MPs to vote on building mosque on Amwaj Islands
Amwaj Islands might soon get its first mosque, as MPs will vote on the matter this week.
The Parliament’s Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee has agreed to a proposal that instructs to build a mosque on Amwaj Islands in Muharraq Governorate. The committee will present its report before the council on Tuesday, when the rest of the lawmakers will vote on it.
The proposal was at first presented by a group of MPs in May, 2014, and was placed once again on the discussion table this year by MP Adel Al Assoomy.
“Amwaj is the only area in Bahrain that has no mosque. We live in a Muslim country and this is part of our culture,”
Al Assoomy told DT News yesterday.
Apparently, the proposal followed a popular demand to construct a mosque on the islands, as “residents and visitors have to travel to nearby towns and villages to offer prayers.”
Al Assoomy insisted that it was an urgent demand to build at least one mosque in Amwaj Islands.
He added, “It’s a big area and many people visit or reside there. It’s necessary to have a place for them to pray.”
Anyhow, the committee mentioned in its report that it didn’t’ receive any reply from the responsible Government authority (Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry) when inquired about the matter.
“The religion of the country is Islam and prayers are the foundation of the religion. There is high population density in Amwaj Islands, be it by visitors or residents, and having a mosque there is now a necessity,” the report read, confirming that committee members agreed to the proposal.
Municipal Council supports proposal
Welcoming the proposal, Muharraq Municipal Council Chairman Mohammed Al Sinan confirmed to DT News that “the council supports this proposal and would apply for a similar request to the government, if needed.”
He said, “We have communicated with the islands’ management before, but unfortunately they did not cooperate with us. We’ve even informed them that all the construction expenses would be borne by a donor, yet our attempts were vain. The management has changed now and we hope they would consider this popular request.”
“Amwaj Islands are a special case as they were mainly inhabited by non-Muslims earlier, so mosques weren’t needed then. But now, the situation has changed. It’s one of the most preferred destinations by locals, GCC nationals and tourists for commercial or housing purposes. The area became a commercial and tourism hub and providing a mosque for residents and visitors is an necessity,” Al Sinan said.
When asked if the speakers in the mosques might annoy the residents, Al Sinan said, “It’s not mandatory for prayers to be aired through speakers. Speakers may be used only for during Azan (prayer call).”
The councillor also pointed out that taking such a step would benefit Amwaj Islands financially, adding that mosques would attract more visitors to the islands.
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