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02
Oct 2020
Harrogate's Muslim community raises £85,000 for first Mosque
Harrogate's growing Muslim community has raised £85,000 to open the district's first Mosque.
The Harrogate Islamic Association (HIA) normally meets in Christian churches or community centres but soon could have a space to call its own.
While the group does not expect to have a big meeting soon, it hopes to have the former Nidderdale Children's Resource Centre in Starbeck ready for Ramadan next year.
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The group, which was established in 2011, has been looking for a place to convert into a Mosque for years until it found the "Goldilocks" building.
It was just the right size and the Muslim owner offered it to the group at a sizeable discount.
With 80% of the asking price already accounted for and a deadline of the end of September, the HIA went public with a fundraiser just a few weeks ago.
Zahed Amanullah, the fundraising campaign organiser, said the HIA saw an "amazing response" with some individuals donating thousands of pounds. He told the Stray Ferret:
The HIA plans for the Mosque to be a welcoming space for the entire community and has already had discussions with its future neighbours about how they could use it.
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