Rob Horgan
MALAYSIANS living in Spain have been encouraged to chip in for the construction of a mosque in Sevilla.
President Abu Zahar urged Spanish-based Malays to help the Islamic community to finally complete a mosque in Sevilla.
Plans for a Sevillian mosque have been in the pipeline since 2008, but a number of financial setbacks have prevented the €17 million project from getting underway.
“It is important for Malays to support this project,” Zahar said.
“As for me, some of my colleagues in Parliament and I will try our best to help them.
“This is something that comes from our hearts to help Muslims in Seville to have their mosque.”
Granada Mosque president Malik Abderahman called Zahar for help after a meeting with Sevilla Mosque director Ibrahim Hernandez.
During the 40-minute meeting, Abderahman expressed his desire for financial assistance from the Malaysian public and government in order to complete the mosque.
“For us this project will not be just a mosque but we want it to become a centre for Muslims and non-Muslims in Spain to have links with one another,” Abderahman said.
“Even though we (Muslims) are a minority, we like to work together with all societies in Spain.”
There are currently an estimated two million Muslims living in Spain.
Greetings from Kuala Lumpur.
Your article is wrong at several levels.
1. Malaysia doesn’t have a President. It has a King, who is anointed on a revolving basis.
2. Malaysia’s most powerful official is the Prime Minister Najib Razak.
3. Abu Zahar – correctly known as Abu Zahar Ujang – is Speaker of Malaysia’s Dewan Rakyat, its upper house (equivalent to the UK House of Lords). He is (occasionally) known as the president of the dewan, but more commonly, the speaker.
Your article conveys the impression that Abu Zahar Ujang is Malaysia’s President, with the authority that goes with that office. A modicum of understanding/research would have revealed that is not the case. But perhaps that was not your intent.