Two Musjids were built in the South End area of Port Elizabeth, Musjidul Abraar (Rudolph Street) in 1894 and Musjidul Aziz (Pier Street) in 1901.
These Musjids stand as testament to the power of the faith of the Muslims of Port Elizabeth. When South End was declared a white area, there was an uproar from the Muslim community because of the threatened destruction of the Musjids. The matter went as far as the United Nations where the Muslim nations stated that a Musjid can never be demolished.
The Musjids survived the Group Areas Act but another controversy erupted over Pier Street Musjid when the PE Municipality wanted to build a freeway. Because the Musjid could not be demolished, the Municipality decided to build over the Musjid. The dome was too high and they ordered the removal of the dome.
The outcry landed in Parliament which decided not to build the freeway over the Musjid but reroute it. By then the Musjid had lost its dome.
Up to this day the Musjid stands as testament to the faith of the early Muslims and the freeway bridges remain incomplete, many decades later.
[South End As We Knew It, pg 15]
