Muslim Leader Opens Scandinavia's Largest Mosque

LONDON, October 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad officially inaugurated the Baitul Nasr mosque in Oslo on 30 September 2011 with his Friday Sermon. The mosque is Scandinavia's largest and has a capacity of 4,500 worshippers. Visible from a great distance, the mosque has already established itself as a national landmark and a symbol of peace.

To mark the opening the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat hosted a reception attended by over 120 guests. The guests were welcomed by the President of the Ahmadiyya community in Norway, Zartasht Munir Khan, who informed that the mosque had been funded entirely by the community itself. He said that thousands of Ahmadi Muslims had contributed towards this project including a person who sold his house and a person who sold his car to raise funds.

The country's Defence Minister, Grete Faremo, attended the event on behalf of the Norwegian Government and also presented a message on behalf of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. She said:

"The new Norway also has a central role for religion. So we must open all our doors and invite all others as we are seeing here today. This is not my place of worship but irrespective of this I still feel real warmth here."

During the keynote address Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of the terrorist attack in Norway on 22 July 2011. He said

 "From the perspective of our community, every Norwegian Ahmadi Muslim, from whichever country they originate, feels the utmost pain and grief in their hearts over this horrifying incident.

As we reflect on the abhorrent tragedy, let it be clear that it is not only the Ahmadis here in Norway who have felt this devastation and grief, but in fact all Ahmadi Muslims throughout the world feel your loss and share in your grief. I would like to take this opportunity to express the heartfelt condolences of myself and every Ahmadi Muslim throughout the world, to the families of the victims, to your Government and indeed to the entire Norwegian nation."

His Holiness concluded by saying:

"Rest assured that every Ahmadi Muslim who enters this mosque will have a true and deep love for mankind and will also fully comply with the laws of this nation. Rest assured that every Ahmadi Muslim who enters this mosque will be at the forefront of trying to eliminate cruelties wherever they occur."