YEMEN: Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh officially opens the Saleh Mosque in Sanaa

Record ID: 268970

  • Title: YEMEN: Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh officially opens the Saleh Mosque in Sanaa
  • Date: 22nd November 2008
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS AND GUESTS .(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHEIKH HASAN, SAYING: "The Saleh Mosque, along with the Saleh College of the Koran and Islamic Studies, will have a role in serving the Islamic religion, and the dissemination of its true teachings of moderation, forgiveness and to decry radicalism and extremism in all its aspects."
  • Embargoed: 7th December 2008 12:00
  • Keywords: Yemdunc
  • Location: Yemen
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA9EL7R614LZE8VIIV1JSVGS798
  • Story Text: A major new mosque opens in Yemen
    Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh officially inaugurated the Saleh Mosque and Institute of the Koran and Islamic Studies amid a delegation of some of the Muslim world's most respected icons. Built for an estimated 60 million U.S. dollars, the mosque is being praised as an icon for Islamic teaching, and is expected to have far reaching impacts in theology.
    "The Saleh Mosque will be a pivotal institution in the Islamic world. It will be of exceptional significance because it will play an intellectual role, an educational role and a societal role," said Judge Hammoud Alhattar.
    "The Saleh Mosque, along with the Saleh College of the Koran and Islamic Studies, will have a role in serving the Islamic religion, and the dissemination of its true teachings of moderation, forgiveness and to decry radicalism and extremism in all its aspects," said Yemeni Sheikh Hasan.
    "This is a great and historical teacher for the country, the president, may God protect him. He gave Yemen back it's 'civilization' with this Mosque which is not exclusive to anyone. It is for all the children of Yemen from all segments of society," said Wahab Shaye', a mosque Imam.
    The Saleh Mosque's most unique feature is the amount of scripture written on to its walls.
    "This mosque is regarded as the one which bears the most amount of scripture on its walls. On every dome there is a Sura and there is no mosque in the world which contains a whole Sura written except for thexxxxx. Other mosques have verses, but this one has an entire Sura for every dome,"
    said sculptor and Islamic script writer Naser al Nasiri.
    The Saleh Mosque which contains six 100 metre high minarets, has a main dome of 28 metres in diameter and can house up to 44000 worshippers, is being hailed as a national wonder.
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