OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A groundbreaking ceremony was held this week for a planned mosque that will become part of Omaha interfaith campus, including Christians, Jews and Muslims.
More than a dozen local Muslim children grabbed shovels and dug into the ground Thursday to mark the forthcoming construction of the mosque, expected to open in late 2016 or early 2017, the Omaha World-Herald (https://bit.ly/1IOW51k ) reported.
“This project captures the best of America,” said Dalia Mogahed, who spoke at the ceremony and praised efforts to have the three faiths represented at the 35-acre site. She’s the former executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. “Appropriately it is in the heart of the country, Omaha.”
Plans for a Christian presence took shape last month when members of Countryside Community Church voted to relocate there. The church’s pastor said they already have more than $16 million in financial commitments toward construction, which is at least a year away.
The first piece of the interfaith campus came when Temple Israel moved into its new synagogue there in 2013.
The mosque will serve as an institute for Muslim prayer, learning and fellowship, and nearly all funding has been raised to build it. The mosque project was estimated to be around $6.2 million to $6.5 million.
A fourth building planned for the site will serve as a shared center and provide, social, educational and conference space.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com
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