Foundation Stone for new Mosque laid by Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad lays foundation stone for Sadiq Mosque in Nordhorn
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is pleased to announce that on 14 October 2015, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), laid the foundation stone for the first Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque in the German city of Nordhorn. His Holiness has named the Mosque the Sadiq Mosque (Mosque of the Truthful).
Around 100 guests attended the ceremony, including various dignitaries, such as Mayor of Nordhorn, Thomas Berling and Deputy District Commissioner, Helena Hoon.
The formal session began with a welcome address given by Abdullah Wagishauser, the National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Germany.
He informed the audience that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Nordhorn was providing assistance to the local authorities as they deal with the sudden influx of refugees from Syria.
Thereafter, visiting dignitaries took to the stage to offer their congratulations to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Deputy District Commissioner Grafschaft & Bentheim, Helena Hoon said:
“It is a great honour for us to welcome His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad to this region. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Nordhorn is relatively small, however its contribution to the local society is vast and so I believe this Mosque will prove to be a symbol of integration and tolerance.”
Mayor of Nordhorn, Thomas Berling said:
“I am very grateful to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for offering to assist us in our efforts to absorb the sudden influx of refugees. You are providing invaluable services, in particular in terms of translation. Every act of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is based upon its motto of ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’.”
The keynote address was delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who said the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community had instructed that it was the duty of Muslims to fulfil both the rights due to God and to humanity.
Based on this teaching, His Holiness said the new Mosque would not only be a place to worship the One God, but would also prove a means of serving and protecting all people.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“If people paid attention to fulfilling the rights of God and to serving humanity then this world would became a haven of peace and all enmities would die away. Certainly, the Mosques that we build are those that remove all conflicts and hatreds and spread only peace.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“As Muslims, we believe Allah to be the Lord of all mankind and so it is incumbent upon us to serve and care for all people. Thus, Ahmadi Muslims will always be ready to serve humanity in any way we can.”
The religious leader said that it was the duty of Muslims to love and protect their neighbours.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“It is impossible for us to want peace for ourselves, but to want conflict and misery for our neighbours. Thus, when we build Mosques we believe it is our duty to protect and love all those around us. Where our Mosques are a place of peace and comfort for us, we also wish to provide love, comfort and peace to all others.”
His Holiness said that the fact so many guests were attending the ceremony proved that the local people had extremely high moral standards and sought an inclusive society in which all people were welcome.
He said that the local people had
“tightly grasped the hand of friendship extended by Ahmadi Muslims”.
Concluding, His Holiness prayed:
“I pray that this Mosque proves to be a means of removing any fears or reservations that you may hold about Islam and, God Willing, it will be a means of manifesting the true Islam, which is of peace, harmony and love.”
Following his address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad laid the foundation stone for the Sadiq Mosque.
The respected wife of His Holiness, Hazrat Amtul Sabooh Begum also laid a stone and thereafter a number of Central, National and Local Ahmadi Muslim officials also laid stones.
The event concluded with a silent prayer led by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.