The owners of a fish and chip shop in Arbroath are to open Angus’s first mosque.
The Naseem family, who run The Bellrock, have clubbed together to buy a former drill hall in the Angus town, which will be transformed into a place of worship for Muslims.
Mohammed Naseem, 57, was inspired to open the mosque in Arbroath after the Syrian war brought an influx of Muslim refugees to the area.
It is hoped the new space will remove barriers for families wishing to continue practising their religion – with the closest mosque currently in Dundee.
GoFundMe for new Arbroath mosque
Mohammed’s son, Adil, says the family – along with other members of the community – want to open the mosque “as soon as possible”.
They also have plans to demolish the former TAC Centre on Hayshead Road – which was bought for £65,000 at auction last week – and erect a new building in the coming years.
Adil, 26, has now started a GoFundMe to raise cash for the project – which has already raised more than £5,000.
The donations will help with the day-to-day running costs of the facility and future design and construction costs of the newbuild.
Explaining the need for a mosque in the town, Adil said: “My family have been in Arbroath for years.
“We are all quite lucky because we can drive to Dundee for our prayers.
“However, over the last five years, ever since the Syrian war has happened, a lot of refugees have come.
“They don’t have cars, and we noticed that they don’t have anywhere to pray.
“They are kind of losing their religion and they are very upset about it.
“So, we as a community have been on a mission to create somewhere for Muslims in Arbroath and surrounding towns to come together.”
The new space will be within easy walking distance for most members of the community.
‘They’ve had to lose everything and start again’
Adil, who helps to run his family’s seafront restaurant business, says the absence of a prayer area in Arbroath has impacted the mental health of some Muslim refugees.
He said: “It is quite sad because they have already had to leave their country and they’ve come to a different country where a lot of them didn’t even know English.
“They have had to lose everything and start again – and then they didn’t have anywhere to practice their faith.
“Syrian people are quite religious so it must have taken a real toll on their mental health.”
Adil says the mosque will be run by a board of trustees once it has been formally registered as a charity.
He hopes to raise £10,000 in total towards the project.
Conversation