Court orders Muslims to cancel Friday prayers

h/t HRW

WAToday:

Court orders Muslims to cancel Friday prayers
Chris Thomson
July 7, 2009

A West Australian court has ordered a prominent Muslim group to stop hosting compulsory Friday prayers at an industrial estate in eastern Perth.

The Daawah Association of Western Australia is allowed to use its building in Kent Street, Cannington, as a 'Community Purpose and Educational Establishment'.

That City of Canning approval requires Daawah not to let more than 20 people into the building at a time.

However, in 2007 the managers of a building next door complained Daawah drop-ins were parking on the verge of the neighbouring building.

An investigation by the city found that on Fridays Daawah was exceeding its 20 person limit. Daahwah's subsequent application to accommodate 100 people at any given time was refused.

Adjudicating on Daawah's appeal, State Administrative Tribunal member Marie Connor found that Friday afternoon prayers conducted in the building put it in a 'Place of Public Worship' category prohibited under its 'Light Industry' zoning.

The city told Ms Connor that the building had developed the character of a mosque or masjid.
Daawah argued the city's planning policies were not well placed to deal with the complex practices of the Muslim faith.

A Ms Rahman, called as a witness by Daawah, said there were many places that provided prayer rooms - such as shopping centres, workplaces and airports, and that none of these places were mosques.

"The mere fact that Friday prayer is being held at the premises does not make that place a mosque, Islamically," Ms Rahman said.

However, the city tabled a Daawah document entitled 'Masjid Project - Appeal for help' that referred to 'Masjid As-Sunnah' operating at the premises.

The document mentioned the difficulties experienced in accommodating the large number of worshippers and that there was a need to purpose build a new masjid.

Photographs were produced showing a sign on the front window where the word 'Masjid' appeared beside an arrow indicating the location of the masjid.

Ms Rahman said the term 'masjid' meant: "basically a place of prostration or a place to pray'.
Ms Connor considered the Friday prayers involved congregational worship, thereby conferring a 'place of public worship' planning definition on the building prohibited under its 'Light Industry' zoning.

She directed the association to stop using its building for more than 20 people, and to comply with the industrial zoning which precludes congregational worship.

Under Muslim tradition, it is compulsory for all males above the age of puberty to attend Friday prayers.

Avenging Apostate comments: 

Muslim defense is so pathetic.

"The mere fact that Friday prayer is being held at the premises does not make that place a mosque, Islamically," Ms Rahman said. 

That's a lie. Friday prayer is a community thing for men hence it can only be held in designated places that are known as MOSQUES or the Arabic form of it, MASJID!! Since Muslim men are obligated to go to Friday prayer and Friday prayer for men is only valid when prayed alongside other community members and an Imam as a leader, they have to have specific designated mosques to hold Friday services and not random places. The liar Ms Rahman contradicts her statement above and agrees with me when she says:

Ms Rahman said the term 'masjid' meant: "basically a place of prostration or a place to pray'.

Its true, however, masjid is not some weird word that is different from the word mosque. Masjid is the Arabic word for the building we call "mosque". Such hypocrisy!! First they are like, "no it isn't a mosque" and now they're saying, "yeah, its not a mosque, its a masjid which means a place to pray". I am sure some liberal moron is going to fall for this crap!