Hanley mosque to be finished by August
BUILDING work on a controversial £1.6 million mosque and community centre is expected to be completed by August.
Builders moved on to the Hanley site last January and work has now passed the halfway mark.
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HALFWAY: Building work continues for the mosque on Regent Road, Hanley. Above, how the Mosque will look. Right, Rana Tufail.
Rana Tufail, director of the Islamic Centre and co-ordinator of the Regent Road development, said: "We are very pleased with how work on the mosque has been progressing. It has been like clockwork.
"There isn't a purpose-built place of worship for Muslims in the city, and therefore this development is an important one for all the community."
The Islamic Centre and the Stoke-on-Trent Muslim Welfare and Community Association approached Stoke-on-Trent City Council with a view to developing a community centre and mosque on Regent Road in 2000.
Planning permission was granted for the site in August 2005.
Leading politicians criticised the council for not running any consultations on the plans, and British National Party officials later made a formal offer for the land.
Criticism also came when Stoke-on-Trent City Council offered to release the land for an annual rent of just £1.
However, in July 2006 a report concluded the scheme should go ahead and it was given the green light by councillors two months later.
Money needed to build the mosque is being raised by the Muslim community through appeals and events such as dinners.
Mr Tufail said he is confident that enough money will be raised on time, but asked people to keep contributing.
He said: "As the work goes on to build the mosque we keep raising funds and the community keeps contributing.
"I'm confident the funds will come in but we are still appealing to our Muslim brothers and sisters to keep contributing."
Planning permission still needs to be granted for a community centre on the site. Funding for this is expected to come from grants.
Mr Tufail added: "We would like to get the community centre built as soon as possible, and hope to get it up and running at the same time as the mosque.
"The mosque will be the first of its kind in the city, and along with the community centre it will be a building which the community can be proud of."
Hanley West and Shelton ward member councillor Mohammad Iqbal is a supporter of the mosque.
He said: "The mosque is very important for the city and will be of great value to the Muslim community.
"The community centre will be a multi-cultural centre with education classes, games for children, fitness classes and IT sessions.
"We hope to start work on that as soon as possible."
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by Shafiq, Shelton
Tuesday, July 14 2009, 4:51PM
“Having seen the new Masjid on the Regent Road, I want to say that it will be a great looking building. Many people have commented that you can¿t have Church¿s in Muslim lands ¿ what nonsense. Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt for example have many Church¿s alongside Masjid, even though Christians are a minority they have the right to worship in their place of worship without a problem. There may be a few bad examples but that does not reflect Islam or Muslims all over the world, every community or religion has bad examples.
Many British born Muslims are looking forward to the new first purpose built Mosque/Masjid, I would not have a problem if some wanted to build a Church, Synagogue, Gudwara in the Local area. The Muslims who have invested money in this new building haven¿t taken money from non Muslims so what is the problem. People need to grow up and let people live they way they want.
The Muslim community is growing in Stoke-on-Trent and the demand for more Masjids that cater for the ¿Muslim Tax paying community¿ is needed. Islamic Centre in Bedford Street, Shelton was set up in the 1970¿s the progression by the community and as I mentioned the demand is clear to all. Many Local schools, Primary and High Schools have visited the Islamic Centre and the Pupils who have never seen a Mosque have been impressed. So with the new Masjid many more school children will develop their understanding of the Mosque and Islam and learn to live and respect people of different colour, religion.
It seems fine for Muslim businessmen to buy premiership football clubs but build a place of worship, dear me. Many great Muslims surgeons can be seen at work at North Staffordshire Hospital, Accident Unit etc, and many Muslims who are contributing to the local life in Stoke-on-Trent are British.
Well done to the Muslim Community of Stoke-on-Trent and the rest of UK for raising the money for this fantastic New Masjid. Keep up the good work not long now hey!”
by Thomas, manchester
Tuesday, January 06 2009, 5:18PM
“Warren as the last poster hinted you really must use spellcheck if you wish to be taken seriously.
So you and James are the only two who have been commenting who have been talking sense?
Where do you people get off?
You or your cronie 'Jim' have not come out with one sensible answer to anything that has been said.
Does that not tell you something/anything?..”
by Daz, Oz
Tuesday, January 06 2009, 1:16PM
“Warren learn to spell, it's "their comments",plus numerous other mistakes from then on.
We aren't all uneducated bigots.Some of us can think for ourselves and don't just go along with the moral majority which is why the country is in the mess it's in now!”
by Warren, Stoke on Trent
Tuesday, January 06 2009, 11:00AM
“So some the good folk of North Staffordshire have again posted there coments on the subject this report covers and once again make themselfs look like compleat no brain bigated loons, nice one. James, Penkhall, once again yours is realy the only voice of reason in this lot dude, give it up as a bad jod mate, the fools just want to be nasty about things they know not the first thing about. Come over to PitsnPots mate, you will be made more then welcome.As for most of the rest of you, grow up.”
by Daz, Oz
Tuesday, January 06 2009, 9:57AM
“Pull it down, I'll gladly refund the £1.00!!”