KUWAIT SPONSORS ISLAMIC CENTRE IN UTAH

Kuwait City, 16 Rabi’ul Akhir 1436/6 February 2015 (MINA) – Kuwait has allocated $1 million (Dh3.67 million) for the establishment of an Islamic centre in the US state of Utah, a report in the Gulf country said.

The area is known for its conservative community, making it a favourite destination for Muslim families from around the world, the Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported.

More than 40,000 Muslims currently live in the state, which has six Islamic centres to serve the various Muslim communities, Gulfnews quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

However, these centres are concentrated in the capital, Salt Lake City, located in southern Utah, and they offer great services to the Islamic community, including places for congregational prayers, lessons in Arabic and the Islamic religion. Funeral services have also become available after the centres purchased land in the public cemetery.

“Kuwait and its government are interested in promoting tolerance and the exchange of cultures all over the world, especially the United States,” Abdul Lateef Yahya, Consul Kuwait’s General Consul in Los Angeles, told Kuna.

“Kuwait believes that the new project will benefit thousands of Muslims in Utah, especially Kuwaiti and Gulf students.”

Mohammad Al Najar, Director of the North Utah Islamic Centre, said the idea of establishing a major centre was floated after the terrorist attacks in September 2001 with the aim of conveying the message that Islam rejected violence and promoted peaceful coexistence between civilisations and respect for other religions.

He said that the number of Muslims in the north of the state, namely in Ogden, has been growing and that it includes 4,000 from various Arab countries and hundreds of students from Gulf countries.

He added that the space at the existing centres could no longer accommodate the rising number of Muslims in need of religious services, such as attending Al-Qur’an classes and performing prayers, making the existence of a larger centre an important issue.

The non-profit centre will be officially known as the Kuwait Islamic Centre in Utah “in recognition of Kuwait’s continuous support for Muslim communities around the world,” he said.

He added that the centre, with an area of about 75,000 square metres, can accommodate 650 worshippers and 150 students.(T/P009/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)