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Spotlight on Mosque Architecture Diversity in U.S.

Jewish Museum
Hohenems, June 25, 2009

Azra Aksamija, architectural historian at MIT, gave a presentation June 25 on American mosque architecture in Vorarlberg, the westernmost Austrian province and the one with the highest ratio of Muslim residents. The event was held on June 25 at the Jewish Museum of Hohenems, co-hosted by the Muslim and the Jewish communities, and the largest provincial integration NGO. In welcome remakrs, Assistant Public Affairs Officer Steve Labensky, U.S. Embassy Vienna, focused on President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world in Cairo. Ms. Aksamija presented the wide range of different mosque architecture in the U.S. and the variety of tasks they fulfill for the Muslim community, from prayer houses to religious schools to community gathering centers. The visibility of Islam as a religion is hotly debated in Vorarlberg, where the provincial government and the Catholic Church oppose the building of mosques. The lively audience discussion reflected the high importance of this issue in Vorarlberg society.


Assistant Public Affairs Officer Steve Labensky, U.S. Embassy Vienna, and Ms. Azra Aksamija.	Dr. Hanno Loewy, director of the Jewish Museum Hohenems, introducing Ms. Aksamija.