Jumua Mosque and Cultural Centre of Parklands Charitable Trust
The story “Building ceased on wall in Parklands”, (Tabletalk, August 17) refers.
We feel proud and honoured to promote the creation of a mosque and a cultural centre in Parklands, which will contribute to the urban development, social cohesion and civic welfare of the community in this area.
Cape Town has significant geographic and historic importance for the Muslim community in southern Africa and in the whole continent. Since the early Muslim communities were established in the Dutch colonies, the Muslims of Cape Town have been characterised by perseverance, social cohesion and contributing with their skills, their knowledge, their sweat and with their blood to the building of this nation under changing, often adverse, political circumstances, always embracing all races and in peaceful coexistence with other creeds. The new Jumua Mosque of Parklands will continue exactly that tradition.
Cape Town is the cradle of Islam in southern Africa with an uninterrupted tradition of a living Muslim community since the early Dutch settlements, in the middle of the 17th century.
From that time until now, the Muslim community of the Cape has maintained its institutions and the practice of their religion under the government of the Dutch East India Company, later under English Imperial rule, apartheid regime and now, in the new democratic era, preserving its strong identity and traditions in every age.
The new mosque and cultural centre in Parklands will be the first and only purpose-built mosque, in the whole area from Milnerton, Table View, Blouberg, up to the West Beach areas. The Jumua Mosque of Parklands will serve as a place of worship, learning and community centre, open and serving all the Muslims living, travelling and working in Parklands and the surrounding suburbs.
On the other hand, the founders of the Jumua Mosque and Cultural Centre of Parklands are well aware of the responsibility that fall upon their shoulders of being an active and constructive part of the larger community.
The new mosque comprises a cultural centre that will welcome and will render services to the greater community, irrespective of colour, religion or nationality.
The mosque compound includes sufficient parking space for the entire congregation. In specific cases such as the jumua (the Friday afternoon prayer) in the future, if the congregation would become bigger and more vehicles than expected would come, the mosque management will address the matter to avoid any inconvenience to the neighbours. On that same note, and implementing the Islamic principle of good vicinity, the call to prayer in the mosque will never be a cause of disturbance to the surrounding neighbours.
The centre will offer free medical consultations, will have feeding schemes, counselling, marital, youth and drug prevention programmes, and a regular plan of seminars and courses addressing issues of general interest, sponsored by the mosque and cultural centre and open to all, not only to Muslims.
A crèche for small children and a youth association encompassing cultural, outdoor and sports activities will also be hosted at the cultural centre. Again, these activities will be open to all, not only to Muslims.
This ample and well-equipped mosque and Islamic cultural centre will be a new landmark of the city. The beautiful silhouette of the Moroccan-style minaret and the profile of the North African-Andalusian green roofs of the mosque, visible from the N7 and from the main bridge and motorway of Sandown from one side, and from Parklands Main Road on the other side, will be a point of reference for the population of the area, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The mosque will be an architectural jewel from the outside as well as in the inside.
The Muslim community of Cape Town, as well as those from African countries, the Afrikaner Muslims, and Muslims of European origin that make up a growing portion of the Muslim community of the Cape, are all looking forward with excitement and enthusiasm to the inauguration of the new mosque and cultural centre of Parklands that will integrate Muslims from all walks of life and will open its doors, will share its table and will spend its human, intellectual and spiritual potential towards the peaceful and prosperous future of Cape Town.
The external wall built around the complex grounds has all the required legal permits; anyone is welcome to ask for them at the municipality.
The project is following its scheduled timeline and contrary to what has been falsely declared in the media, the project is following all the legal steps and will be implemented complying with all the technical requisites and licences.