Dzemijetul Hajrije facts for kids
Dzemijetul Hajrije is the oldest Muslim organization in the United States. It is a group that helps people, started in 1906. Its main goal was to help Muslim immigrants who came from Bosnia.
How It Started
In the late 1800s, many young men traveled from Bosnia to Chicago. They came to find work in construction. They helped build roads, buildings, and tunnels for Chicago's train system. Many Bosnians worked for a big company called Paschen Construction Company.
Dzemijetul Hajrije became like a family for these young men. It offered religious services and special events for holidays like Eid. It also helped with money for medical care and funerals.
Expanding to Other Cities
Muslims from Bosnia also lived in other cities. Many worked in steel mills in Gary, Indiana. Another group worked in copper mines in Butte, Montana.
Dzemijetul Hajrije started new groups, called chapters, in these cities:
- Gary, Indiana (1913)
- Wilpen, Pennsylvania (1915)
- Butte, Montana (1916)
These early groups did not have mosques. They often met in coffeehouses. The last Bosnian coffeehouse closed in 1956.
Growing After World War II
After World War II, even more Bosnians moved to Chicago. Many of them were well-educated. However, they often had to take jobs like taxi drivers, factory workers, or janitors.
In the early 1950s, these immigrants asked Sheik Kamil Avdich to be their first imam, or religious leader. They started a new group called the Muslim Religious and Cultural Home. In 1957, they opened their first mosque on Halsted Street.
In 1968, the group changed its name to the Bosnian American Cultural Association. In the 1970s, they bought land in Northbrook. This is where they built a much larger mosque, which is now the Islamic Cultural Center of Greater Chicago.
