OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (RNS) — As Manahil Khan stood at the balloon-decorated entrance of Salsabeel Cafe, she took in the stream of students and elders sipping coffee drinks in what once was the prayer hall she’d run around in as a child.
The cafe’s opening at the Islamic Center of Johnson County in the Kansas City suburbs in early November marked a milestone for the small but “strong” Muslim community, Khan said. It’s among a growing number of United States mosques creating relaxed “third spaces” — social spaces outside home and work — for young Muslims to gather without the formality of religious events.
“I remember when they first laid down the carpet, (and) the huge discussion of if it would even be possible to open a new building,” Khan, 27, said. “It’s almost unbelievable that we are having a grand opening for a third space.”
Coffee shops opening in or close to places of worship aren’t a new concept. In recent years, some American churches have opened coffee shops to draw new members amid declining attendance. Salsabeel Cafe, steps away from ICJC’s purpose-built mosque, features a full coffee bar with professional machines, curated specialty drinks and spacious seating. Except for a few Islamic geometric artworks hanging on its walls, Salsabeel Cafe doesn’t appear to be an exclusively religious place, and that’s by design.
“These are places where you don’t have to be so devoutly religious and performing …