Islamic Heart of South Coastline Massachusetts opens mosque in Tumble River
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Slide RIVER — The Bedford Avenue making that after housed the previous Community Carpenters Union 1305 is now officially a mosque.
It’s been a thirty day period given that the Islamic Center of South Coast Massachusetts moved into what its associates hope will be a lasting prayer center and spiritual group heart.
Dr. “Abdul” Majid Dudha, president of the 501(C)(3) nonprofit group, said the 150-member Slide River-based association was founded 20 many years ago and has due to the fact then been in search of a long lasting locale.
Members had earlier held prayer classes in a Pickering Street condominium off of North Primary Avenue, but Dudha states it was considerably far too cramped for the escalating team.
It also for approximately a few several years rented place in a converted mill building on Plymouth Avenue previously mentioned the Lazer Gate laser tag and amusement heart. That place experienced its individual unique negatives.
“Sometimes we could listen to the tunes,” mentioned Islamic Centre of South Coast Massachusetts member Abdul Zahir.
In 2010, the group, whose members hail from the higher southeast location of the condition, paid out $99,000 for the vacant, previous St. Louis Catholic School at 403 Division St.
It was not prolonged before it turned apparent that the price of building advancements to the large creating would be over and above the economical suggests of the spiritual group, which relies on donations.
“It was far too much dollars,” Zahir explained, referring to the $750,000 he and other folks approximated it would eventually price tag to make all the essential municipal constructing code upgrades and modifications.
“It was going to acquire 20 years to accumulate that substantially dollars. So we marketed it,” he said.
A Peabody progress firm purchased the former school setting up in 2015 for $135,722, in accordance to registry of deed documents.
Three a long time later on the Islamic Centre of South Coast Massachusetts acquired the much smaller sized, two-story office environment-design constructing with a most important deal with of 239 Bedford St. (two other entrances are marked 241 and 243) for $180,000, documents show.
The chance arose when Area 1035 merged with a Rhode Island carpenters’ union and vacated the premises.
Mohammad Nazim Uddin, a Bangladeshi immigrant who has lived in Slide River for extra than 20 years, and who serves as treasurer of the Islamic Middle of South Coastline Massachusetts said he is grateful they found the new spot.
“Many thanks to God,” Uddin reported.
A chance to provide much more regional Muslims
Dr. Dudha, who was born in India and is a pulmonologist at nearby Prima Treatment healthcare facility on Pleasurable Road, reported the Islamic Middle of South Coastline Massachusetts is Sunni-centered but welcomes all Muslims, which include Shiites, as well as non-Muslims.
He and his wife, who is a neurologist at Prima Treatment, and their little ones are living in Foxboro.
Dudha, 41, explained several recent associates at one issue immigrated to the United States from Muslim vast majority nations around the world such as Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Far more:New Bedford guy listened to the Islamic phone to prayer 30 years apart. He answered the second time.
But he says there is also a rising populace in the region of U.S.-born Muslims, who with any luck , will make the most of the new prayer middle.
Far more than 50 gentlemen confirmed up for early afternoon prayers last Friday, or Juma, which is thought of by Muslims to be the holiest working day of the week.
They alternately stood, sat and bowed with shoes off experiencing the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia as an imam led the team in prayer by reciting Arabic passages from the Koran.
The imam at one position in English claimed that people’s “color and appearance don’t make a difference. We are part of the neighborhood here in Fall River.”
Three Muslim ladies also prayed but did so from powering an improvised curtain in a rear spot on the other aspect of the home.
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Dudha claimed Muslim women and males are retained apart out of sight from a person one more while praying in a mosque to prevent any achievable “interaction” or distraction.
He claimed there are programs to set up video screens so that the women can see the imam primary the prayer session.
Dudha explained there’s also a possibility of making a prayer house solely for girls on the next floor of the creating.
Constructing advancement job
He reported the three-12 months delay in opening the mosque was owing in element to the time it took to locate the appropriate contractors to put in a sprinkler program and make other making enhancements.
In addition to new bogs, the 1st flooring is now geared up with two ablution spots with taps and drains — one for gentlemen and the other for women of all ages — for the ritual Wudu washing of facial area, arms, arms and ft prior to prayer.
Extra:From the Archives: Choose a seem at these old Tumble River images
The Turkish-fashion carpeting, Zahir reported, value $8,000 and was acquired from a New Jersey vendor.
Uddin, 64, at just one time owned a shorter-lived takeout restaurant on South Main Road referred to as Crown Fried Rooster.
He stated he functions complete-time in a Newport, Rhode Island 7-Eleven shop and that he and his wife have 4 daughters and a son, 4 of whom are in college and just one of whom is enrolled in a nursing software.
His son Muhammad, 22, a college student at Boston Higher education, came with his father to pray at the new Slide River mosque.
“This job took at least a ten years to acquire form and a pair of years to elevate the mosque money, but it was well worth it,” he explained.
Charles Winokoor may be achieved at [email protected]. Help nearby journalism and subscribe to The Herald Information today.
