El Cajon City Council denies Afghan Center’s appeal for prayer tent extension

East County News Service

March 30, 2026 (El Cajon ) -- The El Cajon City Council last week unanimously upheld a decision by the city's Planning Commission to deny the Afghan Community Culture Center a permit extension for its temporary prayer tent on East Main Street between Walter Way and East Madison Avenue.

The ruling ended an ongoing dispute between the city’s safety regulations and the center, which provides services to a community of more than 3,000 people who look to the ACCC as a spiritual, educational and social home, according to ACCC Board President Bakhtar Aminzay. 

"We have to follow the state law, which has to do with public safety issues," said El Cajon City Councilmember Gary Kendrick.

The ACCC since last November has owned a building at 1342 E. Main St., but structural damage on the inside by previous tenants have made the building uninhabitable as well as not being up to code, Kendrick said.

The center has been operating out of a large temporary tent since April of last year, adjacent to a shuttered restaurant building which group leaders have said they plan to renovate and turn into a permanent mosque.

As for the tent, under California state fire codes, it was permitted for a maximum of 180 days, a deadline that passed on November 24, but had been extended previously by the city.

Aminzay appealed to city leaders to allow the structure to remain during a critical religious window. In a Feb. 17 letter to the El Cajon Community Development Department, Aminzay wrote: 

"On behalf of our organization, we respectfully request a two-month extension of our temporary permit due to several time-sensitive and operational needs directly affecting our community services," he wrote. "As you may know, the month of Ramadan begins tomorrow, February 18, this year.

"This is an important period of religious observance for our community, and it is also the only time during the year when we conduct essential fundraising activities. These activities are critical for covering our operational costs and repaying outstanding debts related to our facility. Interrupting or relocating these activities prematurelywould significantly hinder our ability to serve our community and maintain financial stability." 

In an appeal letter to the Planning Commission after it denied an extension to the group on Feb. 3, Zabihullah Khyber, Vice President of the ACCC, wrote that the group was working toward "alternative compliant solutions, including relocating the tent 25 feet from the neighboring property, constructing a temporary structure, or securing a rental location until the main building renovation is completed."

ACCC leaders offered to modify the site, but the city of El Cajon maintained that their hands were tied by state law.

Kendrick said that the group had previously been allowed to operate without a permit for several months past the November deadline. 

City councilmembers and city staff encouraged the ACCC to expedite their transition into a legitimate interim rental space, and promised to fast-track the permitting process for the permanent building once the group secures the remaining funds.

The path to a permanent facility remains a challenge, Aminzay said.

While the ACCC has successfully raised $1 million, they still face a $2.1 million balance to fully acquire and renovate the property. The center currently operates under a two-year state finance plan. Aminzay said people can help with donations. The group's website is here.

The ACCC remains committed to its mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, aiming to eventually transform the East Main Street site into a mosque for the San Diego County Afghan community.

"Our community will be coming there to share, discuss and learn," Aminzay said. "We are helping the community with stability while we are helping the economy. We are for education, encouraging the next generation to go to college and universities to get a higher education so they can stand on their own feet.."

More on the issue is available on the city's website here.