Mosque opens to public: 'I wish it was made of glass'
IMAM Abdul Kadir said he would be happy if the Garden City Mosque was made of glass and had no fence so Toowoomba residents could see inside.
He made the comments at an open day which coincided with a nation-wide movement in Australian mosques.
Imam Kadir said he wanted the wider Toowoomba community to meet with Muslims and find out who they were.
He said Muslims were reaching out to schools and religious groups in a bid to counter negative perceptions about Islam.
Dozens of residents, community leaders and police attended the open day to eat lunch and speak with the city's Muslims.
Imam Kadir held a question-and-answer session to explain how the mosque functioned.
"What we do in the mosque is very similar to what is done in churches," he said.
Imam Kadir said funerals, marriages and religious celebrations took place at the mosque.
"Education is also important and Arabic education takes place for the little ones," he said.
"Please, whenever the sun is setting, Muslims will be here (at the mosque) so come here, have a cup of tea and a chat."
One question raised on the day regarded how often moderate Muslims disavowed the actions of terrorist organisations.
Mahmoud el Bably, who recently arrived in the city to work as an anaesthetist, said he represented his faith by living peacefully and as a good citizen.
