Imam Kenneth Nuriddin

 

Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Imam Nuriddin attended the Philadelphia Catholic and Public Schools. He is of West Indian descent, the son of a father born in Barbados. He attended the Philadelphia Catholic and Public schools. He entered the US Army at the age of 17 years and served in Germany and Vietnam, and was honorably discharged in 1970. After a brief experience with the “black power movement”, he entered the Nation of Islam in 1972. He immediately began a life-long pursuit of the Arabic language and the Quran. He was employed by the City of Philadelphia in the Department of L & I and the Record Department of which he was the employee of the year in 1975. Imam Nuriddin became the Arabic teacher for Temple 12-c in 1976 and became the Assistant Minister. During this time period he also served as a volunteer in the County Prisons as a servicing Imam. He was asked to become the Department Head for Arabic and Islamic Studies at Sister Clara Muhammad School in 1978 and subsequently left government employment. He served in that capacity for 15 years and eventually became the Assistant Director of Education.

 

After leaving the SCMS in 1994, he helped to start the United Muslim Masjid and became the first Resident Imam. Shortly afterwards he helped to formulate a program within the Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania, and worked in that capacity from 1996 to 2004, building bridges with various groups in West Philly. He also served the Muslim Student Association as their Imam in the Office of the Chaplain at UPENN. He continues to serve at the present as a member of the Penn Religious Community Council. Imam Nuriddin is currently serving as the Resident Imam for the Philadelphia Masjid.