Alrasool Islamic Center was originally constructed in 1894 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as an assembly hall and chapel. A cultural hall and classroom wing was added in 1910. As Mormonism developed as a faith tradition over the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many early assembly-hall type chapels like the building that now houses the Alrasool Islamic Center were demolished for new buildings to serve the evolving needs of the Mormon faith community.  

After serving the Mormon community and then as an Assembly of God church, Alrasool Islamic Center purchased the building in 1988. Alrasool’s congregation reflects America’s engagement with the Middle East over the past several decades, having been established by a handful of young Shi’a men who immigrated to the United States after fleeing the establishment of the Iranian Republic, the rise of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, and the subsequent 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran War. Alrasool received another influx of Iraqi immigrants after the United States invaded Iraq during the 1992 Gulf War. Subsequent congregants joined Alrasool after immigrating to the United States following the 2001 American invasion of Afghanistan, the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, and the 2022 American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Alrasool’s community programming focuses significantly on immigrant outreach, special education classes for couples and families, and youth Islamic courses. The Center hosts students from Utah high schools and universities who attend Alrasool’s lectures on Shi’ism and Islamic culture, and it serves as an important community resource for non-Muslims to learn more about Islam.  

A National Fund grant of $250,000, with at least $500,000 in matching funds to be raised by Alrasool, will support urgent building needs including foundation stabilization and repair, window and masonry repair, accessibility upgrades, and hazardous materials abatement.   

Alrasool Islamic Center courtesy Alrasool Islamic Center

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