{"id":144852,"date":"2026-01-22T16:07:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T16:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/144852\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T16:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T16:07:13","slug":"islamic-society-of-orange-county-celebrates-50-years-and-50-more-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/144852\/","title":{"rendered":"Islamic Society of Orange County celebrates 50 years and \u201950 more\u2019 \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Hassan Mukhlis\u2019s parents emigrated from Pakistan in the 1980s, they landed in Santa Ana and later purchased a home in Garden Grove, next to the Islamic Society of Orange County.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here my whole life,\u201d said Mukhlis, a public defender and president of what is now the largest Muslim community center in Southern California. \u201cI\u2019ve been at ISOC essentially, since birth, you would say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mukhlis\u2019s uncle helped bring the society to life in 1976 as one of its seven founding signatories. His father later served on the governing board and Mukhlis remembers his mother cradling his infant brother in the center\u2019s kitchen. Mukhlis attended school at the society from preschool to eighth grade. He married there in 2014. And now, he picks up his children from the same school he attended.<\/p>\n

The society, Mukhlis jokes, has \u201csomething for every stage of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the Islamic Society of Orange County<\/a> celebrates its own milestone 50th anniversary this month, Mukhlis said the organization also has big plans for the next 50.<\/p>\n

\"Imam<\/p>\n

Imam Fayaz Nawabi, right, gives a sermon at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Women<\/p>\n

Women gather for the prayer service at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Imam<\/p>\n

Imam Fayaz Nawabi, left, gives a sermon at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Female<\/p>\n

Female teens and children gather in the women\u2019s prayer room to listen to a sermon from Imam Fayaz Nawabi, on monitor, at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Muslims<\/p>\n

Muslims leave the Islamic Society of Orange County after prayer in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Imam<\/p>\n

Imam Fayaz Nawabi gives a sermon at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Teenage<\/p>\n

Teenage boys listen to a sermon by Imam Fayaz Nawabi at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Men<\/p>\n

Men listen to a sermon from Imam Fayaz Nawabi at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 8<\/p>\n

Imam Fayaz Nawabi, right, gives a sermon at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a>
\n\u2018The next 50\u2019<\/p>\n

When the society was incorporated in 1976, it was with the vision of finding a place for the muslim community in Orange County to congregate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe community was already meeting, getting together in people\u2019s apartments and they had a garage that they would meet at in Fullerton,\u201d ISOC Chairman Alam Akhtar said.<\/p>\n

Community members later raised money to purchase in 1980 a small church at the northern corner of 13th and Kerry streets in Garden Grove to become ISOC\u2019s home base.<\/p>\n

And over the span of 50 years, the society has continued to expand, now encompassing six acres at the same corner and serving more than 1,500 people daily.<\/p>\n

The center has its own mosque and K-12 school that currently enrolls 530 students. ISOC also offers community services and events at its campus, including funerals, marriages, a food pantry and even its own coffee shop and thrift store.<\/p>\n

The society is hoping to expand its services. Since 2024, ISOC has been working on a master site plan. The plan \u2014 which reimagines the campus for more use and revenue opportunities<\/a> \u2014 has received preliminary approval from the city. And pending further approval, renovations could break ground as soon as later this year or in 2027.<\/p>\n

\"Syed<\/p>\n

Syed Mustafa Hussain, 83, left, and Siraj Qadri, 88, share a laugh outside the Islamic Society of Orange County after prayers in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. Hussain and Qadri have been members of ICOC since it began in 1976. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Teenage<\/p>\n

Teenage girls come out to the second-story patio after prayer service at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People gather under the breezeway to visit after prayer at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"After<\/p>\n

After prayer services at the Islamic Society of Orange County, people gather in the on-site coffee shop in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Nayyer<\/p>\n

Nayyer Alam of Friends of Humanity organizes the food pantry at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC\u2019s food pantry, which is available to anyone in need, serves 400 families per month. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Reverts<\/p>\n

Reverts to Islam, Juan Alvarez Ramirez and his wife Brianna Jimenez, reunite after the congregational prayer with their 3-months-old twins, Zechariah, left, and Xiomara, outside the Islamic Society of Orange County
\nin Garden Grove on Friday. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking for a place to worship, but we like coming here (ISOC) because they are so welcoming, especially with the babies,\u201d said Alvarez Ramirez. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Women<\/p>\n

Women chat on the second level of the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 7<\/p>\n

Syed Mustafa Hussain, 83, left, and Siraj Qadri, 88, share a laugh outside the Islamic Society of Orange County after prayers in Garden Grove on Friday, January 9, 2026. Hussain and Qadri have been members of ICOC since it began in 1976. ISOC, the largest muslim community center in Southern California, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Monday, Jan. 5. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Akhtar credits Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi,<\/a> a professor and scholar of Islamic Studies, with being pivotal to the organization\u2019s longevity and prosperity. Siddiqi served for 43 years as the ISOC\u2019s religious director before retiring in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cI distinctly remember the morning of 9\/11,\u201d Akhtar said. \u201cAnd it just happened to be that our religious director, Dr. Siddiqi, who is one of the top scholars in the U.S., happened to have been in Washington, D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n

Siddiqi met with President George W. Bush shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, gifting Bush a copy of the Quran.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThey talked about peace and the community in a very difficult time \u2014 not as Muslims, but as Americans. I thought that was a very powerful moment,\u201d Akhtar said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the type of leadership that ISOC has tried to lead with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the ongoing struggle of being pigeonholed into \u201ccertain beliefs and stereotypes,\u201d Akhtar said the ISOC remains nonpartisan and tries to \u201crise above the political noise\u201d to help community members.<\/p>\n

When the government shut down last year, for example, \u201cwe mobilized and overnight, supplied food to needy people within the county. And this wasn\u2019t a political gesture, this was a response to what is happening in the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Shaykh Abdullah Misra took over as religious director in 2024. He said he feels \u201cprepared, with the community support behind me,\u201d to keep alive a new generation\u2019s relationship with the Muslim faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came to this position, everybody kind of put their hand on my shoulder and said, \u2018You\u2019ve got some big shoes to fill,\u2019\u201d Misra said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m not trying to walk in those shoes,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m going to polish them, put them up, and walk in my own shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of his goals, he said, is to bridge generational and cultural divides in one of the state\u2019s most diverse counties. He said he\u2019s focusing on religious programming that responds to the needs of the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so much division in society,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m focusing on uniting people, not based on anything other than love for God and love for humanity. I think we\u2019re very enfranchised here, and there\u2019s a sense of deep belonging. You\u2019re not trying to find your place in the society. What you\u2019re trying to do is make your mark on society.\u201d<\/p>\n

And making that \u201cmark,\u201d Misra added, begins with supporting philanthropic causes and partnering with groups outside of the Muslim community.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerican Muslims have always been on the frontlines of American justice,\u201d Akhtar said. \u201cNow, we\u2019re trying to extend our resources to larger communities, our neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization has been working on strengthening its local ties, he said, whether that be reaching out to city and county elected officials, or partnering with and funding local nonprofits such as VietRISE<\/a> or the Harbor Institute for Immigrant & Economic Justice.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

But \u201cbridging communities\u201d is a \u201cvery, very, very difficult thing to achieve for a large organization, like ISOC, which can get stereotyped,\u201d Akhtar added.<\/p>\n

\u201cISOC has always had to play the role of bringing communities, bringing people together, regardless of whatever your point of view is. The political climate changes, the norms evolve, and we try to change how we\u2019ve been able to respond to the needs of the moment,\u201d Akhtar said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we have experience with history.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Hassan Mukhlis\u2019s parents emigrated from Pakistan in the 1980s, they landed in Santa Ana and later purchased…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":144853,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,7,1996,6161,11078,23,611],"class_list":["post-144852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-california","tag-diversity","tag-faith","tag-garden-grove","tag-local-news","tag-orange-county"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}