White Plains Islamic Center
Faith. Community. A Home for Generations.
Welcome to White Plains Islamic Center (WPIC).
WPIC is a place for prayer, learning, fellowship, and community for Muslims in White Plains and the surrounding area. We bring people together through worship, religious education, community programs, and service to others.
Whether you are a longtime member of the community, new to the area, or visiting, you are always welcome at WPIC.
Our Story - Founded in 2018
White Plains Islamic Center was established in Ramadan 1439 (May 2018) to provide a Muslim prayer space in White Plains.
Our journey began with a humble prayer space inside The Galleria Mall in White Plains. Over the years, that space became a familiar gathering place for Jumu'ah, daily prayers, Ramadan, religious programs, and community fellowship.
WPIC was formally incorporated as White Plains Islamic Center, Inc. on February 16, 2018, in the State of New York.
When the Galleria closed in 2023, we began the next chapter of our journey: establishing a permanent home for White Plains Islamic Center.
Our New Home
Alhamdulillah, in 2023 WPIC purchased a property in White Plains that will become our permanent home.
The purchase was followed by planning, architectural design, municipal approvals, and permitting. With those approvals in place, construction is now underway.
Our new center will provide space for prayer, Islamic education, families, community programs, service, and fellowship.
As construction progresses, we look forward, Insha'Allah, to welcoming the community into our new home in 2027.
Our Journey
2018 — White Plains Islamic Center is established during Ramadan and begins serving the community from The Galleria Mall.
2018–2023 — WPIC continues to grow at the Galleria, providing prayer and community programming.
2023 — Following the closing of the Galleria location, WPIC purchases property in White Plains for its permanent home.
2023–2025 — Architectural planning, municipal approvals, permitting, and preparations for construction move forward.
2026 — Construction begins on the new White Plains Islamic Center.
2027 — Anticipated completion of our new home, Insha'Allah.
Serving Our Community Today
While construction continues, WPIC remains active and continues to serve the community.
Jumu'ah prayer is currently held at:
Memorial United Methodist Church
250 Bryant Avenue
White Plains, NY
Our services and programs include:
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Congregational and Jumu'ah prayers
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Islamic and community programs
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Marriage services
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Funeral and burial assistance
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Support for individuals and families in need
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Community outreach and fellowship
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a welcoming Islamic center where people can worship, learn, connect, and serve.
At WPIC, we seek to:
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Provide a welcoming space for worship and spiritual growth
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Strengthen faith through prayer and learning
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Support individuals and families
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Encourage compassion and service to others
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Foster unity and fellowship within the community
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Provide a permanent home for the Muslim community in White Plains
Looking Forward
The construction of our permanent home marks an exciting new chapter for White Plains Islamic Center.
We are grateful to everyone who has supported WPIC through their prayers, time, generosity, volunteerism, and participation over the years. As construction continues, we invite you to pray with us, visit us, participate in our programs, and join us on the journey toward our new home.
Together, we continue the journey. A legacy we build together.
Muslim Community History in Westchester
The history of organized Muslim community life in Westchester began decades before the establishment of White Plains Islamic Center.
We are pleased to preserve and share some of this history and to recognize the families and individuals whose efforts helped establish an organized Muslim community in the region.
The Beginnings of the Islamic Society of Westchester and Rockland
The story of the Islamic Society of Westchester and Rockland (ISWR) began in New Rochelle in the 1970s, when Dr. Ali Omar brought together approximately 17 Muslim families with a shared desire to organize and strengthen the growing Muslim community in Westchester.
The home of Dr. Ali Omar and Farida Omar at 329 Stratton Road in New Rochelle became one of the places where these early families regularly gathered. They met for prayer and fellowship, shared meals, organized Jumu'ah prayers in local churches, arranged religious activities, and established a Sunday school for their children.
Among the families and individuals whose names we remember today were Ali and Farida Omar, Muhib and Mehmooda, Humayun Akhter, Mehfoozia, Saajid and Talat, and Zaheer and Shakeela. Although the names of every member of that original group have not been preserved, we honor and acknowledge all of the families who gathered, contributed, and helped establish the community.
These gatherings eventually led to the formal organization of the Islamic Society of Westchester and Rockland (ISWR). ISWR was incorporated on November 19, 1979, with 329 Stratton Road, New Rochelle, listed as the organization's address.
As the community grew, others joined and contributed to its development, including Gul Iqbal and Banu, Dr. Manzoor Bhatti, Rehana Zia, Farooq Khatwari, Ijaz and Fowzia Qureshi, Zaheer Bosai, and many others.
The community continued to gather for prayer in borrowed church spaces, expand its Sunday school, and raise funds toward establishing a permanent home. During the 1980s, Ahmed Deedat also visited in support of one of the community's fundraising efforts.
A Permanent Home
These efforts eventually led to the purchase of the property at 22 Brookfield Road, which became the permanent home of what is now known as the Westchester Muslim Center.
Farooq Khatwari played an instrumental role in helping make the purchase of the Brookfield Road property possible.
With a permanent home, the community continued to grow, and new generations became part of Muslim life in Westchester.
Over the years, some of the early members have passed away, while others are still with us and are able to share firsthand memories of those early years. We remember them all with gratitude and recognize the collective efforts of the families and individuals who helped establish and develop the community.
Remembering Our Community's History
The story began simply: Muslim families came together in homes and borrowed spaces to pray, educate their children, share meals, and build community.
From these early gatherings grew an organized Muslim community that became an important part of the history of Muslim life in Westchester.
Today, as new generations, communities, and institutions continue to grow throughout the area, we remember those who came before us with gratitude and seek to preserve their stories for future generations.
We honor our history, serve our community today, and look forward to the generations that will follow.
