Preston Mosque

The Preston Mosque is a mosque in Preston, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It was the seat of the late Muslim cleric, Sheik Fehmi Naji El-Imam, who was appointed as Grand Mufti of Australia from 2007 to 2011.The formal name for the Preston Mosque is "Umar bin Al-Khattab Mosque" and the mosque is run by the (co-located) Islamic Society of Victoria Inc (ISV).HistoryBefore the mosque was built, Muslims would gather at a house that used to be on the property. In 1975 the building began and was completed the following year in 1976. The dome and minaret were added later. Most of it was funded by Bosnian Muslims and Arabs.BackgroundAbout 800 people pass through the mosque per day over the course of the five daily prayers. For the Friday Congregational Prayer, at least 1000 worshipers will attend, and if the Friday falls on a public holiday that number can easily climb to 1500 worshipers.Memorandum of UnderstandingIn 2009, the Darebin City Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Islamic Society of Victoria (ISV). This was the first of its kind in Australia between a mosque and council, and has resulted in a strong and robust relationship between Council and mosque. The focus of the memorandum is that the council and mosque will work together on projects that have benefit to the community. The City of Darebin is home to people from 148 different countries, who speak 105 different languages.Mosque personnelAfter Sheikh Fehmi Naji El Imam died on 24 September 2016, the Sheikh for the Preston Mosque was Mohamad Mahmoud Abou Eid, until his suspension. The Executive committee is chaired by Ahmad Allouche.