Soundproof mosque opens in town
Hermanus has a new mosque, which was officially opened on Thursday, 15 December 2011. The building in Main Road, which housed the Living Waters Church, was sold earlier this year and will now be known as the Ismael Ebrahim Islamic Centre.
At the two-day opening event, evening prayers on the Thursday were followed by dinner, and on the Friday the noon prayers were followed by lunch. Over 300 people attended the event, which was also covered by live radio and television broadcasts.
According to Mahmood Malik, spookesperson for the mosque, the property is now owned by any individuals, but is the house of Allah – owned by Allah, for the people. “The purpose of the mosque is to serve the Muslim community of Hermanus,” Malik said.
There is a hall for community functions and classrooms that will be used by Islamic teachers to instruct children in the Islamic faith on a regular basis. According to malik they will be embarking on renovations in the new year, but will not be adding a minaret to the building.
“We will also not use loudspeakers to announce calls to prayer and the mosque is soundproof. We do not wish to intrude on non-Muslim residents’ privacy and there will be no discturbance,” he said.
HEDDA MITTNER
Source: Hermanus Times