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Muslims planning for dawn prayers
A muslim group has promised there will be little or no disruption to neighbours if plans to open their centre for morning prayer are approved.
Kettering Muslim Association was granted planning permission to convert a house into a community centre in Headlands last year.
Now the group has applied for a change to one of the conditions, to allow them to open for Fajr – morning prayer, which must be recited from dawn until sunrise.
The group has submitted a list of sunrise times to Kettering Council, with the earliest time for sunrise on June 20 at 4.39am.
The Fajr prayer is the first of five daily prayers recited but Kettering Muslim Association says in reality only about six people will use the centre for morning prayer.
Currently the centre closes between midnight and 9.30am.
Chairman Imran Shuja said: "All we require is 30 minutes maximum for people to come in for prayer – it would be for a very short period of time.
"It's extremely important for the Muslim community to complete their morning prayer where they will not be disturbed and so are complying with their human rights.
"It is for the entire community but there are only a small number of people who come, although that may rise during the fasting month.
"We are very sensitive to the needs of the community and will work with individuals to take their views into consideration. There will be little or no disruption."
Mr Shuja said there would be no call to prayer, adding: "We are very strict with the compliance of the conditions of the planning application."
There were more than 70 objections from Headlands residents when the association first applied to convert the former care home into a community centre, with an extension for up to 100 people.
Davina Parkhouse, of The Close, said: "There hasn't been any trouble since the association have been there. The only time there has been any traffic was during Ramadan. They have been really good neighbours.
"But I can't say I'm surprised by this application. It's so quiet down here that anything wakes us up, especially if there is a lot of people."
Planning officers will now consider the application.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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