New mosque serves south valley Muslims

SANDY — The Salt Lake Valley's newest mosque is a converted office space in a strip mall in Sandy. There is no minaret, no dome, no imported carpet. But what the Utah Islamic Center lacks in adornments, it makes up for with convenience and philosophy, its new members say.

The new mosque is attracting the growing number of Muslims who live in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley, says Nadeem Ahmed, who serves on the mosque's advisory council. As for the philosophy, the mosque's new imam, Shuaib-ud Din, describes it as "inclusive, progressive and transparent."

Din is a familiar face in Utah, having served as prayer leader at Utah's largest mosque, Khadeeja Masjid in West Valley City. He was fired in January after his wife pressed domestic violence charges. That situation made headlines at the time and continues to hang awkwardly in the air as he and his new mosque try to move on.

"I feel that it was a humbling experience," Din says about the events of last winter. "One day you're the face of the Islamic Society and the Islamic Society is the largest Muslim organization in Utah, and the next thing you know it's gone, all your friends, your contacts, your reputation." But "we're here to make mistakes and learn from our mistakes," he says.

Asked what he has learned, he replies: "Love everyone, but trust only a few." According to Din, "there were board members who knew of family troubles going on at my home, but instead of confronting me, they used my wife to get rid of me." It was his growing influence in the community, Din charges, that made some members of his former congregation unhappy with him.

"A lot of the members in the community disagreed not necessarily with me being discharged but with the way it was handled," he says. "It created a split in the community."

According to his lawyer, Blake Nakamura, Din pleaded guilty to three counts "largely to put the matter behind him." Din's guilty pleas to a third-degree felony charge and two class B misdemeanors, including "domestic violence in front of a child," are being held in abeyance for 18 months while Din gets counseling. At the end of that time, if Din meets the stipulated conditions, two of the charges will be dismissed. "The only conviction that would be entered would be the plea to the misdemeanor assault," Nakamura says.

Utah Islamic Center advisory council member Ahmed describes Din as "a very, very capable man, well liked and very knowledgeable," with a degree in Islamic studies and an ability to work well with children and with Utah's interfaith community.