One of the Muslim world's most revered spiritual leaders returned to Keighley this week to lay the foundation stone for the town's new mosque.

Pir Allaudin Siddiqui performed an identical ceremony 30 years ago when the original Jamia Mosque was built in Emily Street.

In the intervening years he has regularly visited Keighley, where his cousin Pir Abdul Ghaffar has been the chief Imam for 30 years.

Pir Siddiqui was joined for the ceremony by Keighley's deputy Imam, Pir Syed Basharat Hussain Shah. Pir Ghaffar is currently in Pakistan.

The new building will be erected on the site of the existing mosque with money donated entirely by local people.

More than £250,000, enough to pay for the first phase, has been raised in recent months, almost £100,000 in a ten day period during Radio Ramadan broadcasts.

Members of Keighley's Asian community gathered with Keighley Muslim Association officials and local VIPs on Wednesday to watch work begin on the ambitious project.

The first phase, which should be complete by November, involves building a two-storey building in the present car park area.

Fundraising will resume at the end of the year to pay for the second and final phase, modernisation of the existing building.

The present prayer facilities, which are used several times a day, will move across to the new building once it is complete.

The new section will also have - for the first time in Keighley - special facilities for women to pray.

When the complex is complete it will link to the next-door Muslim Community Centre, allowing large numbers of people to pray together on important occasions.

The mosque project is being led by Keighley Muslim Association which this year ran Radio Ramadan.

Spokesman Javed Bashir says the original building was one of the first purpose-built mosques in the UK.

He says: "It met the needs at the time. There were only a few Asian families in Keighley. They were mostly men, immigrant workers.

"There is now a need for expansion. The community has grown dramatically - people have grown up and had families.

Mr Bashir points out that Bradford has been building its mosque for the past 20 years but Keighley will finish its project within two years.

He adds: "The community is motivated, Keighley people are raising the money. This will be a showpiece mosque that people will feel proud of.

"The amount of money raised shows the solidarity of the Muslim community in Keighley. This is an historical day for Keighley."

Mr Bashir says that being able to build a mosque is one of the most important achievements for followers of Islam.

He says Muslims believe they are building themselves a place in paradise. "It's a great symbol for such a small community," he adds.

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