Oxford Road Mosque ?

[Laura_Eva]

Does anyone else think its beginning to look a tad too "glitzy" and "over the top" for its own good, with the gilded spheres and now the gold dome that's being ever so sooo slowly erected ?

I always imagined a tasteful brick built minaret with stairs and balcony ... but hopefully not for the "call to prayers ?" ...

As it is my 1st floor office window has a grand view of the minaret, and the velux windows of my 2nd floor dressing room and en-suite show the whole golden roofscape (I live just off battle square, new hospital / Tesco development) !

Still guess it will become another symbol of the Oxford Road's diversity I will grow to love ... just wish they would hurry up and finish the damn thing (honestly I've put my change into the shop collecting tins to help !) ...

[Laura_Eva]

Maybe I was wrong ... just found the plans and it looks a tasteful and modern building, just a shame that on its tight plot it will always look cramped and not quite like the architectural images ...

http://abmreading.org/?page_id=22&album=1

Wonder if the "games room" will be exclusively for men playing cards and drinking strong coffee (or is that exclusive to Turkish / Middle Eastern Islamic culture ?).

Likewise why not a tea room offering sweet tea and sticky cakes, (and nargile ), as in many Istanbul mosques and the historic Paris mosque too ... but that usually needs a shaded courtyard ?

And "parking" looks like it could accommodate hardly a dozen cars ... how is that going to work ???

Just musing as I'm looking forward to seeing the building finished, and hoping its not going to be another "Liverpool Cathedral" or a "Sagrada Familia" ... no evidence of any workmen for well over a week now !

[rolew]

Looking at the skyline I wonder if this is the place to come to worship David Beckham.

[Laura_Eva]

Golden balls ... ... ???

[Jimmy Riddle]

Maybe I was wrong ... just found the plans and it looks a tasteful and modern building, just a shame that on its tight plot it will always look cramped and not quite like the architectural images ...

IMHO it’s much too big for the plot and way out of proportion with the neighbouring buildings. Perhaps this bloke was the planning consultant.

I note that ‘Gilberts the Butchers’ (opposite) and all their pork products have gone. And the ‘Lovecraft Sex Shop' now have an Islamic book shop as their next door neighbours. - should be an interesting stand off!!

[Chris]

And the ‘Lovecraft Sex Shop' now have an Islamic book shop as their next door neighbours. - should be an interesting stand off!!

[Smash]

God it's hideous - amazing how they've manage to make something that cost so much look so cheap and tacky.

[piwacket]

I haven't much likelihood of getting down that way for a while - couldn't someone post a picture

Please

[Juliab]

The Games Room definitely won't be for playing cards, as that is forbidden in the Islamic religion. I think there is a move toward making the mosque open to families and even non-muslims...so the room might be a general purpose games room. I have heard of ones that have had pool tables and even gym equipment.

The main difference to me in a mosque and a Catholic Church for example is all the gold is on the outside on the former, whereas a lot of the ostentatious elements are often within. All of it does the same thing though - reaches high and praises God.

I don't think it is much different to any existing mosques....

[Les]

I haven't much likelihood of getting down that way for a while - couldn't someone post a picture

Please

Hmm, I could try to get one Lady Pi, but I would need to be careful, I might end up with a Fatwah against me!!

[Laura_Eva]

The Games Room definitely won't be for playing cards, as that is forbidden in the Islamic religion.

Does that include Bridge, so popular with Iranians I know ? Also I thought Backgammon (a gambling game) was rooted in Middle East culture, and didn't chess have roots in the Islamic world ?

[Juliab]

Not all Iranians are Muslims, as you probably know. Chess is quite a controversial one - I think there are problems with it because it contains statues. Backgammon is prohibited because of the dice.

But of course, just because a religion says something can't be done - it doesn't mean that rules are not broken, or that the rules are questioned by more liberal muslims. But in a mosque, it is much stricter. Complicated religion, Islam...I find most religions quite fascinating...although I haven't really got one to call my own!

[Jimmy Riddle]

Chess is quite a controversial one - I think there are problems with it because it contains statues. Backgammon is prohibited because of the dice.

What about Twister?

[chris_j_wood]

Not all Iranians are Muslims, as you probably know.

And most Iranians are adherents of Shia Islam.

The mosque's web site is not specific as to which branch of Islam it belongs to, but the Abu Bakr the mosque is named after was Muhammad's father-in-law and the first of the Caliphs. Sunni Islam regards him a righteously guided, whilst Shia Islam sees him as a usurper and political opportunist. So I think it is unlikely the members of the mosque are Shias.

Interesting that it took Christianity several hundred years after the death of its founder before the first really big schism, but it never really stopped 'schisming' thereafter. With Islam the big schism happened more or less on day one, but there has been relatively little 'schisming' since. That probably says something quite profound about the nature of the two religions, but I'm not sure what.

[jonbryce]

Not all Iranians are Muslims, as you probably know.

And most Iranians are adherents of Shia Islam.

The mosque's web site is not specific as to which branch of Islam it belongs to, but the Abu Bakr the mosque is named after was Muhammad's father-in-law and the first of the Caliphs. Sunni Islam regards him a righteously guided, whilst Shia Islam sees him as a usurper and political opportunist. So I think it is unlikely the members of the mosque are Shias.

Interesting that it took Christianity several hundred years after the death of its founder before the first really big schism, but it never really stopped 'schisming' thereafter. With Islam the big schism happened more or less on day one, but there has been relatively little 'schisming' since. That probably says something quite profound about the nature of the two religions, but I'm not sure what.

Islam is a much less centralised religion than Christianity. Christian denominations generally have archbishops or moderators or something similar in charge of them, whereas in Islam, each mosque is an independent entity that answers only to Allah, not any central earthly authority. If the Imam at the Oxford Road Mosque has theological disagreements with the Imam at the Waylen Street Mosque, it doesn't lead to any sort of break up, as there is any organisation linking the two to fall apart.

[Les]

I have to say that there are some very interesting insights into Islam on this topic. Many thanks to all those who have contributed so far.

[Laura_Eva]

I have to say that there are some very interesting insights into Islam on this topic. Many thanks to all those who have contributed so far.

Honestly unlike Daily Mail readers ... ... I welcome that my Muslim neighbours are bringing this project to fruition ...

Guess my "fun poking" has / is to do with will I ever see the mosque completed before I draw my pension (the building as I fantasise it after completion has even figured in my dreams ... and sure that was nothing like the blueprints) ???

Maybe its not the right building for a cramped site, and I remain fascinated that "external show" has taken priority in building, despite a million or two still being needed for fabric and internals ... but that's I guess all about fund-raising ?