This year the Islamic Centre in Malta is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary since its foundation stone was set up at Korradino hill in Paola. Two years later its Minaret or steeple synonymous to a mosque and from where the Imam calls the faithful to prayer, was ready and carved its place in Malta's skyline.
Up to that time, Moslems in Malta, had no adequate place where they could meet to practice their religion. These Moslems were mainly members of the diplomatic missions and their families, sailors on ships arriving here for repairs and maintenance at the Malta Dockyard and Pakistanis working with Air Malta. Other Pakistani came as doctors together with Arab ones during the strike by Maltese doctors. But then when in the early seventies Malta started to open up relations with the Arab World this representation of Islam orientated persons increased as Arab personnel started to come to Malta as Company representatives and shareholders in joint-venture schemes between Malta and the Arab countries, as Professors at the University, pilots, engineers, technicians and doctors . With these there was also an influx of Arabic students. Other Arab personnel just came as tourists.
Of particular prominence of this new inclination of Malta's foreign policy was aimed at the Arab country of Libya. Malta had acquired its Independence from Britain in 1964 and its neighbour Libya had liberated itself from foreign interference in 1969 and Malta then under a Nationalist Government led by Dr Gorg Borg Olivier , was the first country to recognize the new state of the Libya. Two years later the Malta Labour Party led by Mr. Dom Mintoff came into power. It immediately increased the relations between the two countries which resulted in an increase of Libyan Moslem personnel coming to Malta as Company representatives, sailors on military craft coming here for repairs, technicians etc. A good number of Libyan teachers came to teach Arabic in Maltese schools, when this was made a compulsory subject. And a great number of Libyan youth came as students to study at Institutes set up in Malta by Libya. At one time these students amounted to 900 and not to mention their teachers and staff at these institutes.
All this influx of Moslem orientated personnel living in Malta opted for the need of a place of their own where they could practice their religion. At those times, the Islamic community used to meet at the Turkish Cemetery at Marsa for their religious practices. These were led by a certain Mr Subhi Billu who started to act as an Imam, the person who leads the community in prayers. But this place was not adequate as an actual place of worship and soon became too small to cater for the increasing numbers of adherents to the Moslem religion in Malta. This community then decided to contact the new World Islamic Call Society which had just been set up in Libya with the aim of helping Moslem Communities in their needs and asked its help for the building of a mosque in Malta.
Their application was accepted and representatives of this Society came to Malta to check out a proper site. The place chosen was the hill of Korradino in Paola in the place known as Ta' Kordin. An application was lodged with the proper Maltese Authorities on April 11, 1975 and was accepted five days later on April 16, 1975. Three years later Colonel Mu'Ammar Gaddafi then leader of the Libyan Arab Republic came to Malta to lay the foundation stone.
The first part of the Mosque to be finished was the Minaret in 1980. The first celebration to be held on the premises though still incomplete was the commemoration of the Birth of Prophet Mohammed a year later. As work progress the Islamic Centre began to take shape. After the Minaret, the actual Mosque was finished and then the ancillary buildings housing the needed amenities and offices as well as a hall, a library, a small cemetery, a large parking space, a children playground and a school for Moslem children. Maria Abatool School today is a well equipped primary and secondary school. Meanwhile a proper Imam was chosen to lead the Islamic faithful in their prayers and other exercises of their religion Mr Mohammed El Saadi. And Mr. Saadi is still the Imam to this present day. It is apt to mention that Mr. El Saadi was behind the setting up of Maria Abatool School as well as other projects at the Islamic Centre
When applying for permit for building of this Islamic Centre in Malta, the World Islamic Call Society had stated that this project had the aim of enabling Moslems in Malta to have their own place where they could meet together to discuss and learn more about their religion and to have their own place for worship and also to have also a place where they can meet to spend their free time together. But the Society stated that this Islamic complex was also meant to serve and strengthen amicable relations between Malta and the Arabic/Islamic worlds as well as to create an atmosphere of cooperation, understanding and mutual respect.
Now that forty years have passed since the laying of the foundation stone, one can easily say that the Islamic Centre at Korradino hill in Paola has achieved all the aims mentioned in the application of the World Islamic Call Society. Not only has it become a focal point for the Moslem community who besides converging there for the daily and the main Friday prayers also make use of services offered but this Centre has become also a source of information for all those who are interested in learning more about the Islamic faith and Islamic culture. The Islamic Centre has made an impact on the Maltese scene also with regards to projects which through the local branch of the World Islamic Call Society have been projected for the social and beneficial nature for Maltese Society.
But besides all this and above it, the Islamic Centre at Korradino has also succeeded to establish amicable relations with the Catholic Church authorities in Malta, based on mutual respect and understanding. These relations of friendship and tolerance have developed in reciprocal visits and participation in joint celebrations of religious commemorations. Theses staunch relationships have also led to the holding of ecumenical meetings between the Islamic Community and Christianity in Malta. One such meeting was the Seminar held at the Malta University in 1980. The final Communique issued at the end of that Seminar had declared that, "the two sides believed in the continuation of dialogue and promised to take the necessary steps to achieve its continuation".The Malta Branch of the World Islamic Call Society, through the Islamic Centre at Ta' Kordin, is offering a venue where this dialogue can continue and also with the wish to continue to augment the good relations already existing between the State and the Church Authorities in Malta.