Hussien El Haje, photographed May 15 in an emotional moment during a celebration marking over 70 years of worship at the American Moslem Society Dearborn Mosque. PHOTO:TAAN

Hussien El Haje, a founder of the iconic Dix mosque in Dearborn’s south-end, died on Monday, August 24 at 98 years old.
El Haje was honored in May at a celebration marking over 70 years of worship at the American Moslem Society Dearborn Mosque, commonly known as the Dix masjid.

He came to the U.S. from Lebanon in 1938 and worked in restaurants and Ford Motor factories before opening his own business.

El Haje helped found the mosque with a group of Lebanese and Yemeni neighbors.

He said in May that the group pooled their limited funds and resources to establish a small place for worship and cultural gathering, and that he was proud to see the religious center expand over the decades to the 48,000-square-foot complex that it is today.

His funeral was held Thursday.