Community leaders stand with Orange’s Muslim community as mosque is unveiled

Community spokesperson Khalid Tufail said he is delighted that the new building is now being used regularly for prayers. Mr Tufail has lived in Orange with his wife and three children for the last six years. He works as a hospital scientist at the Orange Health Service.

“The university has been very generous with making a room available for prayers the last three years, but we’re now looking forward to using this building in Peisley Street as a mosque,” Khalid Tufail said. “We thank the council and the community leaders who’ve come here today to stand with us, for offering this warm sign of their support.”

Community spokesperson Salahadin Khairo is an economist with the DPI. Originally from Ethiopia, he has lived in Orange for 3 years (and in Dubbo for 10 years) with his wife and 4 children.

“We hope this announcement today is the start of an ongoing opportunity for the Orange community to better understand and remove the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims,” Salahadin Khairo said. “We’ll gradually start to work on renovating this building and in due course we want to arrange an ‘Open Day’ to invite the wider community to come and see what’s been achieved.”

Community spokesperson Sulaiman Siddiqui works as a high school Maths teacher in Orange. Originally from Pakistan, he has lived in Orange for 4 years with his wife and two children.

“Along with Muslim families across Australia, we condemn violence and all forms of terrorism,” Sulaiman Siddiqui said. “As well as being used for prayers, we believe this mosque will provide a platform to further strengthen relationships with the Orange community.”

Community spokesperson Nafaris Noordeen is a mechanical engineer working for Komatsu in Orange. Born in Sri Lanka, and trained in England, he moved to Australia one year ago.

“I really like Orange and its community. The Muslim community in Orange is so special as it is very diverse representing at least 15 ethnic backgrounds,” Nafaris Noordeen said. “There are many working professionals in multiple different professions such as dentists, scientists, doctors, engineers, mathematic teachers and project managers”.

“The new mosque is a great opportunity for the wider society to get to know about this beautiful Muslim community and their active engagement in the community & contribution to the region. This will definitely help in eradicating the misconception of Islam and wrong narrative about Muslims,” Nafaris Noordeen said.

Community spokesperson Muhammad Mateen works at Electrolux as a mechanical engineer and CAD designer. Originally from Pakistan, he has lived in Orange with his wife and two children for four years.

“I believe the Orange Muslim community is an integral part of Orange and we are contributing well, both as individuals and as a group to the overall Orange community,” Muhammad Mateen said. “We like living in Orange very much.”

Tristan Mansel, who is one of the initiators of the mosque project, owned one of the houses in Orange where regular prayers have been held.

“It’s been a long process over a number of years, but’s it’s fantastic that the community now has a place of its own,” Tristan Mansel said. “I’m looking forward to contributing to its development.”

After years of community fund-raising, the Orange Muslim community recently bought a former Plymouth Bretheren church in Peisley Street and the building has been used regularly for prayers since the beginning of November.

The large brick hall, next to its own parking area, is not visible from the road and is built behind a house which faces Peisley Street.

Orange Mayor John Davis said, the hall was already zoned as a ‘Place of Worship’ and did not require a development application or council approval to be used for regular prayers by the Muslim community.

“It’s been a pleasure to meet and get to know the local Muslim families and to see the contribution they are already making to the Orange community,” Cr John Davis said. “The people I’ve met are working in professional capacities at Electrolux, at the hospital and at the DPI.”

“As well as prayer gatherings in local houses, a room at Charles Sturt University’s Orange campus has been routinely used for prayers for a number of years. So apart from the prayers happening at a different location, there’s not a lot that’s new here.”

Orange’s Muslim community draws from a broad range of multi-cultural backgrounds. It’s estimated the community comprises around 60 families from at least 15 nations and ethnic backgrounds.