About

The Brick Veil Mosque has supporters right across the local community. We’d love to give you the opportunity to learn about them.

Sumaiya and Omar Moreea

We moved into this area three years ago and have been made to feel very welcomed by all. Working as a secondary school teacher and Technical Advisor in the NHS, it is an ideal location for us. The Brick Veil Mosque when built will be in walking distance of our house which will make such a difference to us. Currently, we have to drive around five miles to our nearest mosque. For us, it’s not just a place of worship but feel it is essential for a sense of spiritual belonging.

We believe that having Brick Veil Mosque in Broughton will play a vital role within the community, acting as a hub for outreach work; charity programmes; and community activities, all of which we take part in with other mosques.

Jameel Murtza

I’m a retired police superintendent and during my time with Lancashire Police I got to know Broughton well – it’s a great community. As a Muslim, being able to pray at a mosque is a very important part of feeling at home. When the Brick Veil Mosque is built, my family and I will be able to walk there to pray instead of driving to a different part of Preston.

As a police officer, I saw many times how mosques can help a community by providing education, supporting charities like foodbanks, and providing somewhere people can gather in friendship.

Many of the people who will worship at the mosque make important contributions to the local community: they include solicitors, doctors, and people working for the emergency services.

I was a police officer for more than 30 years, and I’ve always been struck by how diversity makes us stronger.  I believe the Brick Veil Mosque will be a very significant benefit to the community and help us celebrate those strengths together.

Ahsanul Haq

I work for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as a consultant urologist – I’m one of a large group of medical staff who live and work in the area and will worship at the Brick Veil Mosque.

I came home to the North West 18 years ago, and since then I have treated thousands of people at local hospitals. One of the main reasons I wanted to move back here was to help my children get a good Islamic education. As things stand, we have to drive up to half an hour to get to the nearest mosque, and I remember when my children were little, they sometimes had to get changed in the car on the way!

The Brick Veil Mosque site is within walking distance of our home, and it will provide a much-needed place of worship for local Muslims who have made a big, positive contribution to this area over many years.

But it’s not just for the Muslim community: this mosque will be a meeting place for people of all faiths. The project is all about inclusivity and making everyone feel welcome and at home in this part of Preston. It will also be a stunning building, and something the whole city can be proud of.

Ammar Mastan – Queen’s Scout

A lot of people struggle if there isn’t a mosque in their neighbourhood, it’s such a vital meeting place. So many good things happen for the whole community because of like-minded people coming together.

Going to the mosque when I was younger gave me a real sense of purpose and direction which has helped me get a good career and led me into a lot of rewarding voluntary work.

It was through attending a different mosque in Preston that I and a group of friends got together and started up a food bank for people who were struggling financially during the pandemic. We worked with a church group and delivered around 1,500 parcels to more than 100 families.

That volunteering work contributed to me getting a Scouts of the World Award which is one of the top awards the Scouting movement can give you. I’m sure the Brick Veil Mosque will help a lot of young people in the area find worthwhile and rewarding things to do, and I’m convinced it will be a very positive development for the whole community.