New mosque opened in Rotterdam by Al Maktoum Foundation
09:38AM Sat 18 Dec, 2010
Rotterdam,18 December. 2010 (WAM): A new landmark mosque, built by theAl Maktoum Foundation at the expense of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin RashidAl Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, was opened here yesterday in the presence of leaders of the Muslim communityin Europe.
The opening of the Al Salam mosque was attended by Ahmed Aboutaleb,Mayor of Rotterdam, Ali Thani Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Netherlands,Mirza Al Sayegh, Director Sheikh Hamdan's Office and member of the boardof trustees of Al Maktoum Foundation, members of the Foundation's boardof trustees and leaders of the Muslim community.
Dr. Hussein Halawa, preacher of the Islamic Centre in Dublin, gave thefirst Friday sermon in the new mosque, urging Muslims to follow the
moderate school of Islam and keep away from divergence.
The mosque, whose construction took a whole decade, is today the secondfamous cultural and civilsiational landmarks in Rotterdam after the City Hall Council.
Construction work in the house of worship commenced in April 2000.
The 3200 square metre mosque in the Netherlands offers space for 2200. worshippers. A whole level of the three-storey house of worship was dedicated for women.
The new mosque, built in a traditional style with 50 metre high minarets, is the biggest Islamic house of prayer in the Netherlands and one of the biggest in Western Europe.
The mayor of Rotterdam paid tribute to Sheikh Hamdan for presenting thissignature edifice to the city of Rotterdam.
"We are proud of this civilisational landmark which all we worked togetherto accomplish it, 'he said. Al Sayegh said the mosque has an enduring message towards the local community.
"The mosque will face tremendous challenges that require solidarity of the Muslim communities in order to build bridges of communications and trust with followers of other faiths,"he added.
He hoped the mosque would deliver a balanced, moderate message based on tolerance and openness to the other and promotes the true essence of Islam.
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