A group of Muslims pleaded at a press conference in Dublin on Friday for the reopening of the mosque at the Islamic Community Centre of Ireland (ICCI) in Clonskeagh. They described it as “the heartbeat of our community”.
The centre closed abruptly last week following a bitter internal dispute and an alleged physical altercation at a meeting there on April 19th. The Muslim National School and creche reopened last Monday morning but the rest of the campus – including the mosque, which is the largest in Ireland – remains closed.
The group, describing itself as the Muslim Community Ireland, held the press conference at the ICCI gates calling for the mosque to be reopened. It described itself as “a grassroots, community-led initiative formed to peacefully advocate for the reopening of the Masjid [mosque] at the ICCI”.
It represented “Muslims from across Dublin and beyond, from many backgrounds and walks of life” who “were united by the shared belief that the Masjid is not just a place of prayer, but the heartbeat of our community”.
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Among 10 speakers at the press conference, group chairman Abdul Haseeb insisted they had gathered “not in protest, but in pain, and in hope”. They were there “to raise urgent concerns about the emotional and spiritual impact this closure is having on thousands of Muslim worshippers” as “for the second Friday in a row, gates of this blessed place remain closed”.
The mosque was “not just a building”, it was “where thousands of us find comfort, strength, and a sense of belonging to help cope with the hardships of daily life.” Its closure “has left a deep void in our lives,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to the Al Maktoum Foundation, “which has served the Irish Muslim community with generosity and vision for more than 28 years”, they were “shocked by this sudden and total closure, especially in the absence of open communication, consultation, or a timeline for reopening”.
He said: “We understand institutions face challenges. But we ask, humbly and urgently, that the mosque itself not be the price. Our plea is simple, open the Majid for the five daily prayers, for Friday prayers, and for Eid.” This could be done “while other matters are dealt with separately.
“We respectfully call on all stakeholders, including the respected leadership of the Al Maktoum Foundation and the ICCI management, to engage in open, transparent dialogue with the community.”
A petition signed by more than 2,000 people had shown “overwhelming support” for reopening the mosque and had “given us the strength to stand here and speak, not just on our own behalf, but on behalf of every person who misses this place”, he said.
After the press conference Mr Haseeb explained that “following the closure of the mosque, members of the community had lots of conversations over what had been happening, separate conversations, in different groups. Eventually we merged into one big group”.
They set up a committee and organised a petition. “We have over 2,400 signatures, and decided to hold a press conference.”
They had sent proposals to the Al Maktoum Foundation, “saying we are prepared to work with whatever needs to be done, whatever your concerns are – we are prepared to work with that ... but the mosque should be open.”
The Muslim community “shouldn’t have to experience the closure of the mosque ... It should have been closed, maybe one or two days, maybe a week, this is the second Friday. It should have been open by now,” he said.
