻤﺴﺠﺪ  
A Brief History
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            Noor Islamic and Cultural Community Center was founded in 1990 by a group of Afghan immigrants of Contra Costa County of Northern California. The Noor Islamic and Cultural Community Center, which was initially called The Afghan Islamic Community Center, started operating in its current location, a commercial building at 1545 Monument Boulevard # 4 in Concord. One of the Afghan immigrants, Mr. Saleh Assad, who was a real estate agent, found this building and leased it to the center. Because there were not a lot of Afghan immigrants in the city of Concord and its neighboring cities at that time, the building, a two room office suite on the second floor of a commercial property, was large enough to perform daily prayers, offer language (Dari/Farsi courses), and Islamic teaching classes.  Two Afghan immigrants, Mr. Mohammad Mujadidi and Mohammad Aref Pas Yusoufi, accepted the responsibility to lead the operation of the center; however, the day to day activities and operation of the center were run by a group of Afghan seniors and scholars that included Mr. Sayed Tajuddin Khan, Dr. Rawan Farhadi, Mr. Khodadad Karzai, Senator Abdul Qudus Khan, Dr. Fazel Ahmad Abdeyani, Mr. Mohammad Hashim Azizi, Haji Abdul Shukur Khan, and Haji Noor Mohammad Khan, and other respected Afghan community members. Haji Noor Mohammad Khan, in whose honor we have renamed the center, was the first priest (Imam) of the center. He consistently and continuous kept the center open for five daily prayers. In addition to performing daily prayers and holding language and Islamic teaching classes, the center also facilitated memorial ceremonies of deceased Afghans and recitation of the holy Quran during the month of Ramadan. The educational responsibilities of the center were handled by Mr. Mahmood Zekreya (principal), and the instructors such as Dr. Rawan Farhadi, Sayed Raqib Agha, Dr. Farid Yonus, and Mr. Nahem Shohab.
            Since the number of Afghan and Moslem immigrants grew larger in the city of Concord and in Contra Costa County and the capacity and location of the center at 1545 Monument Boulevard in Concord was not very convenient for everyone, a group of the Afghan immigrants rented another place, close to where they lived, to perform their religious and cultural ceremonies.
            After two years, Mr. Mohammad Mujadi and Mr. Mohammad Aref Pas Yusoufi released the responsibility of the center to Mr. Khodadad Karzai. Mr. Khodadad Karzai accepted the responsibility of the center because of the popular demand and collective vote of the center members. The center performed its ordinary functions such as the daily prayers, language and Islamic classes, etc. However, the center did not have any official recognition. The center did not have bylaws, board of directors, responsible officials, and state and federal non-profit organization status. As a result of these irregularities and lack of vision for the future generations of the Muslims in Concord and surrounding cities, the center lost members and the language classes and other cultural activities gradually ceased.
            Because of health issues, Mr. Khodadad Karzai has not been able to run the center for the past several years. A group of Afghan community volunteers,  such as Haji Mohammad Yusouf Khan, Mr. Mohammad Azam Khan, Haji Mohammad Nasim Khan, Mr. Mohammad Musa Azimi, Mr. Beryalai Shaghasi, and Dr. Fazel Ahmad Abdeyani have been able to keep the center open. In April of 2011, the center recruited Dr. Mohammad Sedique Popal to be the president of the center and to make the center once again active and useful to the Islamic communities in the Bay Area. Under Dr. Sedique Popal’s leadership, the center has drafted and approved bylaws, it has an executive board of directors who are elected every year, and it has a board of trustees who are elected every seven years.  Furthermore, the center has once again been able to attract more members and offers Dari, Pashto, and Fundamentals of Islam classes. Currently, there are more than 30 students who come every Sunday and learn to read and write Dari/Farsi, Pashto, and attend principles of Islam classes in the center. The students end their lessons by performing the afternoon prayers in the center.  In addition the Center is a California nonprofit tax exempt religious corporation in good standing under applicable Federal and California laws.  Under Dr. Popal’s  leadership and direction, the Center has retained a qualified professional accounting firm to support all of the Center’s operations, reporting and compliance needs.  Donations to the Center are tax-deductible under United States and California law. The Center’s Federal Employee Identification Number is 27-334924, Noor Islamic and Cultural Community Center, Inc., 4035 Treat Boulevard, Concord, California 94518.  Thank you.