Residents of Al Luzi have pledged to form a human chain to protect their neighbourhood mosque from demolition after learning the land has been earmarked for a private kindergarten.
The Northern Municipal Council yesterday unanimously backed a proposal to preserve the site and convert it into a permanent mosque, following urgent pleas from the community.
The proposal, submitted by area councillor and services and public utilities committee chairwoman Zainab Al Durazi, was approved during the council’s regular meeting and referred to Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak for co-ordination with relevant authorities.
At the heart of the issue is Property No 10048157 in Block 1020, a centrally located 1,818sqm plot owned by Eskan Bank that councillors and residents recently learned has been designated for a kindergarten.
A petition signed by 129 residents has now been submitted to the council and reviewed by the GDN.
For years, residents of the area have relied on two temporary cabins installed by the Sunni Endowments General Directorate as a makeshift prayer space. One of them, known locally as the Maimoona bint Al Harith Mosque, now stands on the Eskan Bank plot.
Ms Al Durazi
“These cabins were only meant to be temporary,” Ms Al Durazi said. “Today, they can no longer cope with the number of worshippers. The population in Block 1020 has grown rapidly, and people are praying outside, on pavements, and in the heat because there simply isn’t enough room.”
She said residents were shocked to learn the land could be reclaimed for a kindergarten, removing the only accessible prayer space in the heart of the community.
“This is not what the residents want,” she said. “I have received signed letters, repeated complaints and emotional appeals from families who depend on this mosque every single day. For them, this is not just a structure – it is part of their daily life and spiritual routine.”
A technical report prepared by the council’s support unit confirmed there were no planning objections to changing the land’s allocation from ‘kindergarten’ to ‘mosque’ under the Sunni Endowments General Directorate.
The report highlighted the plot’s strategic central location in a densely populated residential zone, noting it was ideal for a permanent mosque complete with parking and facilities.
“The location is perfect,” Ms Al Durazi said. “It sits right in the middle of the neighbourhood, within walking distance for elderly residents, children and families. Reallocating it for a mosque is the best and most urgent use of this land at this time.”
She stressed that the proposal was driven purely by community demand and practical need.
“The presence of two temporary prayer cabins is itself evidence of how urgent the situation is,” she said. “Instead of removing them, we should be replacing them with a proper, accredited mosque that can serve this area and surrounding blocks for decades to come.”
Ms Al Durazi thanked fellow councillors for unanimously supporting what she described as ‘a humanitarian and service-driven proposal that strengthens social and religious infrastructure’.
“This decision reflects the council’s commitment to listening to the people,” she added. “We are not talking about future planning on paper – we are responding to a real, daily need experienced by hundreds of residents.”
Councillors said residents have told them they are ready to form a human chain, if necessary, to save the mosque.
But with the council’s backing and the proposal now with the minister, they hope their small cabin mosque will soon give way – not to bulldozers, but to the foundations of a permanent place of worship.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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