Adeel Malik
It’s been announced that the Sultan Mosque will be the first mosque in Singapore to provide shelter for the homeless regardless of their race or religion.
Homeless folks of all faiths are welcome to stay at the clean and spacious 200-year-old mosque from 10:00pm at night till 7:00am the next morning, according to BERITAmediacorp.
The space is fitted with a fan and five new sets of single-sized mattresses with comfy pillows for the homeless to rest. Free bottled water will also be available for the needy at the corner of the room.
All the homeless have to do is find a security guard from the mosque and register before using the space.
To those who are concerned about how this might affect mosque-goers, don’t worry! The space isn’t located in the main building or any of the mosque’s prayer halls.
You can’t even enter the allocated space for the homeless through the main doors of the mosque as the room can only be accessed via the side entrance as to ensure that daily prayers proceed safely and uninterrupted. The room can be found in the multi-purpose space at the basement of the Annex Building instead.
And to those who are worried about how this might affect the mosque’s safety, you don’t need to fret. Security guards will lock the room while the homeless rest inside to minimise the risk of these poor souls becoming victims to crimes as well.
For the time being, the space only caters to homeless men and each person can only stay in the space for a few nights due to the limited space.
However, following their stay, the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) will put them in contact with government agencies or other social services that can help them find shelter elsewhere.
In an interview with the publication, social development officer of Sultan Mosque, Muhammad Aizuddin said,
“The issue of homelessness in Singapore is rising. Masjid Sultan feels responsible to prepare a sleeping space that is safe and comfortable for them while they wait or look for a permanent place for them to stay.”
The well-established mosque joins four churches, a temple and charity in providing a place for the homeless.
Source: World of Buzz
