Muslim association to open new centre Saturday

Southern Albertans will be welcomed on Saturday to a new centre for the Muslim community.

After years meeting in a small facility on 13 Street South, members have purchased the former Bill Kergan building on 13 Street North.

“All our religious practices and social events will be held in the new centre,” says Abdelbasat Aborawi, president of the Lethbridge Muslim Association

One of the first events will be an opening ceremony and open house Saturday, starting at noon. Guests will be offered snacks as well as a tour of the repurposed facility.

All are welcome, organizers say.

Part of the vision for the new centre, says Aborawi, is to be “a resource for our Canadian friends, neighbours and Lethbridge residents in general, to learn more about us as Muslims.”

The centre, he adds, will also foster “interfaith connections with other religious institutions and individuals.”

At the same time, he says it will offer educational resources “for our young generations and protect them from extreme ideologies that might face them.”

The purchase, he explains, was based on local membership fees accumulated over the last 20 to 25 years, along with fundraising events and individual contributions.

The balance, Aborawi says, was donated by members of other centres in Medicine Hat, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon. Local volunteers travelled to those cities to speak about the Lethbridge community’s plans.

Some painting and renovations have been undertaken, he says, but there is much more to do. One of the early projects will be a gymnasium for women.

“Lots of work will be done in the next year or so, including replacing the carpet in all rooms, upgrading the heating/air conditioning system” and more.

More extensive interior redevelopment is part of the long-term plan, Aborawi says.

A decision has not yet been made on the future of the older centre, he says.

That decision “has to come from the Muslim community collectively.”

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