Glasgow Central Mosque
| Glasgow Central Mosque | |
|---|---|
 Glasgow Central Mosque | |
| Basic information | |
| Location | Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
| Geographic coordinates | 55°51′9″N 4°15′3″W / 55.85250°N 4.25083°WCoordinates: 55°51′9″N 4°15′3″W / 55.85250°N 4.25083°W |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| District | Gorbals |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Mosque |
| Completed | 1983 |
| Construction cost | £ 3 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2500 |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
Glasgow Central Mosque is located on the south bank of the River Clyde in the Gorbals district of central Glasgow.
The Mosque
The Mosque was built in 1983. Retired businessman Muhammed Tufail Shaheen MBE, an active community leader and President of the Glasgow Central Mosque, was instrumental in its building. The central Mosque was formally opened in 1984 by H E. Abdullah Omar Nasseef, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League. Built on a 4-acre (16,000 m2) site, the present Mosque has a new Islamic Centre adjacent to the main building4-acre (16,000 m2). The new Islamic Centre serves as a general purpose hall for public events and also provides sports and changing facilities, meeting rooms, library, cafeteria and facilities to offer education and welfare support to the community.
The mosque was built at a cost of three million pounds. The land was acquired and the preferred architectural design meant that the architect had to travel to Turkey and Jeddah. The courtyard of the mosque is in keeping with the traditional Arabesque style. It is enclosed on one of its sides by gardens and on the other by a long façade of arched windows. The main entrance is arched with etched glass doors of a floral design. In the courtyard one of the most noticeable features is the Minaret (tower) where traditionally the Muezzin recites the call to prayer stands.
The other more noticeable feature is the dome above the main prayer hall allowing natural light into the building. Inside the mosque is a recess which is called the Mihrab where the Imam stands. The Mihrab points in the direction of Mecca.
Enclosed in a walled garden and with a separate minaret, the mosque combines Islamic architecture with the characteristic Old Red Sandstone material used to build many of Glasgow's buildings. The building can accommodate 2500 worshipers.
The Islamic Centre is now the Central Institution for the Muslim community and this is the largest community centre in Strathclyde. The mosque itself is Scotland's largest mosque.[1]
This centre provides services not only for Muslim elderly people, adults, youths and children, but also serves the non-Muslim community groups of various ages, and educationalists from various institutions. Its services support the whole of the Strathclyde region.
Controversy
- In February 2016, Habib ur Rehman Rauf, religious head of the mosque, was quoted in international media[2] supporting[3][4] the actions of Mumtaz Qadri who assassinated Pakistani politician Salman Taseer whilst acting as his security guard. Qadri had disagreed with Taseer's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law.[5]
- In April 2016 International Business Times revealed that the mosque held annual conferences for British branches of the group Khatme Nabuwwat. The mosque president, Mohammed Shafi Kausar denied the existence of the group. On the other hand, the mosque refused to attend an anti-extremism event despite invitation, following the "religiously prejudiced" murder of a Glaswegian Ahmadi by a Sunni Muslim.
Imams
There are currently three Imams:
- Shaykh Habib ur Rahman Rauf.
- Shaykh Abdul Ghafoor Ahmad.
- Shaykh Omair Malik.
References
- ↑ Sutton, Matty. "Scotland and Islam". www.heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
- ↑ "UK imam lauds extremist killer in Pakistan; courts controversy". India Today. PTI. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ McKay, Calum. "Glasgow mosque leader praises extremist killer". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ Piggott, Mark (25 March 2016). "Glasgow: Imam of Central Mosque criticised for praising Pakistani terrorist who killed politician". International Business Times. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ Haider, Zeeshan; Georgy, Michael (4 January 2011). "Pakistan's Punjab province governor shot dead". Reuters. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
External links
- Glasgow Central Mosque Official site
Media related to Glasgow Central Mosque at Wikimedia Commons- Glasgow Central Mosque
