Announcement - Lehigh Valley Muslim Cemetery

Lehigh Valley Muslim Cemetery

As salaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Alhamdulilah! Alhamdulilah! Alhamdulilah! We have incredibly exciting news that promises to shape the future of the Muslim community in the Lehigh Valley for generations to come.

Over the past few months, the Board of Trustees (BT), Executive Committee (EC), and Sister Sheila Kuhns, have been diligently pursuing a unique opportunity that promises to shape our community's future for generations.

We are delighted to announce that we have successfully negotiated and signed a contract to purchase over 7 acres of cemetery site a few blocks away from our current Laurel Cemetery on Kimmet Avenue, Allentown, from St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church. As many of you know, the Muslim section of Laurel Cemetery is nearing capacity, making this acquisition not only timely but crucial. Its central location in the heart of Allentown, close to our masjid and the broader Lehigh Valley community, makes this ideal for establishing a dedicated Muslim-only cemetery, a vision we have long cherished.

Our Muslim section is currently part of Laurel Cemetery. The management of Laurel Cemetery has given us a map and manages how we operate there. The new Muslim cemetery will be solely owned by us, and we can design it the way we want, such as having walkways between graves for community members to be able to walk to graves without stepping on them or anything else we want to do. The present cemetery map provided to us by the church has 4,743 burial sites, but it may change once we make our own cemetery map.

We signed an agreement to purchase this cemetery for $550,000. We are expecting closing costs and the cost to build a fence around the property may add an additional cost of around $150,000. That will bring the total cost to us around $700,000. We are, Insha Allah, planning to have an information and fundraising session on July 25th at 7:00 pm, and closing is expected around mid-August after due diligence is complete. We need to raise a minimum of $550,000 to close and preferably $700,000 to be able to pay closing costs and build a fence around the property.

You can immediately make a donation using Zelle Transfer from your bank account to [email protected] ([email protected]) or use the option below to make a donation by credit card or PayPal.

"O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm" (47:7)

We appeal to your generosity and commitment to our community's future. Your contributions, no matter the size, will help us cross this finish line and establish a legacy for those who follow us.

Please consider donating generously to this blessed cause. May Allah (SWT) reward you abundantly for your support.

Jazakum Allahu Khairan,

Board of Trustees

Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley

Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley |1988 Schadt Avenue|Whitehall, PA 18052 US