Founded in 1993, Al Nour is a progressive Islamic congregation in Hamburg, Germany and for years, the 2,000 worshippers had met and prayed in a converted underground parking garage. Something needed to be done for a new space so in 2004, Mr. Abdin, the director of Al Nour, started the search. Zoning laws and financial limitations made it only feasible to purchase a building that was already designated for religions purposes. So Mr. Abdin purchased a former Lutheran church that was vacant for ten years because no one wanted it. “But when Muslims bought it, suddenly it became a topic of interest,” says Mr. Abdin.
