I live in a prime area of Sharjah, known as Al Nahda. However, disappointment came my way when I found out that there is no mosque in my neighbourhood.
With the start of Ramadan, I am really feeling low as it would not be possible for me to wind up iftar activities at home and attend the Taraweeh prayers during these special days.
The nearest place to offer prayers is a makeshift mosque, which is actually a room on the ground floor donated by the owner of a nearby residential building.
However, since it is not a proper mosque, the Friday prayers and Eid prayers cannot be offered here. This room cannot accommodate more than 30 to 40 people.
The only mosque located in this area is at a walking distance of about 15 to 20 minutes, near the telecommunications company office.
A lot of Muslim men walk up to that mosque, even in the heat, to be able to offer their prayers in a group. But not everyone can do so.
My dad is partially paralysed, with one non-functional leg, and he is even more discouraged to reside in a location where he cannot manage to go and offer prayers on his own.
He does commute on his wheel chair or with his walking stick, but obviously cannot walk so far to offer his obligatory prayers. I am sure there would be many others like us suffering in this way.
To my knowledge, the same problem is occurring near Sahara Centre — there is only one mosque in the whole neighbourhood.
I would like to highlight this fact to the respective authorities and request them to take immediate action on the same.
— The reader is a banker based in Sharjah
Be a citizen reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Write to us at readers@gulfnews.com
