Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland

The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) is an Islamic complex, including a mosque, in Clonskeagh, Dublin, Ireland. It is funded by the al-Maktoum Foundation of Dubai and has a Sunni orientation close to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Formation

In 1992 Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Governor of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry in the United Arab Emirates, agreed to finance a piece of land including a building to house a school and later on agreed to sponsor the construction of an Islamic Centre on the same site. [http://www.nccri.ie/pdf/spectrum9.pdf The Muslim Community in Ireland] Ali Selim (ICCI), The Journal of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, issue 9: July 2005] At the time, 4000 Muslims lived in Ireland. [3,873 Muslims in Ireland according to the 1991 census [http://www.cso.ie/ CSO Ireland] ] The ICCI was constructed starting 1994 and was officially opened on November 16th 1996 by President Mary Robinson and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. It is located next to the University College Dublin. The mosque and cultural centre include a main prayer hall, a restaurant, a library, meeting rooms, laundry facilities, ten apartments, administrative offices and recently a shop. A primary school is also located on the premises.

The ICCI was designed by the Irish architect firm, Michael Collins & Associates. The layout is based on a square divided into nine smaller squares, with the mosque placed in the centre. The building is a steel frame structure with brick infill and is detailed with stainless steel. [archnet: [http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=1654 information about ICCI construction] ]

Organisations and Activities

Executive director of the ICCI and director of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland (IFI) is Nooh Al Kaddo, an Iraqi native who moved from Liverpool to Dublin in 1997 to run the Islamic center. The imam of the ICCI is Hussein Halawa, who came to Ireland from Egypt in 1996 and is also chairman of the Irish Council of Imams.

The ICCI hosts the Muslim National School, a state funded primary school, with an Islamic ethos and with over 260 pupils. The religious department is sponsored by the al-Maktoum Foundation.In February 2008, the ICCI held a Harun Yahya Conference.

ee also

*Islam in Ireland
*European Council for Fatwa and Research

References

External links

* [http://www.islamireland.ie/ Website of the ICCI]