By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
BEHIND the towering battlements of a former theme park castle, a growing Muslim community is building a home.
For the past two years, members of the south-east based Victorian chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Australia have been stripping away years of vandalism at the former Leisureland theme park site in Langwarrin to create a mosque and community centre.
For this reason, a tall security fence protects the castle on top of a steep hill.
The association’s resolute volunteers have cleaned and repaired the site littered with scrap and syringes, and smashed windows.
Inside the copious renovated building there’s space for hundreds of people to use the dining area, concert stage, a prayer area and offices.
The final stages of renovation were being completed in readiness for this week’s visit by the religion’s international leader His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.
The association’s state chapter is rightfully proud of its first permanent home – a quest since it formally started in 1997.
Before, the association had been renting halls in Hallam and Endeavour Hills.
In 2004, a proposed site in Clyde was knocked back by the Victorian and Civil Administrative Tribunal due to an inherent flood risk.
The association has since tried to win over its sceptical neighbours, putting up an open-door policy to all-comers.
“There’s still some misconception about our name and religion and we try to talk to them,” state president Javed Chowdhary said.
“We’re nice neighbours and in the past six years we have had great relations.
“We don’t hold a function without inviting our neighbours.”
Likewise the association has had to endure slights from the wider community, as well as the Muslim community – which has been loath to recognise Ahmadiyya as a valid religion.
The religion was founded in Qadian, India, in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to be the promised messiah for the Muslim faith.
Other Muslim sects have not accepted these claims.
Mr Chowdhary said new prophets such as Ahmad surface as impurities arise in older religions.
In Ahmad’s case, the intent was to reinforce Islam as a peaceful religion.
He said some Islamic extremists had strayed from the course of moderation and generated negative headlines for the broader faith.
“Tolerance, peace brotherhood and accepting and respecting other religions is what is lacking at the moment.
“All faiths are true.”
The philosophy is embodied in the association’s motto: “Love for all, hatred for none”.
Mr Chowdhary extends that to not commenting on anti-Islam groups.
“Trying to change other people is not our job.”
