A day of celebration for local Muslims

By Brian Ballou, Globe Staff

A large crowd gathered today in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood to watch a 5,000-pound cap be hoisted onto the minaret of a new mosque.

The copper cap was hoisted onto the new Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center at about 1 p.m.

The crowd of men, women, and children stared upwards, some with tears running down their cheeks, others with their hands to their faces in amazement.

The Islamic Society and the mosque project have weathered some controversy in recent years.

But the mood was upbeat today as the top of the minaret was put in place.

Yousef Abou-Allaban, director of the Islamic Society of Boston, said, "This wonderful day has been at least two decades in the making."

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