urbanSTL

Anyone see a rendering yet? Minarets come in all different styles. (Probably from local influence ). The mud mosques in Mali are the coolest. I wonder if they will actually do the call to prayer 5 times a day. If so, it probably won’t be nearly as loud as it is in Islamic countries.

This is cool, but I don't think it is going to have any kind of impact on the skyline except in a very local sense. This is essentially the same as if a church were to build a modest new steeple. I like the diversity it adds to our architectural menagerie though.

Shimmy wrote:That's cool, but I have to admitt that I'm all confused.



So apparently, the Bosnian population here is a muslim population and not a serb population(who committed genocide against the muslims). If so, I find that strange considering we played a Bosnian team in a basketball youth church league that I played for a few years back.

I'm confused, too.



Why wouldn't Bosnian Muslim St. Louisans play in a youth church league? My daughter's CYC team plays Baptist and Lutheran schools sometimes - not to mention the fact that neither my daughter nor her parents are religious whatsoever. They don't check your soul when you sign up for a team.



FYI, the Bosnian population here is indeed largely Muslim - or Bosniak, as Bosnian Muslims are known. My wife was once shooed out of the Bosnian barbershop where I used to get my hair cut because it was during Ramadan, and unrelated men and women aren't supposed to be in the same room together.



Up until now, St. Louis Bosniaks have tended to keep their religion on the down-low, for somewhat obvious reasons (after all, they're refugees from an ethnic/religious war, now living in a mostly Christian society). Glad to hear they're coming out a bit with this minaret.

TheWayoftheArch wrote:jlblues- Thats Montenegrin

Thanks!

jasontoon wrote:

Shimmy wrote:That's cool, but I have to admitt that I'm all confused.



So apparently, the Bosnian population here is a muslim population and not a serb population(who committed genocide against the muslims). If so, I find that strange considering we played a Bosnian team in a basketball youth church league that I played for a few years back.

I'm confused, too.



Why wouldn't Bosnian Muslim St. Louisans play in a youth church league? My daughter's CYC team plays Baptist and Lutheran schools sometimes - not to mention the fact that neither my daughter nor her parents are religious whatsoever. They don't check your soul when you sign up for a team.

True, I do remember a Jewish team in the league also. But, I just didn't know the relgious demographic of the Bosnians. I just found it kinda odd that they were playing for a church team, not they were playing in a church league. Though I remember their coach saying that the purpose of the team was to keep the kids off the streets. But they were still a rough crowd, averaged three technicals a game(and no, I'm not reflecting on the ENTIRE Bosnian population, just those kids). I should have specified, but its no big deal, my bad.

is this over by the burlington coat factory on kingshighway?

^ That's it. Go east on Lansdowne Avenue from South Kingshighway and you can't miss it!

I guess they missed the August start. Is this still going forward?



Edit: I drove by today and saw that the tower is well under way.

I'm glad to see something different being built.



Any pictures?

Is it just me or does it seem like its in an odd location sitting in the middle of a giant parking lot? Maybe some serious landscaping is in the future here?

It's next to the Bosnian community center. Odd location, but there is a reason.

Yeah, I understand the reason... I see the Islamic Community Center there, but still...

Some crappy cell phone pics:











-RBB

Wouldn't it have made more sense to put this money into building a mosque/community center that doesn't look like a strip mall/bowling alley? I'm just sayin'...

It was an existing building... empty at that.



Maybe they will renovate it to change the facade.

The tower looks nice. I can't wait to see it finished.



And I'm glad they they used an older building instead of demolishing it and having an empty lot for what seems like forever while they go over blueprints, materials, and finally construction.



Some renovation would be nice, though.

I think the construction of the minaret is a good indication that the Bosnians are committed to the Bevo area. For a while there, it sounded like they were all moving out to South County.

Doug wrote:

Arch City wrote:I am willing to bet they were inspired by all of the beautiful churches around St. Louis. They want to make their mark.

How about they are inspired by their own ethnic and cultural tradition of excellent Islamic architecture?



Why would they be inspired by us? They have their own heritage.

Better question; Why would you get so offended and defensive about something so minute?

Maybe they were inspired to leave their mark like Catholics have done.

Actually Muslims did copy off of Catholics, just less than 1,500 years ago.



The prayer tower is a cross between a Catholic bell-tower and the use of the Jewish shofar (prayer is sang over speakers). So, it's history not ethnocentrism.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/s ... enDocument

Mosque threatened, Muslim group says

By Tim Townsend

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

02/20/2008



ST. LOUIS — A national Muslim civil rights organization has asked the FBI to investigate what it considers threats made on the Internet against a Bosnian mosque in St. Louis.



One blog post cited by the group made reference to vandalism and another to the use of dynamite

...

On the "Gateway Pundit," a blogger who identified herself as Kathi, wrote: "It is really hard on us white, non-muslims to have to live with these folks taking over our neighborhood and community. Our government helping these people relocate into America's heartland is like inviting the enemy into your camp. It's totally disgusting."



On "Little Green Footballs," blogger Amer1can wrote, "Would be a shame if it were to be vandalized or destroyed. Just a shame I tell you....wink wink STL youth."

-RBB

^

Stay classy, St. Louis.