White Plains Islamic Center
About Us – White Plains Islamic Center
Welcome to the White Plains Islamic Center (WPIC)!
Our center is a place for prayer, learning, and community for Muslims in White Plains, New York and beyond. We are an Islamic center committed to helping people grow spiritually and connect with one another.
Our Story - Founded in 2018
Alhamdulillah, White Plains Islamic Center was established in Ramadan 1439 (May 2018). What began as a humble prayer space inside The Galleria Mall in White Plains has continued to grow as a spiritual home for Muslims in the area.
Incorporation & Growth
Before opening our doors, we became an officially recognized nonprofit early in 2018 — filing as White Plains Islamic Center Inc. on February 16, 2018 with the State of New York.
Serving the Community Today
Today, we continue to offer congregational prayers, including Jumu’ah (Friday) services and other spiritual programs. While our new permanent property’s construction is underway, we gather for Jumma prayer at a temporary location -Memorial United Methodist Church at 250 Bryant Avenue.
Milestones
🌟 May 2018 – Center established in Ramadan and began serving the community.
🏙️ 2023 – Galleria Mall location closed, and WPIC began planning a new permanent home.
🏗️ 2025 Dec - Construction Started – Permits approved for our new property on Aqueduct Road and Russell Street, with building work beginning in early 2026.
Founding Members :
Our Mission & Values
At WPIC, we aim to:
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Provide a welcoming space for worship
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Strengthen faith through prayer and learning
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Support families and individuals of all backgrounds
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Foster unity, compassion, and community service
Everyone — new residents, long-time community members, and visitors — are welcome to join us in prayer and fellowship.
Services Provided:
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Marriage officiant
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Funeral and Burial Services
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Supporting those in need
Looking Forward
With the new center under construction, we are raising support and donations to complete the build-out and create a permanent home for spiritual life and community events in White Plains.
Join us as we continue this journey of faith, community, and growth.
The History of Masajids in Westchester County -
How Islamic Society of Westchester and Rockland Inc (Now known as Westchester Muslim Center) Began
The Islamic Society of Westchester and Rockland began in New Rochelle between 1973-1977, when Dr. Ali Omar and Farida Omar brought together a small group of Muslim families at their home at 329 Stratton Road, New Rochelle, New York.
The original group included Dr. Ali and Farida Omar, Muhib and Mehmooda, Humayun Akhter, Mehfoozia, Saajid and Talat, Zaheer and Shakeela, along with several other early members whose names are not all remembered today.
They met regularly to discuss how to organize the local Muslim community, shared potluck meals, arranged Jumu'ah prayers in local churches, and started a Sunday school for their children.
Their efforts led to the formal incorporation of the Islamic Society of Westchester and Rockland, Inc. on November 19, 1979. The original New York filing listed the organization at:
329 Stratton Road
New Rochelle, New York
That filing is an important part of ISWR’s history because it connects the formal organization directly to the New Rochelle home where the early group had been meeting.
As the community grew, others joined and played an important role in strengthening and expanding ISWR. Among them were Gul Iqbal and Banu, Dr. Manzoor Bhatti, Rehana Zia, Farooq Khatwari, Ijaz and Fowzia Qureshi, Zaheer Bosai, and many others.
The community continued holding prayers in borrowed church spaces, expanding its Sunday school, and raising funds for a permanent home. In the 1980s, Ahmed Deedat also came to support one of the community’s fundraising efforts.
Those efforts eventually led to the purchase of the property at 22 Brookfield Road, which became the permanent home of the Westchester Muslim Center. Farooq Khatwari was instrumental in helping make the purchase of the Brookfield Road property possible.
Over the years, some of these early members have passed away, while others are still with us today. We are grateful for the opportunity to honor both those we remember and those who can still share firsthand the story of how ISWR began.
This is where ISWR began — with a small group of Muslim families in New Rochelle who came together to organize prayer, educate their children, and build a lasting Muslim community in Westchester and Rockland.
Their contribution deserves to be remembered, and the community that exists today stands on the foundation they helped create.
