The initial scope of the building was to serve the Muslims in Malta, at the time mainly economic migrants from Libya,[9] and to promote Sunni Islam among the Maltese society.

[19][20] Even though there are a number of other Muslim places of worship in Malta,[21][22][23] the Mariam Al-Batool Mosque is the only officially recognized and mosque-designed structure in the country,[24][25][26] so it is colloquially referred to in Maltese as simply il-Moskea (lit.

[33][34][35] The formerly public land, circa 6,700 square metres (0.0026 sq mi),[9] was bought[9] (or donated) from the Maltese government[36] in 1975 which consisted of an undeveloped site.

It was built during Prime Minister Dom Mintoff's term in office[49] during the first wave of economic negotiations between Malta and Libya.

[77] Elsadi is described as a fundamentalist by Fr René Camilleri for supporting the strict compliance to sharia, but anthropologist Ranier Fsadni believes this is not a common belief among Muslims and that the Imam is "intellectually honest".

[82][83] Bader Zeina, a Palestinian migrant,[84] is a separate Muslim organizer and leader of the Islamic Community Malta (ICM).

The minaret became a landmark in Paola skyline since then, being the second highest building after the parish church until day, at 31.5 metres (103 ft) high.

The mosque has one dome painted in green[98] and one minaret that is a landmark in its own right by being visible from wide parts of the surroundings, and for this reason it is often used to explain directions.

[110] Some Muslim women share the belief that it is sinful to be seen in public without veiling themselves,[111][112] however they are lawfully required to remove it when needed such as for photos on identifications.

[26] According to Imam Mohammed el-Sadi, the Islamic centre issues certificates for each wedding that takes place on site but these are not considered legitimate by the state and are legally null.

[128] These estimates can be discredited as there has never been a proper conducted census about the Muslim population by the National Statistics Office (NSO Malta).

With the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya over 55,000 visas were issued for Libyan citizens, generally of Muslim faith, to live in Malta, between 2011 and 2015.

[152] The loudspeaker at the mosque was shortly used to call for prayers[153] but stopped after the nearby communities complained as the adhan unconventionally was used as early as 04:00 and disturbed public peace.

[160] The then President of Malta George Abela has paid a visit to the Islamic centre in Paola in specific the Mariam Al-Batool School.

[121] The Prime Minister of Malta Lawrence Gonzi was the first Maltese politician to have visited the mosque[162] when discussions on the financial crisis situation of Mariam Al-Batool School were the main reason.

[29] The mosque was subsequently visited by the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat[163] and US Ambassador to Malta Douglas Kmiec also in cause of the Mariam Al-Batool financial crisis.

This is encouraged by Mario Farrugia Borg (a Muslim convert[166] and former Nationalist Party supporter[167]), who is a leader at the Islamic Centre and a secretariat of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

This is in the context that the Al-Batool Mosque is the only official Mosque in Malta, with more than fifteen other Muslims prayer houses scattered around the country such as; Birkirkara,[113] Bugibba,[22][113][174] Fgura,[175] Ghaxaq,[113] Marsa (Albert Town),[21][176] Hal Safi (Open Centre),[22] Pieta,[177] St. Paul's Bay,[154] San Gwann (Ta' Giorni),[70][177] Sliema (Dar tal-Islam),[22] Hal Far,[177] Qawra, Msida,[113][177][178] Zurrieq,[113] and others.

[22][179][180] Of these at least two prayer houses[181] have legal permission by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) to operate as informal Mosques.

[185] An interfaith centre of religious service consisting of a church, a mosque and a synagogue designed by Richard England was planned to be built in Xewkija, Gozo[186][187] but after receiving local opposition to the project it remained shelved.

[191] In response to this Bader Zeina has taken a Muslim group to pray at Sliema waterfront to demand for the "fundamental human right" of worshipping gods both in private residences without legal restrictions and on public property.

[192] Following this, in January 2016 a male-only muslim group started to gather for Friday prayers in an open public place, in front of a Roman Catholic church, in Msida.

[193][194][195][196][197] The same organizer was previously involved in similar acts, such as in Sliema[22] and Bugibba,[198] when it became known that gathering and location were never the issues but rather the want of another place other than Mariam Al-Batool Mosque.

Faced with similar crisis from the Muslim community, the Maltese Government made temporal arrangement for Islamic prayers in Floriana.

The building known as the Ospizio, a former mental health hospital that is now hosting the prayers, is ideal as it is found right behind the national police headquarters in Malta.

[206] Mario Farrugia Borg, who works at the mosque, had stated that by being appointed as a personal secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and being a Christian convert to Islam he does not observe any discrimination.

[147] Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has some worrying reservations over "some groups" that promote radical sunni Islam in the form of salafism, and has largely relied on the Mariam Al-Batool Mosque's administration to help managing the crisis.

[188][207] The integration process of refugees within Maltese society has failed because of the large number of foreigners coming within a short period.

[150] For these reasons the Mariam Al-Batool Mosque has once again gained national notability in Malta, over similar controversies,[52] since its inauguration by Muammar Gaddafi in 1984.