Wasatch Front Muslims are observing Ramadan

As Muslims around the globe face Mecca during their daily prayers, so do thousands of Utahns, whose faith becomes a little more visible this time of year.

The annual, monthlong celebration of Ramadan began Wednesday as local Muslims gathered at the seven mosques or Islamic centers now scattered along the Wasatch Front that accommodate what community leaders call a vibrant, and still growing, community of about 25,000.

Bobby Darvish, president of The Muslim Forum of Utah, said most Utahns would likely be surprised there are now seven Muslim worship centers in the Beehive State, including one in Orem that serves a handful of Utah County adherents along with students from Brigham Young University.

There are three in the Salt Lake Valley and three others in Logan, Ogden and Layton — all of them busy this month with special prayers and readings of the Quran.

Nadeem Ahmed, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake, said Utah's Muslim community used to be more concentrated on Arabs, Pakistanis and Indians, but in recent years, the state has seen an influx of Somali, Bosnian and East European Muslims. "Some of their customs and languages are different" than what Utah has traditionally seen, "but Islam is a religion that believes in one God and the Islamic language of the Quran."

Hundreds gathered Monday night at the Khadeeja Mosque in West Valley to look for the sighting of the crescent moon, which commemorates God's revelation to the prophet Mohammed.

Those revelations comprise the Quran, which is recited by sections during the nightly evening prayers held during Ramadan. "It's divided into 30 parts," Ahmed said, "so we will complete it within the month."

Ahmed said he sometimes finds it difficult to pray during the workday, and if he misses the 2 p.m. prayer, he will complete it when he arrives home around 5 p.m. "It's a very private religion, so we're not doing it (praying daily) for people to see." Many local employers hear about the monthlong celebration via the media, and ask their Muslim employees what it involves, including offering to accommodate the person's religious needs, he said.

"Many will say you can feel free to go home or close the office door or do what you have to do," to participate in the celebration, he said. "Some are very accommodating."

A few local Muslims have had the opposite experience, he said. But overall, "I think Utah is fairly accepting. It has happened that some of us have lost jobs because we're Muslim. People get hired on, and then you start seeing differences. But on a mass scale, I understand that we're dealing with human beings," which means the degree of acceptance and support will always vary, he said.