The Islamic Leadership Institute of America has closed on the purchase of a former bank building in downtown Norton, where it will establish a community center that includes a worship space, according to its founder.
Ayman Nassar was in Norton on Tuesday night to host an open house to discuss the organization’s plans for the facility in far Southwest Virginia. Sixteen people attended the event at a rented facility, and many said they welcome the organization’s stated mission to provide youth and community development programs.
The Wise County/Norton circuit court clerk confirmed the institute’s purchase of the former Bank of America building for $300,000, which is below its assessed value of $499,500.
The center will serve people of all faiths and will be a hub for youth development programs along with workforce development, food security and other programs, Nassar said. It will also provide a worship space for local Muslims, who he said now worship at home.
He also disputed local critics’ claims during a Norton City Council meeting on Oct. 20 that Islam is a cult, is anti-Christian and aims to kill non-Muslims.
Before launching initiatives at its new property, institute officials must do some preparatory work inside the building, Nassar said.
Over the next several months, programs will start on the first floor, which will have classrooms, a prayer area and spaces for workforce and social services programs, he said. Eventually, the institute will also provide a housing option, Nassar said, noting that Norton’s zoning ordinance allows residential spaces.
The property is zoned B-2 for central business district uses, including churches, schools, libraries, recreation, offices, retail stores and paid lodging.
Nassar said his understanding is that under current zoning, the institute does not need additional approval from city officials to offer its programs.
Winfred Collins, Norton building official and zoning administrator, said that the institute “will be required to apply for a change of use building permit if they intend to change the layout of the building.” As of Wednesday, he said, he had not received an application or plans for proposed renovations.
How and why did the institute choose Norton?
Nassar, who grew up in Chicago, said his background is in technology, with degrees in electrical engineering, engineering management and systems engineering. His volunteer efforts in youth development led to the creation in 2009 of the institute, a nonprofit in Maryland. It has a center in the city of Staunton, along with facilities in Baltimore, Ellicott City and Columbia, all in Maryland, and Dallas, Texas.
According to its website, the institute’s goal is to “promote leadership development, education and research based on Islamic values and principles, through personalized, experiential learning leadership programs.”
Nassar has been visiting Virginia’s coalfield region for about five years, after a Christian organization in the area requested services for Muslim inmates at Red Onion State Prison and Wallens Ridge State Prison, both in Wise County, and other state correctional facilities, he said.
For about three years, Nassar said, he has sought out Muslim families in the area and learned that many are worshipping in their homes because there is no nearby mosque. The worship facility closest to Norton is operated by the nonprofit Muslim Community of Northeast Tennessee in Johnson City, Tennessee, about a 90-minute drive.
Nassar estimated that 50 to 100 Muslims live in Wise County and Norton. The U.S. Religion Census estimated that as of 2020, more than 1,500 Muslims lived within a roughly 100-mile radius of Norton in eastern Kentucky, northeast Tennessee and southern West Virginia. That census has no numbers for Muslims living in far Southwest Virginia.
Why choose Norton, Virginia’s smallest city with fewer than 3,500 people and a roughly 15-minute drive from the Kentucky border?
Nassar said after driving all over the coalfield region from Tazewell County to Lee County, the institute decided on Norton because its location, at the intersection of U.S. 23 and U.S. 58, is central to the region. The former bank building is also well suited for its purposes, he said.
Institute officials have met with city staff to discuss specifics about the planned center and to confirm that the property’s zoning fits its needs, he said.
An attendee of the open house asked Nassar how the group plans to educate the community in the face of opposition and criticism of Islam. He said simply getting programs up and running and having a presence in the community will open people’s eyes over time.
“Change makes people uncomfortable,” he said.
Among those who attended the open house to learn more were Yasmina Rae and Aisha Khan — both declined to be photographed out of a desire to avoid harassment.
Rae, of Big Stone Gap, said she was raised in a strict local Christian household and found that, often, she could not find answers to her faith questions within Christianity. About five years ago, she converted to Islam, which has always provided those answers, she said.
Rae began to learn about Islam through her husband’s work colleague, she said. Contrary to claims that Islam is anti-Jesus and anti-Christian, she said, “Jesus is a real person in Islam.”
Some local residents have negative perceptions because they haven’t taken time to educate themselves about Islam, Rae said.
Khan recently moved from Texas to Southwest Virginia for work. She said she has found local residents to be friendly, kind, humble, genuine and family-focused.
The institute’s founder said that local critics have misconceptions about the faith.
Islam has more than 1.8 billion followers worldwide, making it the world’s second-largest religion, after Christianity.
Responding to questions from Cardinal News, Nassar addressed specific allegations made during city council’s Oct. 20 meeting:
- To statements that Islam teaches subjugation of women, Nassar called this a distortion, saying Islam considers women “the nucleus of society” and men have a responsibility to protect them.
- To claims that Muslims hate gay people, Nassar said that Islam, Christianity and Judaism forbid homosexual acts, and Islam aims to help people with those desires, not condemn them.
- To assertions that Muslims want to kill non-Muslim “infidels,” he said this is a distortion of verses in the Quran, taken out of context. Such verses speak to acts of defense, including defensive warfare after an adversary attacks Muslims, he said.
- To claims that Islam is anti-Christian and anti-Jesus, Nassar said that Muslims, Christians and Jews worship the same God. Islam recognizes 25 prophets, including Jesus, he said.
You can learn more about the institute on its website.
