Muslims, followers of Islam, are a small but growing community in West Virginia. Before the 1960s, only a few Muslim families from the Middle East had settled in the state. The major increase in Muslim families began during the 1960s and 1970s, when professionals, such as doctors and engineers, began moving to the U.S. Today, many Muslims live in cities like Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, and Beckley. In 1988, the first Islamic center opened in South Charleston, and since then, more mosques and centers have been established across the state.