Cedar Rapids has played an important role in Muslim culture in the United States . The National Muslim Cemetery , on of land donated by Haj . Yahya William Aossey in 1948 , is said to be the first exclusively Muslim cemetery in North America . Graves in the cemetery face Mecca . The Mother Mosque of America , dedicated on June 16 , 1934 , is the longest standing mosque in North America . In 1972 , another mosque was built and the original mosque was sold and fell into disrepair before being purchased in 1990 by the Islamic Council of Iowa and renovated . It is on the National Register of Historic Places . The Iowa flood of 2008 extensively damaged the basement , destroying many historic documents
Iowa flood of 2008
Iowa flood of 2008
Cedar Rapids, Iowa