Unlike other universities sited in major cities, the Ithaca/Cornell Muslim community has neither a mosque nor a full-time, regular Imam (or anyone to act as a full-time religious leader/advisor). This is partly due to the relatively small local Muslim community in Ithaca, and in part due to a largely student Cornell Muslim community which has not had the experience and finances to establish a mosque. Thus, the student organization, Muslim Educational and Cultural Association (MECA) has fulfilled a dual role over the past several decades by attending to students