THE newly-constructed mosque on Church Street in Queenstown last Thursday evening officially opened its doors for worship, and while it is not completed with all the intended facilities, it will be used during the month of Ramadan which begins tomorrow.

In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), Mr. Fazeel Ferouz said that there was a “semi-opening” of the mosque last Thursday since it is not quite finished as yet.
He reported that there was a mass turnout from the Muslim community at the opening ceremony and everything is in order for the building to be utilised for Ramadan, the Muslim’s month of fasting.
Ferouz, who was on his way to the mosque for midday worship on Friday when he spoke to this publication, added that the mosque is not fully completed with modern amenities. However, he said that it is in such a state that it can be used for worship.
Meanwhile, in an interview last month, Mr. Sattaur Gafoor, who chairs the committee responsible for the construction of the mosque had said that though the mosque will be used for Ramadan, it will not be fully completed with all the proper facilities.
He explained that it cannot be fully completed due to the lack of funds to the purchase things like air conditioning units, carpet and tiles.
However, he said, these will be installed upon acquisition of additional funds. He disclosed that while construction of the mosque was initially budgeted at US$2M, it is expected to cost approximately 20-25 percent more because of the rise in cost of building materials.
He noted that funds for the construction of this mosque were donated by the Muslim community of Guyana and overseas as well.
Gafoor said that construction of the mosque began about two years ago, and when completed will have the capacity to accommodate approximately 1,000 persons.
The two-storey building is 120 feet by 80 feet. Males and females worship separately and so the ground floor will be used by men, while the top floor will be used by women.
He said that while the mosque is under construction, facilities were put in place for its members to worship at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) in Thomas Lands, Georgetown.
The original Queenstown mosque was built more than 100 years ago and was one of the first to be built by Muslims in Guyana.
Gafoor noted that it would have been difficult to maintain the old structure since the lumber had started to rot and it was also infected with termites (woodants).
In addition, he said that a bigger mosque was needed since the previous structure could not cater for the rapid growth of the Muslim community.
Gafoor stated that when completed, it would be one of the most beautiful mosques in the Caribbean and it is hoped that it would reflect the quality of work that can be done when people work together.