New England Mosque at UNE
SLAMAT DATANG NEW ENGLAND MASEJAD
KETA MAU ALHADYA DAN ADAUA
Eduladaha Prayers traditionally held at the Mosque yard
The Mosque at the University of New England was established in 1987 when the university allocated a building to be used solely as a Mosque in response to the needs of overseas students and the Muslim community in Armidale thus it became the first university in Australia to have a dedicated building for a mosque. Which became an attraction for Muslim students from Australia and overseas.
Community gathering at the Mosque
New England Mosque at The University of New England is Truly a hub for all the community. For many years the Mosque has been the focus of beneficial interaction between the University, its students, the wider community, and its alumni.
The Mosque through its community participated in enriching the diversity and the harmonious tapestry of life in Armidale and all of New England region.
Armidale being half way between Sydney and Brisbane the Mosque also attracts traveling visitors, Muslims as well as many interested people.
Friday Prayers at the Mosque
The mosque is situated in the main entrance of the University adjacent to the Deer Park and the Boolaminbah tennis courts (click map) . Friday prayers is held at 1:00 pm every week.
New England Mosque is a house of God for worshiping All Mighty the Creator. Also it fulfill the traditional roll of mosque or Gamae of being a place of learning and searching in God’s Creations.
The mosque has a library.
All welcome to the Mosque and its library
Mosque a hub for the community
JAPAN and Hong Kong are not societies which are predominantly Christian, indeed only a tiny proportion of Japanese are Christian. Yet on my recent visit to Osaka and Hong Kong I was struck how the commercialization of Christmas, and in particular Christmas decorations and songs were evident in public spaces and shopping centers. Clearly, there was no perceived religious or cultural clash in incorporating the non-religious aspects of Christmas into their way of life. I find it very interesting how little we hear about the Muslim celebration of Ramadan, which has just finished. It is rather inconspicuous, not being associated with shopping malls and public spaces. Here in Armidale we have a long history of Muslim settlers, and there is a mosque at the University of New England, used by people in the whole region. Mostafa Ghandar, life honorary member and founding member of the International Muslim Students Association, provided me with the following details: In the second half of the 19th century a number of Afghani Cameleers settled in the region. Some of the descendants of these families still live in the area. The first Muslim Students’ Association was formed in May 1978, and since that year Friday congregation prayers have been always held at UNE. In the late 80’s, after many overseas students came to UNE, the cottage behind Trevenna was altered and allocated for that purpose. Then in 1990, the mosque was transferred to its current location in front of the Security Office. Since the Friday congregational prayers started to be held regularly at UNE it attracted many Muslims in the community |
to come to the university. The mosque came as a great enhancement toward this.
Members of the Muslim community come regularly to the mosque for congregational prayers from as far as Tamworth and Moree. The local Muslim community naturally provides overseas students with moral support, enabling them to complete their study in a relatively familiar, and encouraging environment. The mosque also enriches the cosmopolitan and multicultural life in Armidale through its community participation in various local festivities and activities. In general, the mosque has been exemplary for beneficial interaction between the university and its alumni, and the wider community. Activities in the mosque are not only limited to prayer, but many social and educational functions take place in it as well. For example, recently there have been ‘forums of understanding’ between the Muslim community and the Uniting Church of Armidale, which were most informative to all participants as well as challenging and stimulating. Also Arabic language and religious classes for children are held regularly in the mosque, as are group discussions about a variety of topics. The month of worship and fasting has finished for the Muslim community. For the Christian community, Christmas, a time of joy, is near. It is also a time of good will and fellowship. I trust that all of us can share in the message of peace and hope at Christmas and work for peace in the coming year. Professor Ingrid Moses is the Vice-Chancellor & President of the University of New England ______________________________________ Reprint from The Armidale Express Friday, 21 December 2001
|
Recent Comments