Muslims upset over locked gate

A DISPUTE over a parcel of land resulted in Muslims of the Victoria Village Masjid in San Fernando, being locked out last week by State-owned Petrotrin from a plot of land they have used as a car park. The lockout has dampened the spirit of the mosque’s members who, currently are engaged in observing fast during the holy month of Ramadan. They have been forced to park their cars on the road. The plot has, for the past 15 years, been used sometimes as a walkway to the Victoria Village Masjid. It is located around a steep bend in the San Fernando East constituency of Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

Muslims hold nightly prayer sessions throughout the Ramadan month and according to Nizam Shah, president of the Victoria Village Mosque Board, parking at mosques during “these nights “is real tight.” Shah said that they have been using the plot for the past 15 years for their members to park their cars. “We were given verbal permission by Petrotrin to use the plot,” Shah said. He displayed several written correspondences exchanged between Petrotrin and the mosque board, over purchase of the plot. The plot was paved three years ago by the Ministry of Works upon request from the mosque board members. When contacted a Petrotrin source expressed shock over the incident.