Muslims in Las Vegas

There is a story Las Vegas has not yet told itself — or at least not loudly enough. It is a story that begins not with neon lights and casinos, but with a community of people who arrived in this desert with faith, ambition, and something enduring to build. It is the story of Muslim Las Vegas. And Muslim News NV exists to tell it.

We are not newcomers. We are not guests. We are Las Vegans — and we have been for more than half a century.

ROOTS IN THE HISTORIC WESTSIDE

Las Vegas' oldest mosque, Masjid As-Sabur, traces its roots to the early 1970s. Located in historic West Las Vegas, it has served as the pioneering Muslim community organization in this city since its formal establishment in 1982. Over the decades it has operated a community health clinic in partnership with UNLV, launched the Fajr al-Islam school, fed the homeless, and sent aid to Hurricane Katrina survivors, earning national recognition as a humanitarian institution.

At its center is Imam Fateen Seifullah, who has led Masjid As-Sabur since 1999. His story is one of the most remarkable in this city. Raised in Shreveport and South Central Los Angeles, drawn into street life and incarcerated twice, it was during his second prison term that he encountered Islam, and it changed everything. He walked out and walked into a calling.

Since 2010, Imam Fateen has built what he calls the "Muslim Village" — a growing cluster of affordable housing, a free medical clinic, a food pantry, a library, a community garden, and a youth school, all just blocks from the Strip. He drove out the drug houses. He hosted chess clubs in the public housing projects across the street. The city of Las Vegas designated the surrounding area a crime- and drug-free zone. All of it is open to anyone, of any faith.

"They say, 'If anybody can help you, it's the Muslims, go see them,'" the Imam has said. That is a reputation earned, not given.

A HISTORIC FIRST — MADE RIGHT HERE

In January 2016, northwest Las Vegas made American history. Pharmacist and real estate investor Sharaf Haseebullah opened Masjid Ibrahim, the first mosque in the United States to be built and funded entirely by a Muslim woman. No fundraisers. No donations. She invested $3 million of her own savings to build a 7,000-square-foot house of worship and community center, complete with a dome, minarets, a Sunday school, career services, and an open library. "This mosque is not for my family," she said. "This is for Allah." Every service it offers is open to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

We are builders. We are givers. We belong here — and our institutions prove it.

THE LEGISLATURE HEARD US. THE GOVERNOR LOOKED AWAY.

During the 2025 Nevada Legislative Session, our community marked a milestone: for the first time, the state legislature passed bills directly recognizing us. Assembly Bill 82 would have required the Governor to officially proclaim Eid al-Fitr Day in Nevada, alongside Diwali, Vaisakhi, and Vesak, representing a coalition of Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist communities. Assembly Bill 278 would have designated July as Muslim American Heritage Month. Both passed with bipartisan support.

Governor Lombardo vetoed both. His stated reason: there is already an administrative process to request a proclamation, so there is "no need to codify additional days into law."

We reject that reasoning, and here is why it matters. A proclamation is not a law. A proclamation changes with every governor. It can be ignored, overlooked, or simply never requested. A law is permanent. A law says our holidays and our heritage are not optional acknowledgments, they are part of Nevada's legal and cultural framework. That same session, the Governor signed International Holocaust Remembrance Day into state law. We honor that. We simply ask for the same standard to apply to us.

WHAT WE DO NEXT

Both bills return to the 2027 legislative session. Assemblymember D'Silva has already committed to reintroducing AB82. Here is how our community shows up ready:

01. Vote in 2026. Several legislators who opposed AB82 are on the ballot. Know who they are. Register now at nvsos.gov.

02. Contact your representatives. Write to your Assembly member and State Senator. Tell them you want AB82 and AB278 reintroduced and signed in 2027.

03. Build the coalition. The strength of AB82 came from Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist communities standing together. Deepen those relationships now.

04. Stay informed. Muslim News NV is your platform. Share it. Submit your stories. Let us know what matters to your family and your block.

Muslim News NV was built to be a voice for this community, a platform for truth and action. We are standing on the shoulders of every Muslim who has quietly built something lasting in this city.

We have always been here. Now it is time to make sure everyone knows it.