"I think, with time and, especially, with the community work our youth workers are doing, we can go a long way to re-establishing our faith as a peaceful faith."
Source/Credit: Liverpool Echo
By Paddy Shennan | June 26, 2016
How Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Liverpool is 'Stopping The Rot' at their mosque in Breck Road, Anfield
Love For All Hatred For None is the motto emblazoned on the wall of a landmark building on Breck Road, Anfield.
And, in this case, the love begins with the bricks and mortar being saved and given a new lease of life.
The former Richmond Baptist Chapel was bought last year by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Liverpool and is now being used as a mosque by around 150 members of the local Muslim community.
We were kindly invited inside the building – one of 25 on the city’s council’s buildings at risk list – to hear about the association’s ongoing plans to Stop The Rot and restore the building to its former glory.
Designed by Sir James Picton, it was built in 1864-65 and was granted Grade II listed building status in 1975.
Irfan Ahmad, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Liverpool, says: “Our volunteers have done an enormous amount of work to clear a large amount of rubbish from inside and at the back of the building.
“The upstairs was a mess, but we have been able to carpet and paint part of it and put in central heating – so we could use this area for worship. And we are currently in the process of compiling final bits of listed building consent, as we look to restore the building fully.”
Since buying it, the Muslim community has been able to use parts of the building on a daily basis, but Irfan adds: “Some areas need a complete refurbishment due to dry and wet rot. We also need to carry out repointing and roofing work – but we won’t be disturbing any heritage features of the building. We won’t, for example, be moving the war memorials on the walls.”
Those areas currently in use include the ground floor area – for sports activities – and part of the upstairs, which is used as a place of worship.
Irfan adds: “If everything goes according to plan with the listed building consent, we would hope that all of the building could be completely operational by the end of the year – with work starting in September.”
There is a lot of restoration work to be done upstairs, but the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Liverpool has a lot of help to call upon. Irfan explains: “In terms of labour we have a lot of volunteers at local, regional and national levels.
“We are a well-established organisation across Europe, and we had 50 youngsters come up all the way from London to help us clear the rubbish from outside the building.”
And the amount of volunteer labour might explain why the Liverpool association – which previously used a community hall in Kensington – believes it can complete its restoration work for what seems like a modest £500,000.
While there is much physical work to be carried out, community leaders say they believe there is also another type of repair work that is needed.
Ahmad Khurshid, iman of the mosque, says others have damaged the reputation of Islam by their violent actions, but adds: “I think, with time and, especially, with the community work our youth workers are doing, we can go a long way to re-establishing our faith as a peaceful faith.
“Last year, for example, we raised half a million pounds for different charities, including the Royal British Legion.”
The community members give me a guest pack, which includes a leaflet entitled Islam’s Response To Extremism, which stresses: “The very meaning of Islam is peace, security and giving a guarantee of protection against all forms of harm.”
And in Liverpool, in the form of their home in Breck Road, Anfield, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Liverpool is hoping to lay solid foundations for a peaceful and positive future.
Read original post here: UK: Muslims in Liverpool say 'We want to re-establish our faith as a peaceful faith'
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