Dr. Shahid Hashmi, a Pakistani immigrant, is president of the Victoria Islamic Center. He’s one of the founders of the center and spearheaded efforts to build the original mosque back in 2000. Many of Hashmi’s longtime friends were there on Saturday to congratulate him on the completion of the new building, including a local real estate agent, Shirley Buckert.
“She helped me buy this lot. Buy the land. She’s the one,” Hashmi says.
“Yes, my friend, my friend. It was just grass,” Buckert tells him.
“In 1995 we bought it, just grass. So, in 1995 we bought it and by 2000 we built the old one. It burned down in 2017 and now new one is here in 2018,” Hashmi says.
“Makes me very proud, thank you,” Buckert says.