Ahmad El-Khatib - Founder, Nur Center, Falls Church, Virginia

Muslims Making Inclusive Spaces Ahmad El-Khatib was born in Jerusalem, Palestine in 1984. He had a passion for Martial Arts at a young age. In 2001, he earned the Grand Champion title of The World Cup Martial Arts Finals and was ranked 3rd in the United States, by the National Blackbelt League.

Mr. El-Khatib then decided to look beyond competition and focus on what he loved most, teaching. He aimed to instill, in his students, what he felt were the most valuable principles of Martial Arts: self-control and perfection of character. Through his own practice and study of these two principles, he found a deep love for the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his message. Mr. El-Khatib has had the privilege of studying directly under Habeeb Umar bin Hafiz of Tareem, Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal of Jerusalem, and is currently a student of Lokman Effendi of the distinguished Osmanli Order.+

In 2010, with the collective efforts of his mother, a Montessori teacher, and sister, an art teacher, he founded The NUR Center for Art, Fitness, and Enrichment, a community center serving people of all faiths, in the D.C metropolitan area. The Center offers a Montessori School, an Art Studio, and a full time fitness facility providing Martial Arts and private group fitness classes for women. The center also hosts a variety of performances, film-screenings, and workshops emphasizing environmental education,sustainability, and spiritual wellbeing.

The NUR Center was recently featured in the documentary film Unmosqued and described as “an up and coming third space that is really fulfilling the needs of its community”

Ahmad El-Khatib Offers a One of a Kind Community Space at The NUR Center

Ahmad El-Khatib is the owner and founder of The NUR Center for Art, Fitness, and Enrichment, a one of a kind community space serving the D.C metropolitan area.  The Center offers a Montessori School, an Art Studio, and a full time fitness facility providing Martial Arts and private group fitness classes for women. The center also hosts a variety of performances, film-screenings, and workshops emphasizing environmental education, sustainability, and spiritual well being. He opened the center with the collective efforts of his mother, a Montessori teacher, and sister, an art teacher.

Ahmad El-Khatib opened the center with the mission to provide a warm and welcoming space where communities can engage in a wide variety of high quality educational, recreational, and cultural programs.

For children between 3-5 years of age, their primary classroom is designed specially for the child and the entire environment is created to facilitate their learning process. The Montessori curriculum, techniques, and materials satisfy the natural tendency for this age child to learn by doing. They involve them into practical life activities to enhance the development of control and movement, sequencing and concentration through inviting and purposeful work.

For children ages 6-9, The Elementary Montessori program includes peace education, conflict resolution, and community building as part of the curriculum. The children at NUR Montessori serve as hosts for guests who visit the class and at all Open Houses.  After school enrichment includes creative arts, martial arts fitness and homework help.

Women’s classes include Zumba, Kickboxing, and Yoga. Each program offers a total-body workout that improves cardiovascular fitness, tones, reduces body fat, and reduces stress levels. Ahmad El-Khatib and his staff hope to continue offering new and exciting high quality programs to the community.

Ahmad El-Khatib Founded NUR Center for Art, Fitness, & Enrichment In 2010

Born in Jerusalem, Palestine in 1984, Ahmad El-Khatib is the winner of Grand Champion title of The World Cup Martial Arts Finals and was ranked 3rd in the United States, by the National Blackbelt League. After winning several championships, he decided to train the young talent in Martial Arts. As he comes from a family of teachers, he was always inclined towards the teaching profession. While coaching students in Martial arts, he instilled in them the principles that he believed were the most valuable in this exciting sport. These principles were self control and perfection of character.

In 2010, Ahmad El-Khatib laid down the foundation of a community center to serve people of all faiths and named it – “NUR Center for Art, Fitness, & Enrichment”. The center offers a Montessori School, an Art Studio, and a full time fitness facility providing Martial Arts and private group fitness classes for women. There are separate Montessori classes for children of the age group 3-5 and 6-9 years. The after school program, on the other hand has been designed for children of 5 to 12 years of age. This program includes creative arts, martial arts fitness, and homework help from qualified instructors.

NUR Center for Art, Fitness, & Enrichment is also known for its fun-filled camps. It offers both day camps as well as seasonal camps, where children get an opportunity to enjoy different kinds of sports, science workshops, yoga, and creative arts. There are many other such services offered by the NUR center that makes it one of the best in D.C. Metropolitan area. Ahmad El-Khatib feels proud of the excellent reputation his center has managed to build for itself in such a short time span. He wants to keep working on his mission, which is to provide welcoming spaces where different communities can engage in educational, recreational, and cultural programs.

Ahmad El-Khatib – The Founder Of NUR Center for Art, Fitness, & Enrichment

Ahmad El-Khatib is the founder of NUR Center for Art, Fitness, & Enrichment; a community center based in the D.C. Metropolitan area. The Center offers a Montessori School, an Art Studio, and a full time fitness facility providing Martial Arts and private group fitness classes for women. Ahmad founded it in 2010 with the aim to provide opportunities for all communities to engage in educational, cultural, and recreational activities. These activities have been designed to promote mental, physical, as well as spiritual well-being of people.

Ahmad El-Khatib says that his mother, a Montessori teacher, and sister, an art teacher, have played an important role in making NUR Center what it is. They believed in his vision and made active efforts in setting up a community center to serve people of all faiths. Today, it is widely popular and is acknowledged for its wide range of programs.

Ahmad comes from a family of educators. Not only his mother and sister, but also his wife is a teacher. Ahmad too has experience in teaching martial arts. As a trainer, he aimed to instill in his students what he believed were the most valuable principles of Martial Arts – self control and perfection of character.