In 1973, Muslims found the South Seattle Islamic Center in Riverton Heights. Later the Sea-Tac Mosque is established here at 3040 S 150th Street in Sea-Tac. In 1980, the community will establish the Islamic School.
Origin of the Sea-Tac Mosque
The South Seattle Islamic Center had its origins in the early 1960s with two Boeing employees, one an Iraqi and one a Pakistani, who noticed each other skipping lunch during the Muslim celebration of Ramadan.
Social visits between families grew into a Muslim community which saw the need for a mosque. The families saved $100 a month toward a down payment on a two-story house at 3040 S 150th Street in what would become the city of Sea-Tac.
In 1980, five white and African American women who had converted to Islam wanted an Islamic school. A Muslim lawyer assisted in forming a not-for-profit organization and a Pakistani teacher from Florida was recruited as the first teacher. The Egyptian-born husband of one of the founders was in Kuwait on business and obtained seed money to buy a van and instructional materials.
The student body grew quickly. In 1980 it acquired a former Hebrew school at 720 25th Avenue in Seattle's Central Area to better serve widely spread families. The school also served as a religious center for the Islamic community.
