June 2008
The flood
The Cedar River rose over the mosque basement. Neighbors from many faiths helped dig it out.
What the water took
In June 2008 the Cedar River crested higher than it ever had in Cedar Rapids. Water covered more than 1,300 city blocks. The Mother Mosque is in the northwest part of town, and the flood hit it hard. The main prayer hall stayed above the water. The basement went under about 10 to 12 feet.
The basement held things the community cannot replace.
- Ledgers, diaries, and papers from the Syrian and Lebanese families who built the mosque
- Original photos from the 1930s dedication, later caked in river mud
- Video tapes of elders telling how the early Arab American community lived here
“We have lost our homes, our businesses, and our places of worship. We have a lot to rebuild, but we can do it.”
Imam Taha Tawil, to reporters, standing in the mud.
Who showed up
After the National Guard opened the area, people came to 9th Street NW. Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and neighbors with no congregation worked side by side. They shoveled mud, carried out soaked papers, and sent what they could to be freeze-dried.
“It is amazing while at the same time devastating. Maybe something good will come out of it. We never know the meaning behind it.”
Imam Taha Tawil, June 2008.
The papers and the tapes were gone. The building is still open because people from more than one faith decided it should not be lost.
Flood photos
