Recently mentioned in the Sahan Journal
The north Minneapolis mosque battled flooding issues for years, according to its longtime leader, Imam Makram El-Amin. The building sits downhill from its parking lot on the corner of 18th Street and Lyndale Avenue, which causes water to flow directly into the mosque.
“Over the years we spent thousands of dollars, literally, and many sleepless nights dealing with this issue,” Imam El-Amin said. “It was really becoming a disaster for us.”
But on a recent Friday, El-Amin smiled as he walked through the freshly landscaped grounds. The week had brought heavy rain and significant snow melt. But the building hadn’t flooded because the excess water was absorbed by a new network of rain gardens, installed with $60,000 in public grant money. The landscaping project is the latest effort the congregation has made to support environmental justice and establish itself as the region’s first “eco-mosque.” Read more here