Over the past few weeks some Saudis have been involved in a heated debate about the fate of an Australian mosque after its Arab immigrant owner offered it for sale. Fearing the building might be bought and converted into a temple or synagogue, the Saudis launched a campaign to raise money to save the mosque.
The truth is that the Kingdom and its people have always been in the forefront when it comes to helping fellow Muslims. Thanks to Saudi contributions, thousands of mosques have been built and land has been bought for the construction of mosques in a number of countries. The presence of Saudi students in the West also led to the establishment of hundreds of Islamic student associations and charity activities which fostered strong relations among Muslim communities in those countries.
Judging, however, from the controversy surrounding the Australian mosque and the way the media has handled the case, I can sense something unusual that obliges us all to be cautious and diligent.
The building, it seems, was originally a church and was later bought by the Arab immigrant for some $600,000 and converted into a mosque. Several years later, the owner decided to put it up for sale for some $2 million. The owner would make a fantastic profit if we Saudis continued to make our contributions without knowing the owner’s real intentions and plans.
I think the whole process is no more than a profit generating scheme with the Arab immigrant intelligently and successfully manipulating circumstances. In offering the mosque for sale, the owner has found an easy way to make money.
Focusing on Saudi Arabia and its generous people, he was eager to get even more than the $2 million originally asked. We rushed to collect money without having a clear idea about who or what Muslim sect or group would benefit from the mosque. We failed to consult people we can trust within the Australian Muslim community and ignored the calls by the mufti of that community — who kept warning against this kind of profiteering and even exposed what was going on in letters to several Saudi religious authorities.
I think in acting the way we did, we might open a door through which many seeking easy and quick money would enter. This Arab-Australian immigrant will not be the last; many others will follow in his footsteps, turning their property into mosques and then offering them for sale to make big profits. The money of course would come from Saudi donations.
We should of course continue building mosques and buying land where mosques can be built. We must at the same time ensure that our money is being spent in the right place for the right purpose. The millions that may end up in the bank account of the Australian Muslim could build three mosques in the same city. Let us put an end to our irresponsible behavior and involvement with those whose main aim is making excessive profit.
