Minister of State, HRH Prince Abdulaziz, on Friday, 31st July, officially opened Edinburgh’s new Mosque and Islamic Center. A three-day cultural symposium followed the opening.

Prince Abdulaziz, accompanied by the Saudi Ministers for Islamic Affairs and Justice and Ambassador Al-Gosaibi was welcomed by the Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP, Secretary of State for Scotland; Henry McLeich MP, Scottish Home Affairs Minister and Eric Milligan, Lord Provost of Edinburgh.

The Mosque and Islamic Center, built at a cost of 3.5 million pounds will provide prayer facilities for up to 1,200 people. This development in Edinburgh is an integral part of King Fahd’s policy to support Muslims all over the world. Prince Abdulaziz has a personal interest in the initiative having recently performed the inauguration ceremonies of Mosques and Islamic Centers in Paris and Los Angeles. The Edinburgh Mosque and Islamic Center has been named after King Fahd and is now a focal point for 10,000 Muslim families living in Scotland.

The Prince said: "The mosque that was the dream of this community has at last been achieved with the help of King Fahd who presented it as a gift. Despite all his responsibilities, he was very interested to see the project reach its conclusion. The King wanted to help the Muslims worship and have their own center. Islam is not a religion of aggression and violence, but is a religion of peace, love and tolerance."

Dr Abdullah Al-Turki, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, thanked King Fahd for his support. He pointed out that a principle policy of the Kingdom since its inception had been its commitment to Islamic unity and to the service of Muslims wherever they might be.

The Islamic Affairs minister noted that the project in Edinburgh was more than 20 years old and that there had been difficulties in the establishment of the mosque and center until the intervention of Custodian of The Two Holy Mosque, King Fahd.

Justice Minister, Dr Abdullah Al-Ashaikh told the large gathering that: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers all its resources and has recruited tens of thousands in the service of Islam and the Muslims."

A banner outside the building proclaimed that: "This Mosque is a bridge to strengthen the ties between the Muslim communities and the other communities in Scotland." This theme was taken up enthusiastically by the Scottish as well as Saudi dignitaries who were present.

Henry McLeish followed the Lord Provost in welcoming the development: "We are strongly committed to the concepts of community and the inclusion of the rich variety of faith groups who contribute so much to life in Scotland. One of the best ways for people to feel included in society is for them to develop a strong sense of their own identity."

Scots MP, Alex Salmond, said later that: "This fabulous building was made possible by the support of the Saudi government and Royal Family and by the hard work of the Muslim community in Scotland’s capital. We should all be proud to have such a fine building and place of worship. The Islamic community in Scotland is one of our most enterprising. The diversity of our country is one of our great strengths - long may it continue so that all Scots can celebrate the successes of every part of our community."

Mohammed Rizvi, secretary of the Mosque trustees described the opening as a dream come true. "It is hard to put into words what I feel, but there is obviously great pride and joy. The Mosque is open to everyone, not only the Muslims. All are welcome to enjoy a tour of the building. We are not trying to make people convert to Islam but to promote understanding of each other’s religion."

Dr Geoffrey King from London University noted that the architect, Dr Basil Bayati had combined classic mosque design with distinctively Scottish elements. Professor Yasir Suleiman, director of Islamic and Eastern Studies at Edinburgh said: "We would all like to express our delight and gratitude to King Fahd for this generous gift and gesture of confidence."