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Member of Parliament for The City, Jeffrey Bostic (left at front); Dean of the St. Michael’s Cathedral, Dr. Jeffrey Gibson (centre at front); Acting Inspector Stephen Griffith (right at front); and Police Public Relations Officer, Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler (right at back), during the tour of the City Mosque.

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Members of the public received a tour of the City Mosque, which is celebrating 60 years, yesterday.

City Mosque celebrating 60 years

AS the City Mosque celebrates 60 years of serving the community, members of the Islamic faith invited the public to tour the historic building yesterday.

Member of Parliament for The City, Jeffrey Bostic; Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Dr. Jeffrey Gibson; and members of the Royal Barbados Police Force, including Public Relations Officer Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler, were among those who received a tour of the mosque.

The City mosque has served the Sobers Lane and surrounding communities in Bridgetown for the past 60 years. Its ornate structure of limestone blocks, purchased from quarries on the island, remains intact.

While its original steel frame windows and doors are still in use, the symbolic minarets that rest on the rood are visible from a distance. The mosque was threatened by a major fire in the 1980s that destroyed the Geddes Grant warehouse right next door.

The mosque has a unique feature not found at the other mosques on the island. A bit similar to the established churches on the island which in the past featured a place of residence for the Priest-in-charge, the mosque has on its compound a residence for the caretaker who is also the caller to prayer.

The mosque, like other mosques, features the prayer area, a place to wash before prayers, washroom facilities and a place to conduct classes, usually five days a week for children between the ages of four and 13.

Speaking about the basics of Islam to the specially invited guests during an informative session, Imam (the Imam is in charge of the City Mosque) Mohmed Mamadh indicated that from morning to evening, from birth until death, Islam guides Muslims on how they should go about spending their life, so that they can be a true slave and servant of the Almighty and also a true human and citizen of the world.

“First of all, the most important aspect for a Muslim is his beliefs – what he should believe in and what he should not believe in... The first and foremost belief a Muslim needs to have is belief in the existence of God…,” Mamadh said.

Following the tour and informative session, those who attended were treated to treats and sweets prepared by the members of the Muslim community. (AH)

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