New Mosque Opens in Wales
First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford presided over the inauguration ceremony of the Sketty Mosque with guests such as the Lord Lieutenant, the Lord Mayor, and other civil and uniformed dignitaries.
The historic Bethel United Reformed Church has been transformed into the Sketty Mosque and Community Centre. The revitalization project was funded by £400k raised with the Swansea Muslim community in just three weeks and supplemented by a £300k Community Cohesion matching fund from the Welsh Government.
With an overall project value of approximately £1.3 million, the Sketty Mosque and Community Centre provides a space for up to 400 individuals to congregate at a time and features the second-largest female prayer room in Wales. The facility also includes a multipurpose room capable of hosting various events for up to 120 attendees.
The mosque and community center has been described as a "monumental milestone" for the local community and is said to be a testimony to the hard work, dedication, and unity of the people in Sketty. Dr Mahaboob Basha BEM is vice chair focusing on community engagement, membership and communication at the mosque and community center.
He said he was looking forward to seeing how the hub can strengthen cohesion within the Swansea community. He said: "Today was a remarkable event. It was good to see dignitaries from the Welsh Government invited to the mosque, coming to the mosque and getting to know the things happening in the mosque.
"What is important here is that the Muslim community engages greater with other diverse communities, and when I say other diverse communities, I mean the local community. 20 years ago, perhaps not many people knew what was happening in mosques. But in the last five years, there's been a remarkable change and the coronavirus pandemic opened that gateway to community cohesion and engagement with the wider community.
"We all worked together, we all needed each other. Bringing people together - especially in a time of need and working together as a team, is our vision as a mosque and community center."
Source: Wales Online
