Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Sited near the low-lying Buffalo Bayou in Houston and featuring complex landscaping and extensive concrete work, the first Ismaili Center in the U.S. has required an intense ;commitment to precision from its owner and design and construction team. Building the LEED Gold-targeted campus for the branch of Shia Islam began in 2021 and is set to finish in 2025.

His Highness the Aga Khan commissioned the center as place for civic outreach and multi-cultural understanding.

HOUSTON — Houston is soon to be home for the first Ismaili Center in the U.S.

Plans for the center were unveiled on Monday by world-renowned architect Farshid Moussavi. It's set to be built on Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard with commissioning from His Highness the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. Once it's complete, it'll join its counterparts in London (UK), Lisbon (Portugal), Dubai (UAE), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Vancouver and Toronto (Canada).

The Aga Khan Council for Central United States, a social governance body of the Ismaili Muslim community, will donate 10,000 surgical masks, 10,000 pairs of gloves, and 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to the City of Dallas. Those donations will be distributed to City of Dallas first responders and front-line workers.

Dozens of volunteers took time out of their Saturday at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center in Sugar Land to help several Fort Bend County nonprofit organizations replenish food and hygiene supplies that have been needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “Share Your Blessings” food drive was a joint effort between the Aga Khan Council of the Southwest United States, the city of Sugar Land and Fort Bend Interfaith Community. Volunteers were on hand accepting food and hygiene items to support Fort Bend ISD, East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry and Richmond-Rosenberg Helping Hands.

The Aga Khan Council for the Southwest United States hosted the Fort Bend Interfaith Community for its second annual Youth Day of Service Monday, Jan. 21, at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center in Sugar Land. Youth volunteers representing a variety of faiths including Christianity, Islamic and Jewish religious communities among others, gathered for community service activities.

Ismaili Muslims hire rising architect Farshid Moussavi to design first U.S. cultural center in Houston

Molly Glentzer Feb. 6, 2019 Updated: Feb. 6, 2019 6:52 a.m.

The vacant lot along Montrose Boulevard at Allen Parkway is planned as the future site of the Ismaili Center near downtown Houston along Buffalo Bayou, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019.Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

CARROLLTON — Fourteen-year-old Sarah Ibrahim had never before seen the type of destruction that Harvey caused in Houston.
But once the Dallas youth saw it, she felt inspired to do something to help.
On Sunday, she got her chance. Sarah joined hundreds of others from North Texas' Ismaili Muslim community who put together 100,000 meals destined for those affected by the devastating storm.

"This is just really different because nothing like this has happened in my life," Sarah said. "It's good to be apart of it and be able to be an impact to families that have been in Harvey."