Thursday, July 14, 2016
SUFFA DAWAT MOSQUE OVER CROWDING
Initially information was given by the mosque backers that they would have at most 80 worshipers for their main service on Friday afternoon in the 2 rental spaces at the Kennesaw Commons Strip Mall, 2750 Jiles Rd location.
Since then they have expanded their rental to another next door unit which is suppose to be used for the women, bringing the total rented space to 3,300 sq ft.
Photos taken in July 2016 on the “28th Night of Ramadan” at 11 p.m. show only the men’s side, which is the original 2 units (2200 sq ft) and show at least 106 people, considering the remaining area not shown, probably there are 130 (+/-) plus an unknown number of women in the remaining unit.
While the County Fire Dept had initially established the maximum number allowed under their regulations at an unrealistic 315 for the original 2 units, you can see that the facility is well above the actual physical capacity of the rooms and the parking lot during both Ramadan and their normal main service on Friday afternoons.
The original City variance for use of the property as a Mosque for 24 months still has a few months to run but there is no indication that any other facility is being prepared for the expiration of the approved 24 month usage.
A careful look at the photos will show that there are conceptual drawings of the proposed Mosque to be built at 6045 Pine Mountain Road. The 3.62 acres (161,000 sq ft) has set aside 200 spaces for parking.
Whether this new million dollar Mosque is ever built, in the proposed configuration or otherwise, it clearly would be impossible for it to be ready for several years. The donations are very minimal, hardly enough to pay the rent on the current location.
Mosque leadership has been critical of worshipers for their lack of contributions.
This despite their own leadership being composed of several multi millionaires, one of which is Abdul Kareem Amer, who is also in the news recently for being the spokesman for the East Cobb Islamic Centers building of a cemetery for 6-7,000 plots in Powder Springs on MacLand Road.
The immediate Kennesaw concern is that their Friday service exceeds the available strip mall parking.
Near term concerns are for what happens when both their lease and agreement with the City of Kennesaw for the 24 month variance runs out.
Long term concerns are for construction of the new Suffa Dawat Mosque on the land donated to them by Mr. Kashif Rashid Rana of Kennesaw.
Previous dealings with this Mosque have not been satisfactory and have cost the City $18,000, a Federal lawsuit and an international black eye.
With 5 of the 6 elected City posts now held by newly elected representatives perhaps some clearer thinking will emerge on how to deal with the referenced issues.
If not then it will be another round fought out in the press and probably the courts.
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7/8/16
MAIN FRIDAY SERVICE OVER FLOWS EXISTING PARKING
Remember how it was 'claimed' that their main Friday afternoon service might draw at most 80 people?
The 7/8/16 main service totally filled the parking area at this strip mall.
Parking monitors direct members to open spots and several slots are reserved by them for use of shoppers at other mall stores.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
MORE KENNESAW MOSQUE BULL SHIT
KENNESAW MOSQUE THRIVING AFTER BUMPY BEGINNING
Emily Selby MDJ 7/5/16
It’s been about a year and a half since the Kennesaw City Council balked at allowing a mosque to open in a strip mall, and since that time, mosque leaders say everything is “going great.
“It is so convenient,” said Dr. Nayyer Islam, president of the mosque, the Masjid Suffah of Kennesaw.
“It’s a great place for everyone to come together and meet each other. There are some people I didn’t even know were in the area that are coming here now.”
In December of 2014, the Kennesaw City Council voted 4-1 to deny a permit that would have allowed worshippers to open a Muslim prayer center in a strip mall on Jiles Road behind a Publix grocery store.
Protestors attended numerous council meetings about the mosque, carrying signs saying “Ban Islam” and “No Mosque,” and voiced concerns about the mosque spreading Shariah law.
“It is so convenient,” said Dr. Nayyer Islam, president of the mosque, the Masjid Suffah of Kennesaw.
“It’s a great place for everyone to come together and meet each other. There are some people I didn’t even know were in the area that are coming here now.”
In December of 2014, the Kennesaw City Council voted 4-1 to deny a permit that would have allowed worshippers to open a Muslim prayer center in a strip mall on Jiles Road behind a Publix grocery store.
Protestors attended numerous council meetings about the mosque, carrying signs saying “Ban Islam” and “No Mosque,” and voiced concerns about the mosque spreading Shariah law.
Former Councilwoman Cris Eaton-Welsh was the only council member to approve the permit in the initial vote. She said she voted to approve the mosque because it was their “constitutional right to be there.
“The (mosque members) who came to that City Council meeting, they have been members of this community for 20, 30 years,” Eaton-Welsh said “They are your radiologists, your doctors, your dentists … I’m glad they have a safe space to worship. I don’t think it’s any different than a synagogue or chapel.”
Former Councilwoman Debra Williams, who initially voted against the mosque, said her opposition was based on the location.
“It was going in a retail space that had active businesses, and a worship center takes away from that. We need to put in businesses that complement each other,” she said.
However, Islam said the shopping mall is now thriving.
“The (shopping) complex where the mosque is located had one or two businesses back then, and as I was promising the city at the time, now the whole complex is flourishing,” Islam said.
Dream Body Inc, a personal training studio, moved into the strip-mall in May, and owner Seth Carver said that while parking had been an initial concern, business is good and the studio has about 150 sessions per week.
“They are very courteous, they come over and put cones in front of our space so that nobody parks in front of our business so that way there’s parking for our clients,” Carver said.
CONVENIENT LOCATION
Mosque board member Naser Omer, of Kennesaw, said “we were going and coming 10 miles each way, so that’s 20 miles, and some of the prayers are only ten minutes.” He called the mosque a great facility.
Nayyer Islam’s daughter, 18-year old Maha Islam, said before the mosque opened, her family traveled to Canton to a different Muslim community.
“It’s so nice having the mosque here. I didn’t know all the Muslims in this area and now I do,” she said.
Another mosque on Barrett Parkway in west Cobb is scheduled to open in about four to six months.
(See: http://www.atlantamuslim.com/directory/masjid-al-furqan/)
The Masjid Suffah, which sees about 80 to 100 members on its busiest day, is collecting funds to move to a permanent location behind the Walgreen’s pharmacy and Bank of America on Pine Mountain Road near Cobb Parkway.
Nayyer Islam said an architect, who is a member of the mosque, has already drawn up the plans for an 8,500-square-foot space with a larger worship area and multi-purpose space for kids to play. The property, which was donated to the mosque by a member, is about 3.5 acres and the new development will include about 200 parking spaces.Kennesaw resident Eileen Alberstadt, who opposed the mosque’s opening in 2014 citing traffic congestion, said she is still concerned about traffic when the Pine Mountain Road location opens.
“I live on Pine Mountain and it’s a nightmare to get out of the subdivision,” Alberstadt said. “The traffic will be hell; it’s already hell now.”
Alberstadt and Williams also said mosque members tried to demolish a house on the Pine Mountain Road property, but did not have the permit and were forced to stop.
Because the project is privately-funded, it is difficult to pinpoint when it will be finished, Nayyer Islam said.
“If you wrote me a check today, I could start working tomorrow,” he said, laughing.
According to Nayyer Islam, the property already has the needed zoning and the final architectural designs will be submitted to the city for approval. The estimated cost for the Pine Mountain Road mosque is $1.4 million.
The mosque has a 24-month leasing period for the strip mall location which ends in about nine months.
“We told them at the time that this is a temporary thing and our permission is for two years, so we are going to obey our promise,” he said. “We are going to keep striving towards building the other mosque so it becomes a permanent thing where people can go.”
RAMADAN
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and practice self-restraint and self-reflection. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is celebrated as the month Muhammad received the revelations that became the Quran.
Each night during the holy month, the Masjid Suffah serves about 150 people with a four-course meal at sunset that is followed by prayer.
“Ramadan is about restricting ourselves from what is normally available. We restrict in everything, including lying and cussing,” Nayyer Islam said. “Those things happen from impulse and the purpose of Ramadan is to calm those impulsivities … the training for this month allows us to remember these things in the next 11 months. It trains us on how to be a good citizen.”
Food served varies night to night but often includes dates, meats, rice, bread and desserts.
“It’s a cool thing here because we have different Muslims from a lot of different countries. Everyone signs up to bring in food for Ramadan so we have a lot of different flavors,” said Maha Islam.
The end of Ramadan is called Eid and is a time for celebration. People dress up in colorful outfits and donate to the community.
Humaira Qhan, a member of the mosque who has lived in Kennesaw for 12 years, said. “We give alms to the poor and to the underserved so they can celebrate Eid with us.”
This year, funds donated to the mosque will be given to the community of Clarkesville, according to Nayyer Islam.
Also new this year for Eid, the Masjid Suffah gathered with other mosques in the area at Pine Mountain Middle School to pray and celebrate the end of Ramadan.
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Mosque v. City of Kennesaw at: http://suffadawatsuit.blogspot.com/
