Türkiye's top religious official Arpaguş meets Muslim community leaders in Maryland

Prof. Dr. Safi Arpaguş, president of Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), is meeting Muslim community leaders from across the United States on Saturday evening at the Diyanet Center of America in Lanham, Maryland.

Prof. Dr. Safi Arpaguş, president of Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), is set to meet Muslim community leaders from across the United States on Saturday evening at the Diyanet Center of America in Lanham, Maryland.

The invitation-only event, titled "A Gathering of Muslim Community Leaders," begins at 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, Oct. 24, in the center's Ottoman Hall, according to the invitation published by the Diyanet Center of America. Organizers said the evening aims to strengthen unity and cooperation among Muslim community leaders in the U.S. and to bring together leaders from different states.

"On behalf of Diyanet and the Diyanet Center of America, I cordially invite you to a gathering with Prof. Dr. Safi Arpaguş, President of Religious Affairs of Türkiye, to strengthen unity and cooperation among Muslim community leaders in the United States," Assoc. Prof. Fatih Kanca, chair of the center's advisory board, wrote in the invitation.

The mosque of the Diyanet Center of America in Lanham, Maryland

Diyanet's U.S. hub

Arpaguş has led Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs since September 2025. The Diyanet Center of America, located on Good Luck Road in Lanham near Washington, opened in 2016 and is one of the largest Islamic centers in the United States. Built in classical Ottoman style, the complex includes a mosque, a Montessori school, a sports complex, a cafe and a market serving the local community.