Years after protests, Bendigo's mosque project is taking shape thanks to a united community

Once the scene of widescale protests led by far-right elements, a mosque in regional Victoria will soon open its doors, in what some say came after the community ‘stood up’.

The Bendigo mosque executive committee are looking forward to its opening early in 2025 after years of protests and court challenges. Credit: Supplied

Key Points

• The initial stage of the Bendigo mosque is expected to be open to the public in the first quarter of 2025.
• The project has been dogged by far-right protests and court challenges.
• It has also received a groundswell of support from Muslims and non-Muslims alike in the historic town and beyond.

The proposal in 2014 to build a mosque in one of Australia’s most historic towns led to protests, and even a High Court challenge.

After years of waiting, phase one of the project on Rowena Street is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2025, which is welcome news for members of Bendigo's Muslim community who witnessed the opposition firsthand.

Sheikh Atallah Al-Khwaldeh, Imam and Preacher at the Bendigo Islamic Community Centre, told SBS Arabic24 the first phase would include a multipurpose centre, prayer hall, 150-bay car park and a minaret.

"The minaret is 20 metres high and very symbolic and important as it guides worshippers to the mosque," he said.

Bendigo is home to around 500 Muslims from 25 different nationalities.

The proposal was first made public a decade ago with opponents of the plan immediately launching a campaign against it.

Despite receiving more than 400 letters of objection, the City of Greater Bendigo Council approved the plan in late 2014.

Bendigo Islamic Centre management committee (from left to right) Aisha Nilam, Sajjad Mohammad, Samir Sayyed, Sheikh Atallah Al-Khwaldeh and Dr Aymen Chehnah with SBS's Ala'a Al Tamimi (third from left).

At the time, local resident Heri Febrianto, told SBS's The Feed the protests "... had made an impact on me. I did feel a bit isolated, sad, it felt like we didn't belong here".

In 2015, three far-right protesters targeted the proposed mosque by staging a mock beheading outside the Bendigo council offices.

These individuals were found guilty two years later of inciting contempt against Muslims and fined $2,000.

Opponents of Bendigo's proposed mosque make their way to the public gallery prior to a meeting of the city council at the Bendigo Town Hall, in October 2015. Credit: /AAPIMAGE

Meanwhile, in 2015, the Victorian Court of Appeal rejected an appeal to block the development.

Critics of the planned mosque launched the appeal after a failed attempt in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in August of that year.

The justices ruled the grounds of appeal — that VCAT erred in its interpretation of its duties — was not reasonably arguable.

Then in 2016, the High Court threw out a request to hear a further appeal.

Construction began in 2019 with an injection of $400,000 from the Victorian government.

Need for a mosque in Bendigo

When Sajjad Mohamed and his wife Aisha Neelam moved to Bendigo in 2006, there was no mosque.

"I came here as a GP. My kids were little, so there was definitely a need for our kids to learn about our cultural and religious values," Mohamed said.

"The number of Muslims at that time was very small, so there was no huge need for a mosque."

Then Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (fourth, left) and then Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan (first, left), at the official 'sod turning' to signify the start of construction of the mosque in Bendigo in 2019. Credit: Supplied

Mohamed said Bendigo’s Muslim community continued to grow slowly but steadily.

"With the growing number of people, La Trobe University provided us with a small prayer area and a hall for Jumaa [Friday] prayer," he said.

Meanwhile, the community had started discussing a long-term solution, and that’s when they sought the assistance of Dr Ayman Chehnah, a dentist and an active member of Melbourne’s Muslim community.

“Members of Bendigo’s Muslim community approached me, and I said I was happy to help,” Chehnah said.

“They were looking at a small piece of land at the beginning, but a decision was made later to buy a bigger one (2,000 square metres) to accommodate a car park to minimise disturbance to the local community.”

SBS Arabic24 producer Ala'a Al Tamimi (left) with Dr Ayman Chehnah.

According to Chehnah, there was much excitement about the project among Bendigo’s Muslims who believed they had a good relationship with the wider community.

But when media reports about the proposed mosque spread, opposition started mobilising thousands of kilometres away from Bendigo, Chehnah said.

“We did experience some initial opposition when the council approved the site for the mosque,” says Neelam, a physician and local resident.

“But we feel most of that opposition was actually (from) interstate. It wasn’t really coming from Bendigo,” she said.

"The beautiful thing amongst all of that when the protest happened was that the people from (the) Bendigo community stood up.

"We’re not talking about (just) Muslims. We’re talking about the broader Bendigo community.

Anti-racism protesters outside the Magistrate's Court in Melbourne in September 2017. Credit: AAPIMAGE

"That was kind of the impetus for the Muslim community to wake up. If those people are standing with us, why aren’t we doing anything?"

Chehnah recalled an incident when he and other members of the Muslim community were invited into a Bendigo church, but they were barred from entering by a group of protesters.

"The priest and a group of churchgoers (came) out and surround(ed) us (in) the car park to get us into the church," he said.

“This is only one of many incidents where we got support from the Bendigo community. They have been showing so much tolerance.”

Business owner and Bendigo local Margot Spalding said she had decided to stand up to what she described as "a case of extreme bullying".

"I think the far-right extremists from outside Bendigo focused on Bendigo. So, they came (here) in the thousands. That horrified most Bendigo people," Spalding said.

Spalding, a former Telstra Business Woman of the Year, explained how the group Believe in Bendigo was born in her lounge room.

A Believe in Bendigo event in support of the mosque project.

"My husband and I had an influence over the people who worked for us and the people who knew me. So, I invited all of those people to our house to say ‘hang on what can we do?’” she said.

In 2015, Believe in Bendigo's Jayson Tayeh told The Feed: "There is enough faith in our community, people that believe in inclusiveness, people that believe in diversity."

Three stages to the project

Chehnah said there were three stages to the project, which was expected to cost around $2 million.

Rather than being just a mosque, the project now was developing into an Islamic centre with a variety of facilities to serve the Muslim community in the area, he said.

"The project is taking shape. Really our urgency right now is to start using some of the facility in its limited capacity as soon as possible," Sameer Syed, the vice-president of what will be the Bendigo Islamic Community Centre, said.

The second stage will involve establishing a central courtyard, funeral services facility and a library. In the third stage, an indoor sports hall and a stadium will be built.

"In the next few months, we’re really pushing hard to start using the multipurpose building," Syed said.

Chairman of the Great Stupa, Ian Green, said he was "joyful" that the mosque was close to the Buddhist temple.

"It’s been a long time coming. But that doesn’t surprise me because all good things take a lot of time to actually come together to provide the right conditions," Green said.

"I’m very satisfied and very joyful that the mosque is about to open."

Chehnah said both Muslims and non-Muslims had contributed to the fundraising efforts, but more work needed to be done.

"I feel happy when I see the building. Stage one is almost done."