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'2,000 mosques built in North America'

RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: Dr Umer Khalidi, Professor at the Agha Khan Programme for Islamic Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA has said that about 2,000 mosques had been constructed in North America in different parts by the Muslims.

He was delivering a lecture on the "designs of mosques in North America" at the Sindh University senate hall, Jamshoro, here on Thursday.

The Vice Chancellor, Sindh University, Dr. R.A. Shah presided over the function which was attended by the American Consul General, John E. Bennet, the vice chancellors of Mehran and Sindh Agriculture Universities, Dr A R Memon and Dr Bashir Chandio respectively, a large number of Sindh University teachers and students.

Professor Khalidi said that a large number of Muslims had migrated to North America after 1940 and added that unlike in long established Muslim societies, a number of mosques are housed in buildings which had been originally constructed for some other purposes.

He said, these included abandoned churches, masonic lodges, fire stations, funeral homes etc., which had been converted into mosques. He said that according to his survey, conducted between 1992 and 1995, 1,000 mosques and Islamic centres existed in USA alone. He said about six million Muslims from all over the world were settled in USA.

In his presidential address, the vice chancellor, Sindh University, Dr. R.A. Shah said that the university had initiated a lecture programme under which scholars from renowned universities were being invited to deliver lectures on various subjects for the benefits of the teachers and the students.

The Dean, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Madam Dr. Mumtaz Bhutto also spoke on the occasion.