WAM Report: Mosques Named After Sheikh Zayed Promote Coexistence And Tolerance Worldwide

ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 28th Apr, 2021) Mosques and religious centres named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan continue to serve as cultural and academic establishments that promote coexistence, tolerance and openness.

In addition to their function as places of worship, these mosques provide a wide range of health, educational and social services for people living in neighbouring areas, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Marking the annual Zayed Humanitarian Day, which falls on 19th Ramadan, the Emirates news Agency (WAM) details, in this report, the most recognised mosques worldwide that are named after the late Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed.

Located in Slough, west of London, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Centre was inaugurated in 2001 as a beacon of light for Muslim communities in the UK. Paid for by Sheikh Zayed, the mosque benefits 16,000 Muslims from various backgrounds and nationalities.

With a capacity to accommodate over 1,000 worshipers, the mosque, which cost around USD 4 million, incorporates health facilities, a lecture hall, a forum hall, a library, and a funeral hall. It also offers Arabic language and Quran recital courses to children.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Oxford is an Islamic cultural landmark, an academic centre and a hub for intercultural interaction, highlighting Sheikh Zayed's vision regarding the importance of dialogue between people of different cultures and religions and the possibility of peaceful coexistence between different cultures.

The mosque’s architectural design is consistent with the local environment, and is built to accommodate over 1,000 worshippers.

With a cost estimated at USD 4.5 million, the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque Centre was inaugurated in March 1999 in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. It is the largest Islamic centre in the Horn of Africa, and has the capacity to take in around 15,000 worshipers.

The mosque includes an academic library cradling 12,000 books on Islamic Sharia, as well as an Arabic language centre, an Islamic cultural centre and a computer centre, benefitting around 2,000 students annually. It also includes a tv channel that broadcasts daily programmes to raise awareness about Islam.

Opened in 2000, the Stockholm-based Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque, whose total cost exceeded AED 22 million, serves the Muslim community in Sweden, offering academic, health and social services. It can accommodate 2,000 worshippers during ordinary days, and 5,000 during Eid.

The mosque offers official marriage certificate authentication services accredited by the Swedish Government and in line with the Islamic Sharia. The mosque also has a Quran recital school and an Arabic language centre for children.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Addis Ababa is one of the key Islamic landmarks in Ethiopia. Since its inauguration in 2009, the mosque has become a centre of knowledge that aims to promote Islamic culture and its moderate and tolerant values.

The three-storey establishment comprises a prayer area for women, a library and a funeral hall. The mosque can accommodate 1,000 worshippers and is the second-largest mosque in Ethiopia.

Built in 2009, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Foum Zguid, Morocco integrates modern architectural styles, and comprises a technology library and a spacious area for Eid prayers.

A key cultural Islamic landmark in Morocco, the mosque can take in 3,500 worshippers, has a prayer area for women on the upper floor.

Since its inauguration, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Ningxia has become a humanitarian centre and a cultural establishment that promotes the teachings of islam and its moderate values, in addition to being one of the largest mosques in China. Built to accommodate over 6,000 worshippers, the mosque also trains imams and host religious forums.