Quincy400: Bird on a Wire - History of the Islamic Center of New England

Community Meeting Room, Main Library, 40 Washington Street, Quincy, MA, 02169 On November 6th, author Mary Lahaj shares a previously untold chapter of Quincy’s rich history — one rooted in perseverance, faith, and community. Her book traces the journey of her family’s immigrant generation and the first-born American generation as they worked together to realize a dream: building a mosque for future generations. That dream took 30 years to achieve (1934 to 1964). Mary will share the challenges they faced — from financial hardship and social resistance to acts of vandalism, arson, and Islamophobia — and how they overcame them, often with the support of their Christian and Jewish neighbors. Today, the Islamic Center of New England stands proudly alongside Quincy’s historic churches and synagogues, a testament to resilience, interfaith solidarity, and the enduring power of hope. <a href="https://thomascranelibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/bird-on-a-wire-with-mary-lahaj/www.birdonawirebook.com">www.birdonawirebook.com.</a> Mary Lahaj, MA, is an award-winning advocate for interfaith dialogue and a trailblazer in Muslim chaplaincy. She comes from a distinguished lineage of pioneers. Both sides of her family—the Hassans and the Omars—emigrated from Lebanon to Quincy, Massachusetts, at the turn of the twentieth century. They worked at the Fore River Shipyard and went on to establish a number of local businesses, including Ma’s Lunch, Hassan Bros., Nash/Rambler/Jeep, Granite Dodge, Omar’s Garage, and Derbes Bros. Paving. Her family also played a central role in founding the Islamic Center of New England on South Street in 1964, the oldest mosque in New England. Her grandfather, Mohamed Omar, served as its first Imam. Mary has broken many barriers in her own right. She was the first woman Muslim chaplain on staff at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Simmons University, and the Groton School. A freelance writer, she published her memoir, Bird on a Wire (2024), which details her unique personal and professional journey. Learn more at <a href="http://www.birdonawirebook.com/">http://www.birdonawirebook.com .</a> Mary holds a master’s degree in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations from Hartford International University and also studied Middle Eastern history at Harvard University Extension School.

Thomas Crane Public Library

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Quincy400: Bird on a Wire - History of the Islamic Center of New England

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