In pictures: First mosque opens in the Outer Hebrides
By Lucinda Cameron
May 11, 2018, 4:57 pm
A young member of the Muslim community in Stornoway attends the official opening of the first mosque in the Outer Hebrides (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
THE first mosque in the Outer Hebrides has opened in time for Ramadan.
A derelict building in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis has been converted into a mosque following a crowdfunding campaign which raised more than £94,000.
Faisal Butt washes his feet as he attends the official opening (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
Shoes are removed before entering (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
The local Muslim community, thought to number more than 50 people including a number of Syrian refugees, now has a dedicated place of worship for the first time.
Aihtsham Rashid stands at the gates (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
An online fundraising campaign raised more than £94,000 (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
Abdul Ghaffar, Secretary of the Stornoway Mosque Trust, prepares the prayer room (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Aihtsham Rashid, a mosque builder from Leeds, led the construction project.
He said: “We’ve got the job done in about four weeks, probably the fastest mosque that has ever been built.
“We wanted to have it ready in time for Ramadan.
“It’s been very positive. A lot of people are happy in the community.”
The former derelict building has been converted into the UK’s most northern mosque (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Visitors at the official opening (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
There is said to have been a Muslim community in the area since 1945.
Ramadan starts on May 15 this year.
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