About UIC
The first and only Uyghur Islamic Center (UIC) in the United States was established in 2021 to serve the Uyghur and broader Muslim communities in the DC-Metro area. Our mission is to preserve our Islamic faith and Uyghur cultural heritage for ourselves and for generations to come.
At a historically critical time for the Uyghur people, an Uyghur brother generously offered his event hall free of charge, allowing our community to gather for Jumu’ah and Eid prayers for over a year. Through this support and the dedication of a small but committed group of Muslims, the Uyghur Islamic Center was born.
Since then, we have grown steadily. Our community rallied together with immense generosity and determination to help us establish a permanent home for UIC. By the grace of Allah (SWT) and with your continued support, we are proud to share that we have officially purchased a property and moved into our new location. Alhamdulillah, this marks a historic milestone for our community in building a lasting institution for Islamic worship, learning, and community engagement.
We have also retained our original location, which will continue to serve our community in a supportive capacity as we expand our services and programs.
The Uyghur Islamic Center is a nonprofit organization (EIN: 87-4723081) recognized as tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). UIC operates as an independent organization and is not affiliated with any individuals or other institutions.
Our History
The Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group originating in East Turkestan. Since 1949, our country has been occupied by China, and beginning in 2016, our people have been subject to a government-sponsored genocide.
Thousands of mosques have been demolished, Islamic names are forbidden, scriptures are burned, and religions have been labeled as “mental diseases.” Uyghur Muslims are being sent to concentration camps and being tortured to renounce their faith and culture.
The ones who have not been sent away live in heavy surveillance and their daily lives are akin to living in an open prison. The small numbers of Uyghurs living abroad are struggling to preserve their religion and culture.