RTL visited the Nordstad Islamic Cultural Centre in Diekirch on the eve of Ramadan.
During the Muslim call to prayer, the Adhan, the muezzin begins to recite his message.
"Allah is the Greatest, there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer."
The call to prayer is traditionally recited through a minaret. However, in Diekirch the call is recited in the Mosque itself.
At first glance, the building with the white facade and the four towers in Bamerdall does not look like a place of worship. The centre is operated by a non-profit organisation (ASBL) established in 2008, which has consistently grown since then, as explained by President Admir Ceranic.
"Today we can proudly say that we have 250 active members in our ASBL. However, other people, not necessarily active members of our ASBL, also have access to the Centre, who can use our space and participate in activities put forward by our organisation."
Fasting is growing in popularity
At the beginning, the ASBL was provided with facilities by the Municipality of Diekirch.
However, a few years ago the ASBL decided to build their own building. On the ground floor, there is a sort of café where people can buy food and drinks. On the 3rd floor, religious classes for children are offered.
Additionally, there are two apartments for rent. The heart of the mosque is the prayer room for men on the 1st floor and for women on the 2nd floor. The two genders are separated, but the space is partially open so that women can hear the Imam, the person who leads the prayers. A camera and television also allow observing Muslims to pray on the 2nd floor and in the "classroom" on the 3rd floor.
Adjacent to the prayer room, there are showers for ritual cleansing before prayer. While prayers are made in Arabic, Imam Irfan Hasanovic conducts his sermons in Bosnian.
Ceranic also notes that fasting is becoming increasingly popular.
"On our end, we can clearly see that there is a growing number of people showing an interest in fasting. The main reason is of course religion but, there's a growing number of people that are interested in fasting for health reasons."
Social aspect is extremely important
Ramadan also has a huge social aspect. Muslims don't just pray together, but in the evenings they also often open their fasts together. Those that are less well off receive extra care, as during Ramadan, one of the main duties for Muslims is to help those in need, which is referred to as Zakat.
The fast does not just prohibit eating and drinking. It also prohibits observing Muslims from smoking and intercourse.
Deepening inter-religious cooperation
Older people, small children, pregnant women, individuals suffering from illness and people engaging in heavy, physically intensive labour are exempt from fasting. They are able to redo their fasts or complete them in alternative way.
The Nordstad Islamic Cultural Centre ASBL belongs to the umbrella organisation Schoura. The Shoura is responsible for relations between religious communities. However, Shoura also fosters relations between religious communities and local organisations.
This is how students from a Catholic boarding school organised an exchange with the Mosque in Diekirch. According to the organisers, they would like to continue these kinds of visits in the future.
