Hurstville Masjid and Community Centre
We at Fuse are thrilled to see plans for the Hurstville Masjid in south Sydney have been approved!
This is a significant moment for the local Muslim community and for the entire community as a whole. The proposal to convert a former nursing home into a place of worship and community center was supported by two of Australia’s biggest sports stars, Sonny Bill Williams and Anthony Mundine, both of whom are locals. These two individuals, known for their success on the field, have now shown their support for the community off the field as well.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride to get this Masjid up and running, maybe four or five years,” said Mr Williams. “As a proud Muslim in this area, this is something that I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time.” He went on to say, “Perseverance means patience and that‘s what we’ve had. It‘s been long overdue but thank god we’re here now. There’s a big community out there you know, especially in the sporting world.”
Sports agent Khoder Nasser, who was instrumental in the development of this project, also spoke about the significance of this mosque, saying “This site is easily accessible for older community members and would provide a place for children to get advice and companionship to face the challenging social pressures that young people experience today.” He went on to say that the mosque was designed to provide an accessible place of worship for elderly members of the Muslim community, some of whom have lived in the area since the 1950s.
A spokesman for the Hurstville Muslim Community Association also highlighted the need for this mosque by saying that there was a shortage of Muslim places of worship in the area. Currently, Friday and obligatory prayers have been offered mainly in community halls,” he said. “As with most religions, the need for a more permanent place of public worship is important to the Muslim community.”
All of us at Fuse, are strong proponents of enriching and building a city that is culturally diverse and aims to work with communities towards building a multicultural city that is designed for the community and responds to their needs. We hope that this new addition to Carlton will create a long overdue resource to the Carlton community.
We are proud to have been a part of this project and hope that it serves as a symbol of unity and diversity within the community. We look forward to continuing to work with communities and create spaces that are inclusive and reflective of the diverse population that makes up our city.
