Dr. Sohail Anjum: A Cardiologist Submerged in Serenity and Service

The city council of Las Vegas attentively listened to the application submitted by the Muslim community, seeking approval for a mosque to organize the five daily prayers and provide Islamic education for its members. The young cardiologist, who had formed the Islamic Society of Nevada (ISON), was confident, based on constitutional rights and the nodding assent of several council members, that the application would receive approval without any delay.

When he entered the hall with his family and members of the Muslim community, he found the City Hall packed with people. Usually, the city hall's meetings do not draw such a packed audience. The hearings began. The people took the mike, and one after another, they spoke against the construction of a mosque in their neighborhood. The entire neighborhood was opposed to approving the petition.

The City Council turned to the petitioner and asked him to state his case, responding to objections raised by the people. The serene, smiling young cardiologist came to the mike and calmly uttered the words that surprised the Council and the audience.

Dr. Sohail Anjum said: "I am withdrawing the application, not because. I doubt my constitutional rights, but I want to win the hearts of people." With these few words, he gracefully walked to his seat. The stunned Council applauded him. They were expecting confrontation. They thought the applicant would play a victimization card. The doctor, not a scholar of Islam, lived a verse of the Quran teaching the believers that when those who are ignorant address you, seek the mercy of God upon them and walk away.

He hardly knew at that time that the state of Nevada would one day have the most significant percentage of Muslims in the US, with 15 or more Islamic centers and mosques. Dr. Anjum was unaware that both Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives would regularly visit the site of the mosque, which he had initially envisioned, alongside scores of city and state officials. He did not know that ISON would host regular interfaith meetings, daily Ramadan breaking of fast, and an annual shelter for people experiencing homelessness. He felt accomplished when one of the leading Muslim American organizations organized a national get-together for its members.

Subsequently, the mosque received permission to launch its activities. Now, the Masjid serves as a source of information on Islam for the city and state.

Dr. Suhail Anjum attributes the growth of the Muslim community's places of worship to people like Dr. Ikram Khan. Dr. Javed Anwar, Dr. Bashir Chowdhury, Dr. Omar Haykal, Dr. Shamin Nagi, Reza Sulaimani, Dr. Baug, Mujahid Ramadan, Khalid Khan, Dr. Muhammad Shafi, Dr. Zia Qazi, Dr. Amirana, Saifullah Fateen, Fahim Baig, Dr. Shamoon Ahmad, Amanullah, Abdur Rehman, Abdul Aziz, and the Muslim women of Vegas, including Iffat Anwar, Dr. Kausar Chowdhery, Riffat Khan, and Dr. Naseema Dil. whom he considered the pillars of the community.

Dr. Sohail Anjum is from Pakistan and graduated from the Nishtar Medical College in 1968. He completed his Cardiology fellowship at the University at Buffalo (S.U.N.Y., Buffalo, NY). He completed his residency in New York.

Dr. Anjum is also a Member of the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Physicians, and the American Medical Association. Together with Dr. Dost Muhammad, he founded the Heart Center of Nevada in 1978 and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.

The Heart Center of Nevada offers comprehensive cardiovascular services, providing a wide range of diagnostic, invasive, and non-invasive treatments for various heart conditions. These services include heart catheterization, cardiac stents, pacemakers, defibrillators, and ablations.

Dr. Anjum is respectful to all religious traditions. His wife comes from a Catholic background. He never interfered in her religious schedule, and both raised their three children in the Muslim faith. Humble and quiet, he regularly attends Fajr and Isha prayers at the ISON site and greets everyone with a pleasant smile.

Founded in 1979, the ISON acquired a two-room flat in 1986 for organizing prayers and a Sunday Islamic school, donated by Dr. Anjum. In 1993, the first phase of the mosque's construction began, and the first Jumma prayers were held on the last Friday of Ramadan that same year in the mosque. In 1995, a school building was added to the mosque. The school attracted some 150 students by the end of 1996. Donated by the Shaikh Zahid family, the school comprises nine classrooms, a library, two bathrooms, a reception area, a social hall with a seating capacity of 500 people, and a commercial kitchen.

In 2003, the mosque underwent further expansion, adding a mezzanine floor with facilities for women. The mosque can now accommodate over 1000 people. The Eid prayers generally attract over 2000 people from all over Nevada. During the national crisis after 9/11, the Society played a prominent role in organizing several lectures on Islam and also had an anti-terror campaign. ISON organized the First Quran conference in 2003, attended by over 300 people. The mosque regularly organizes educational seminars for Muslims and non-Muslims

A few years ago, he had a stroke. The attending doctors and nurses would often tell him during his stay in the hospital that scores of people and his silent admirers were waiting to have a glimpse of him, praying for his quick recovery.

Las Vegas is a diverse metropolitan area; you can find people from all over the world. There isn't a single, definitive count of all religious places in Las Vegas. However, it is home to a diverse array of religious institutions, including temples, synagogues, churches, gurdwaras, spiritual centers, and mosques, representing various faiths and denominations. The city also has a significant Mormon (Latter-day Saint) population, with multiple stakes and congregations. 

Las Vegas has a 50,000-plus Muslim community, with various mosques and Islamic centers. Each center is working hard to provide educational and religious services to the community. Ramadan is a special occasion to witness the interethnic unity of the community, as each ethnic group offers its cuisine to the people.

Dr. Sohail Anjum views each of them with respect and appreciates their services to the community and the city.