Sir, - In recent media reports, there was some confusion regarding the official representative body for Muslims in Ireland. I shall be grateful for the opportunity to inform your readers that the Islamic Foundation of Ireland (IFI) at 163 South Circular Road, Dublin 8 is the only membership-based body established to represent our community.
The executive and trustees are democratically elected. The IFI is registered with the Friendly Societies as a specially authorised society for Muslims in Ireland. It has been serving the religious, social and educational interests of the Muslim community in Ireland since its inception in 1959.
The president and leader of the organisation is Imam Yahya Al-Hussein who is democratically elected. He is also patron of the two Muslim schools in Dublin (one at Clonskeagh and the other, which opened only on September 17th, on Navan Road). We are grateful to our brothers at the Al-Maktoum Foundation for hosting the recent visit of the Taoiseach.
We would like to express our appreciation to the Taoiseach for his kind and sensitive remarks which are so encouraging to our community at this difficult time. - Yours, etc.,
S. Ahmed, Chairman, Public Relations Sub-committee,
Majlis Ash-Shura, (Executive Committee), Islamic Foundation of Ireland, Dublin 8.