Greater San Diego Muslim
Community Center Foundation
Our Vision
Our Mission
The mission of the GSDMCC Foundation is to serve and uplift the Greater San Diego community by offering vital resources, educational programs, and community services rooted in Islamic principles of kindness, justice, and solidarity. We strive to foster a welcoming space for cultural and spiritual growth, outreach, and collaboration with organizations and partners who share our commitment to enhancing the well-being and future of all.
Our Board of Directors
The Greater San Diego Muslim Community Center (GSDMCC) Foundation is led by a dedicated Board of Directors who steer our vision, shape our strategy, and guide our initiatives to serve the community with integrity and commitment. Explore our Board members, organizational structure, and guiding principles to learn more about our leadership.
Chair
Sayed Imdad Ali
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Vice Chair
Nihal Khan
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Treasurer
Omar Farah
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Secretary
Dr. Tahir Paul
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Chair, Ops Board
Salah Feteih
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Our History
As the community grew, it realized the need for a larger facility. At that point, it was decided to own rather than lease the future center. In May 2005, GSDMCC Foundation, a California Nonprofit Religious Corporation was formed. GSDMCC Foundation’s goal was to research and purchase land and hold the deed in a non-profit trust. Subsequently, it was tasked to build a Center, be the owner of the facility, and lease it to GSDMCC Operations.
In the interim, GSDMCC moved from Rancho Penasquitos (after the expiration of its lease) to a Rancho Bernardo facility and continued its Operations there for a year. Meanwhile the Foundation found a 5.9-acre lot that was designated for religious purposes as part of the Black Mountain Development project.
After the acquisition of the land, the Foundation hired an Architect. The Architect developed a master plan, detailed design documents, construction drawings and submitted them to the City for approval. The City issued a building permit, and a general contractor was selected to build Phase 1 of the Master Plan. A shariah compliant 20-year loan was obtained from a Bank to finance a new 10,000SF Center.
A Groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction was held on August 8, 2009. While the construction was underway, trailers were moved on-site to conduct Jummah prayers. This gave the community an opportunity to notice the progress being made weekly and provided a sense of ownership and excitement for the project. A year later, the construction of the first phase was completed and the Grand Opening was held in August 2010.
In 2012 a Basketball Court was built for the youth, followed by a soccer field in 2014. In 2018 a 43KW Solar PV System was installed to make MCC self-sufficient for its energy needs.
MCC had an outstanding loan of approximately $2M incurred during the construction of the current center. In 2023 a fund-raising effort was launched to pay off the loan. With the Community’s support, the loan was paid off in 2023.
During the past 10 years the Community has doubled and the congregation during Eid prayers has reached approximately 2,000 and during Taraveeh and Jummah the congregation has grown to about 1,000. The student enrollment at Al-Manar weekend school has reached about 200, with a shortage of classrooms and a potential for additional growth in the future. An Expansion Project (Phase II) has been initiated to address the current and future needs of the community and is currently underway.