The Islamic Center of Eastside is Bellevue’s only mosque. It was at this Sacred Space that Muslims from more than 40 different countries prayed five times a day.
That is, until it was the target of arson -- not once, but twice.
In the Islamic faith, the mosque is not only a house of prayer, but the central place for Muslims to gather, according to Omer Lone, a mosque elder at the Center.
"The mosque plays the role of the community center," he said. "It's the university and the town hall."