Archive for October 17th, 2008
East Germany gets its first mosque in Berlin
The Khadija Mosque was inaugurated yesterday by the Fifth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Berlin, Germany. This is the first mosque of its kind in East Germany complete with a dome and a minaret.There had been a lot of protests by residents when the announcement to build the mosque was made back in 2006. Apparently some Germans don’t like mosques with minarets and domes. Some were afraid of the five times call to prayer over their rooftops. It’s interesting to note that Ahmadis are not allowed the call to prayer in Muslim countries like Pakistan. Eventually, however the government allowed the mosque to be built.
It was originally slated to be constructed in 1923 with the chandas gathered from the Lajna (women) wing of the Jamaat but postponed due to the economic crisis of the time. So around 85 years later, again during a global economic crisis, the Lajna members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat provided all the €1,700,000 that were spent on the mosque and its surroundings which include a guest house, library, conference room etc.
Check out the AP report here.
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