Guests from around the world are expected to attend the grand opening Saturday, including spiritual leader Hadrat Mizra Masoor Ahmad.
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| Photo: Evan Seal / The Leader |
Source/Credit: Surrey North Delta Leader
By Evan Seal | May 16, 2013
For the local Muslim community, Saturday May 18 will be a day of celebration, with thousands expected to attend the opening of the Baitur Rahman Mosque on River Road in Delta – the fifth mosque in the province and largest of its kind in B.C.
And for members of the Ahmaddiyya Muslim Jama’at, an international revival movement within Islam with tens of millions of followers in more than 200 countries, the mosque will be a place of peace.
“Having a mosque in Delta is a unique project,” said president and communications director Rizwan Peerzada, “if you believe in God then this is a place for you.”
Located on a four-acre property just west of the Alex Fraser Bridge, the 35,000-sq.-ft. concrete facility that cost nearly $8 million to build features three central themes: worship, exercise and education.
At the northeast corner of the building is a large tower, or minaret, that provides a strong focal point, a symbol of life and guidance of the mosque, Peerzada said.
Walking into the main temple area, visitors are met with bright natural light cascading from a large circular opening in the ceiling, along with a series of smaller windows lining the high exterior walls. The area is designed to hold up to 900 people, with men and women having their own separate entrances. Men will enter the mosque from the west; women from the east.
The mosque is built in the shape of a cube, designed for all worshippers to face east to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia – birthplace of Muhammad and the place of pilgrimage for millions of Muslims.
The facility also features a large multi-purpose gymnasium for youth sports and will host a large school component for young people.
For Ahmaddiyya Muslim Jama’at national president Lal Malik, the mosque is a symbol of peace.
“Some in the Muslim faith believe that the jihad (or religious duty) gives us the right to harm those who disagree with us,” said Malik. “But no one has the right to use force in any manner. Ignorance breeds violence.”
The goal of the facility is to foster inclusion in the community and promote understanding of all religions, said C.H. Mohammad Aslam Shad, regional president and chairman of the mosque committee.
“The mosque is very important in the Muslim culture,” said Shad. “It is a place to come together and unite. We want to serve the community.”
Shad wants to use the space for blood donations and food drives, and to “keep youth doing positive activities,” he said.
Guests from around the world are expected to attend the grand opening Saturday, including spiritual leader Hadrat Mizra Masoor Ahmad.
The official opening takes place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 18 at the mosque, located at 9750 River Rd. in Delta. The public is welcome to attend.
For more information go to www.vancouvermosque.com
Read original post here: Place of peace: Largest mosque in B.C. opening in Delta
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