CONSTRUCTION for the Border’s first purpose-built mosque is expected to be underway by April.
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Islamic Society of Albury-Wodonga leader Yakub Mohammed said while council approval was granted last year fundraising for the mosque had been slow.
The Muslim law of riba, which bans interest on loans, has delayed arrival at the $400,000 to $500,000 target to build the community centre.
“In Islam it is against the rules to take loans unless they are interest-free so what we give is exactly 100 per cent of what we get back,” Mr Mohammed said.
“So everyone is chipping in from their own pay packets what they can afford.
“If we had a loan we would have started a long time ago, we would have built a new one here.
“Officially in our bank account we’ve got about $196,000 and some brothers have committed another $100,000.”
Mr Mohammed hopes work on the new mosque starts in March-April with fundraising to run alongside the construction.
The society has held prayer sessions at a rundown two-bedroom weatherboard property in Wagga Road, Lavington, since 2013 and the new house of worship would be built on that site.
Mr Mohammed said since the development had been backed by Albury Council last October he had received regular feedback.
“People have been keeping an eye out,” he said.
“Once people realise I’m from the mosque they ask ‘has construction started?’ and ‘when will it start?’.”
Mr Mohammed expects the mosque to be a topic of conversation when the Border’s Muslim folk host an open day at Lavington’s Mirambeena Community Centre on Saturday.
It is the third time the society has staged an open day, but the first time it has coincided with the National Mosque Open Day first held in 2014.
Mr Mohammed said it was a chance to visit Mirambeena between 10.30am and 4.30pm and explore Muslim culture and beliefs.
“It is to breakdown the misconceptions in the general society with non-Muslims, there’s a lot of that don’t know what Islam is,” Mr Mohammed said.
“If you have a theory on Islam don’t be confused come and take advantage of the opportunity and ask questions.”
Mr Mohammed said the queries he dealt with most regularly related to the wearing of the hijab or burqa by Muslim women and terrorism and Islam.
The open day will include food stalls and the sale of Muslim scarves, hijabs, perfumes and caps.
Face painting, a jumping castle and balloons will be on hand for children.
