The Suffolk Islamic Cultural Association (SICA) in Bury St Edmunds have plans to transform a former pub into a mosque

AN ISLAMIC group is hoping to convert a former pub into a mosque to meet the need for its own place of worship.

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With no mosques in the town, the Bury group of the Suffolk Islamic Cultural Association (SICA) hires a room each Friday at the Centre in St John’s Street, Bury St Edmunds.

But the group has now launched a petition to gather support from the community to turn the former Falcon Pub in Risbygate Street into a mosque.

Pub giant Greene King recently closed the pub, despite a campaign to save it, citing poor trading conditions and competition from nearby licensed premises.

The firm successful applied for planning permission for it to be turned into three homes and it is now on the market at a guide price of £325,000.

SICA wants to purchase the former pub - which had served the community for more than 130 years - and will be submitting a planning application soon.

President Syed Nurul Haque said there was a great need for a mosque in the town, adding that about 60 to 70 people on average came to worship at the Centre.

His son, Umor Haque, said there was no mosque within a 10-mile radius.

He said: “People praying as a Muslim in this town have had to do so in a whole mixture of makeshift places.

“The Suffolk Islamic Cultural Association feels it’s now time to have a mosque because it’s been many, many years coming to be honest.”

He said over the 14 or so years the group had been going members had worshipped in collection of places, including restaurants.

“I think due to the fact we are in the year 2012 and lots of places already have mosques and for a town like Bury - it’s a very big town and its quite known across the country - I think it would make sense to have a mosque.”

As well as allowing the Muslim community to be together more and worship more frequently in a better-suited location, Umor said another advantage of having their own mosque was increasing people’s awareness of their faith.

If their plans for a mosque are successful they are hoping to have a conference to bring together people from all faiths each month.

Cynthia Capey, an inter-faith consultant who is involved with the Suffolk Inter-faith Resource (SIFRE) and the East of England Faiths Agency (EEFA), said it was “very important” for a group to have its own place of worship.

“For Muslim communities a mosque is the centre of their lives, it’s not just the place they go for prayer. It becomes a community centre as well.”

Ward councillor Paul Farmer said: “This is certainly an interesting change of use which I hadn’t expected. I look forward to finding out its details when the application has been registered, and hearing the views of local people.”

To support the proposal contact Syed on 07595 827323.