Mohammed Abdelaal of Egypt and Wajih A. Elsalaal of Saudi Arabia would like to extend a generous invitation to kafirs in Hampshire County, Massachusetts to accept Submission to Allah.
Amherst Bulletin – August 5, 2006
New mosque seeks way to bridge faiths
Sunna or later you’ll Submit to Allah
Local Muslims now have a convenient place to pray – and nonMuslims have an opportunity to learn more about Islam.
Hampshire Mosque opened last month at 1 East Pleasant St. in Amherst, above the Loose Goose Cafe. It’s the site of daily prayer and of Friday services at 1:30 p.m.
There are more than 300 Muslims in the Amherst area, and as many as 1,000 in Hampshire County, said Mohammed Abdelaal, the mosque’s chaplain. The closest mosque had been in West Springfield, and although Muslims can pray individually, being in a congregation is preferred, he said.
‘It was high time to start a place and have an anchor,’ said Mohamed Hassan, a member of the mosque.
The mosque plans to coordinate its activities with the Muslim Student Association at the University of Massachusetts, he said. The 600-square-foot mosque can accommodate about 50 people, he said.
The Web site www.hampshiremosque.org, includes the times when Muslims should perform their five daily prayers, which are linked to the movements of the sun.
The mosque ‘intends to establish bridges of tolerance, harmony and understanding between Muslims, the American society at large and people of other faiths,’ according to the Web site.
People who associate Islam with terrorism because of media images from the Mideast do not understand the faith, said Hassan.
‘Every Muslim knows this does not represent Islam,’ he said. ‘People who target innocent people aren’t Muslims. It’s a religion of mercy and peace.‘
Hampshire Mosque seeks to follow what the Quran calls a ‘middle path, a path of moderation, free of extremism, and representative of the Islamic vision of healthy community,’ according to the Web site.
The mosque does not have an imam, but is in touch with one from the Islamic Society of Boston.
‘It’s very important for any Islamic organization to have an imam to lead prayers and give a Friday speech and respond to the needs of the community,’ said Abdelaal. ‘Since Hampshire Mosque is a young organization, now we don’t have a full-time imam, but eventually we will work on that.’
Abdelaal and Hassan are natives of Egypt. Abdelaal is an architect who works for UMass, and Hassan is a visiting scholar in linguistics at UMass.
‘One of our objectives is to provide Islamic literature for whoever wants it,’ said Hassan. The mosque recently provided copies of the Quran to Muslim inmates at the Hampshire County House of Corrections, he said.
Hampshire Mosque plans an open house Sept. 17 from noon to 3 p.m.
