Bosnian-American Islamic Cultural Center
| Bosnian-American Islamic Cultural Center | |
|---|---|
The Bosnian-American Islamic Cultural Center in 2025. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Municipality | Hartford |
| Country | United States |
Interactive map of Bosnian-American Islamic Cultural Center | |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque, Islamic educational center and cultural center |
| Founder | Bosnian-American immigrants |
| Established | 2004 |
The Bosnian-American Islamic Cultural Center is a mosque and cultural center in Hartford, Connecticut. The center is affiliated with the Islamic Community of North American Bosniaks.[1][2]
History
The Bosnian-American Islamic Cultural Center (BAICC) was founded in 2004 by Bosnian-American immigrants who moved to the United States as refugees during the Yugoslav War in the mid-1990s.[3] Many Bosnian immigrants moved to the Hartford-Wethersfield area, where they settled in "Bosnia Square."[4] The region had long been inhabited by Italian immigrants.[5][6]
The first BAICC was set up in a small room in a grocery store, which the community quickly outgrew.[3] In 2007, the BAICC purchased their own building, a former automobile shop.[7] The BAICC serves as a mosque, cultural center, and Islamic school for the growing Bosnian population in the greater Hartford area.[8] The mosque is led by Imam Mirzet Mehmedovic, who has led the center since its founding.[3][6] Since the founding of the BAICC, the Bosnian population has continued to grow rapidly in the region. By 2013, Bosnian-Americans had become one of the largest and fastest-growing ethnic groups in the area.[9] In 2023, Miki Duric became the first Bosnian-American city councilor in Wethersfield.[10][11]
References
- ^ "About - IZBSA". December 2, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Esselamu Alejkum ☪ Peace Be Upon You". www.baicchartford.org. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ a b c "A Mosque Grows on Franklin Avenue - HartfordInfo.org". www.hartfordinfo.org. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "BOSNIA SQUARE". Hartford Courant. December 9, 2001. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Hartford's Bosnian Community Reflects On Their History As Muslim Refugees As Immigration Ban Inches Forward". Hartford Courant. July 4, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ a b "In Hartford's South End, Bosnians And Italians Find Common Ground". Hartford Courant. February 18, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Unhidden Gems: Bosnian-American Islamic Cultural Center – Kerri Ana". Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Schedule". mekteb.baicchartford.org. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "In The Midst of A Demographic Shift, Wethersfield Looks To Help New Mothers Across Region". Hartford Courant. November 9, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Town Council | Wethersfield, CT". wethersfieldct.gov. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Historic moment in CT town: Women in majority, a Bosnian councilor, a rabbi, pastor and imam pray". Hartford Courant. November 14, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2025.