MWL chief lays stone for Oakland Islamic center

Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the Makkah-based Muslim World League, laid the foundation stone for the Islamic Center in Oakland in New Zealand on Saturday, and urged Muslims in the country to preserve their culture and heritage.
Al-Turki, who is currently on a visit to New Zealand, emphasized the importance of such a center for the cultural development of Muslims in the country. Ahmed bin Nasser Al-Johani, Saudi consul general in New Zealand, attended the event.
Speaking at the ceremony, Anwar Al-Ghani, president of the Federation of Islamic Societies in New Zealand, said the project would include a mosque, a school, an Islamic cultural center, a rest house for travelers and sports facilities.
He thanked Saudi Arabia for its support of the project, which will have advanced educational facilities spanning an area of 48,000 sqm.
Meanwhile, Al-Turki met with members of the Muslim community in New Zealand at the Omar bin Khattab Mosque. “You are ambassadors of your countries and you should represent Islam here,” he told Muslims.
He also urged Muslims to strengthen their unity and steer clear of conflict. “You should preserve Islamic culture and heritage and work together for spreading the message of Islam,” he said.
On Friday, Al-Turki launched a new knowledge center at Hamilton Mosque. The center includes a library, a Qur’an memorization class and a hall for Islamic calligraphy. He hoped the center would support New Zealand Muslims in propagating the message of Islam in the country, he added.
The MWL chief had earlier visited the Bosnabi Mosque, the first mosque in Oakland, which was established in 1979. Fairuz Patel, vice president of the federation, briefed Al-Turki on the mosque’s various activities. He later toured the Madinah Islamic School in Oakland. Al-Turki expressed MWL’s readiness to cooperate with New Zealand Muslims.