Queenstown’s Muslim community could have own mosque by next week

Queenstown possibly will soon have its own mosque. Imagine / 123rf

By RNZ

Queenstown’s Muslim community may very well finally have its own place of praise when it takes ownership of a constructing in Gorge Rd next week.

The community has grown for you to about 50 families in the expansive area who have, until now, hired free community spaces or, on occasion, taken to praying on Lake Wakatipu’s shore.

But a final money-collecting push means Queenstown’s Muslim network will have their own place of worship as a result of next Tuesday.

Otherwise, the nearest mosques are relating to 200km away in Invercargill nicely Dunedin.

Queenstown Islamic Centre’s treasurer Jalal Kasi said a $43, 000 transfer had to be paid by Tuesday, problematic remaining $387, 000 over the next year.

“At after we are quite happy with the aum?ne that have been coming in for this project and we are quite close to the final target of your respective deposit.

“For the next remaining amount we are wanting to reach out to all the other communities and the Islamic community to tell them why we need the item permanent base here in Queenstown, very well he said.

There was one sticking point, however ,. The Muslim faith forbids the product’s followers from entering into loans places interest must be paid.

“We can get a loan, using this country we have to pay some interests on it which is not really allowed in just the religion so what we are depending on must be donations and different grants from other Islamic communities and other communities and can advise us with collecting this legs, ” Kasi said.

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Queenstown Islamic Centre assistant Ashiv Ali Khan said offering their own mosque meant a lot to town.

“That could be a big, big, big relief for individuals, ” he said.

“We’ve been looking for a residences for the past six years since relevant to 2015 and the prices of the residences are so high here we wasn’t able to take a big million dollar-plus real property. But we’ve been so fortunate to produce this place around $430, thousand. ”

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult proclaimed he was pleased the district could possibly have its own mosque and it made look and feel considering the international tourism it enjoyed before Covid.

“The Muslim community are quite many part of our community. A lot of them might be migrant workers. A lot of them have decided to settle and are now resident New Zealanders in our part of the world and I think buying a place of worship for them is an important conjunction with our community, ” he referred to.

The Muslim community would open the doors across its new mosque for Jumu’ah next week.

• Those wishing to make a donation should probably visit Queenstown Islamic Centre’s Facebook internetsite .

– RNZ