Lakemba Mosque, is one of the largest mosque

Mosque

A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is located in the suburb of Lakemba

Lakemba, New South Wales

Lakemba is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lakemba is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury....

, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 and is used mostly by Lebanese Australian

Lebanese Australian

A Lebanese Australian is an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Lebanese descent. The community is multi-religious, and includes a Christian, mostly Maronite Catholic, majority, as well as a large Muslim minority of both the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam, and various other Christian and...

s. The construction of the mosque was completed in 1977. It is owned and managed by the Lebanese Moslems Association

Lebanese Moslems Association

The Lebanese Moslems Association is an Australian non-profit welfare organisation based in Lakemba, a south-western suburb of Sydney. It is also variously cited as the Lebanese "Moslem", "Muslim" or "Muslims" Association....

.

Mosque personnel

Leading people at the Mosque include:

• The former Mufti
  Mufti
  A mufti is a Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . In religious administrative terms, a mufti is roughly equivalent to a deacon to a Sunni population...
  
   of Australia & New Zealand, Taj El-Din Hilaly
  Taj El-Din Hilaly
  Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly , is an Imam of the Lakemba Mosque in Sydney and an Australian Sunni Muslim leader. The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils appointed him Mufti of Australia in 1988. His name is alternatively spelt Tajeddin Hilaly, Hilali, Al-Hilaly, Taj el-Din al-Hilali, Aldin...
  
  , frequently in the Australian news regarding controversial statements, has been based at Lakemba Mosque since his arrival in Australia.
• The Imam of Lakemba Mosque is Sheikh Yahya Safi, the "Australian Representative of Dar ul Fatwa of Lebanon". Born in Tripoli
  Tripoli, Lebanon
  Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...
  
  , Lebanon
  Lebanon
  Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
  
   in 1970, he was awarded a degree in Islamic Jurisprudence (Islamic Sharia'h Law) in 1992. He worked as an Imam in Tripoli, before arriving in Australia, to be the Imam of Lakemba Mosque in 1996. Awarded a "Masters degree in the interpretation and studies of the Qu'ran in 2002," Sheikh Yahya is preparing for a PhD in Islamic studies. He has gained Certificate IV in English for Academic Purposes.
• Sheikh Bassam Alameddine is Assistant Sheikh.
• Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman is Youth Representative. Born in Sydney he completed his School Certificate before undertaking Islamic studies in Pakistan and Syria. He also teaches at Sydney Islamic College.
• Faisal Kassir is the Mosque's Education Department leader, organising classes in the Arabic language.

Cronulla riots fallout

In December 2005, following the Cronulla race-riots

2005 Cronulla riots

The 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of sectarian clashes and mob violence originating in Cronulla, New South Wales and spreading, over the next few nights, to additional Sydney suburbs....

 and subsequent rumours that the mosque would be attacked, a mostly Middle-Eastern group assembled at the premises with the aim of protecting them, amidst a heavy police presence. After calls for calm by Muslim leaders present at the mosque, the crowd dispersed. It was reported that some Muslim men gathered at the mosque were preparing to travel to Maroubra Beach to fight with the "Bra Boys

Bra Boys

The Bra Boys is an Australian surf gang founded and based in Maroubra, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. Dating back to the 1990s, the gang has gained notoriety through violent clashes with members of the public and police...

". http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/armed-gangs-on-rampage/2005/12/12/1134236005902.html http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/riots-fire-debate-on-racism/2005/12/12/1134236003072.html