Ismaili Center

The Ismaili Center is a religious organization of about 200 Shi'ite Aga Khani Ismailis which has met in rented space at 3950 Lorna Road in Hoover since 1999.

In 2007 the Center planned to build a 11,500-square-foot Jamatkhana (prayer hall) on a wooded 4.7-acre site owned by Alfa Properties at Sulpher Springs and Al Seier Roads. The project was headed by Covington, Georgia developer Lou Passarella. The rezoning request was postponed twice before it was rejected by the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission at its August 13, 2007 meeting. Before the meeting hundreds of opponents of the center packed a public hearing and presented a 519-signature petition asking the Commission to deny the rezoning request. The opposition was framed as a traffic issue, but was widely believed to have been fueled by mistrust and/or fear of the Muslim group. Before the issue was appealed to the Hoover City Council, Passarella withdrew the rezoning request and said that the Center would seek a different location on which to build.

References

• Cason, Mike (June 11, 2007) "Muslim worship center planned for Hoover site." Birmingham News.
• Cason, Mike (June 26, 2007) "Crown opposed Hoover Muslim center plan." Birmingham News.
• Archibald, John (August 3, 2007) "Muslims see fear, distrust in Hoover." Birmingham News.
• Cason, Mike (August 14, 2007) "Muslim center request denied." Birmingham News.