[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 177 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE MOUNT HOPE MOSQUE--ISLAMIC SUNNA WAI JAMAA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and admiration 
that I stand before you today to honor the Mt. Hope Mosque for their 
many years of selfless and compassionate service to all of our 
community's residents.
  The masjid was founded by a group of Guyanese Muslims led by Imam 
Shameem Ali on the Grand Concourse in the early part of the 1980s. It 
was the second such institution in the whole of the Bronx. Due to the 
need for a larger space in 1985 it was moved to its present location, 
24 Mount Hope Place. Once at its present location, a residential area, 
it drew the attention of Muslims in the neighborhood who had no place 
to go for prayers. In the spirit of the unity of Islam, the doors of 
the masjid were opened to all, including non-Muslims. In doing so, the 
ethnicity of the members became so diverse that it was dubbed--The 
United Nations Mosque.
  The Ameer or leader of the masjid, Mr. Abdallah Cromwell is a 
Trinidadian, who runs the ``His People Halal Restaurant'' down the 
block from the masjid. The first imam of the masjid is Imam Shameem Ali 
from Guyana, who recently retired and passed his mantle to his young 
and energetic deputy, Imam Issah Lamin Yusif, who is from Ghana. Imam 
lssah Lamin Yusif's deputy is Imam Hameed Fofana from the Gambia. Imam 
lssah and his deputies lead the congregants in their daily prayers and 
also run a daily after-school and weekend programs to educate children 
of the congregation in religious knowledge.
  The mosque has a Boys' and Cubs' Scout Troop, who have been invited 
to many places in the city and the state. Recently, they were invited 
to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Scouts' Creed at the last 
general meeting of the New York State leadership committee.
  There are programs to educate the congregants on good citizenship and 
civic responsibilities. Every Friday after congregational prayers there 
is enough food for all. During the holy month of Ramadan there is 
enough food for everyone who comes to break their fast. From 1989 until 
2000 the mosque ran a food pantry for the neighborhood's needy.
  Another uniqueness of this masjid is its plurality of ethnicities. 
Its congregants are from---Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. 
Mount Hope Masjid was founded to serve the religious and social needs 
of some Guyanese, but it grew to serve a diverse group of people with 
the same needs. It still serves the same purpose and it will continue 
to do so for a long time, lnsha-Allah.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in honoring the Mt. Hope Mosque for their 
consistently remarkable dedication to public service.