The mighty mosque, and a mighty row

Resistance is growing to the building of an immense mosque by the Olympic site in East London. Its supporters and backers insist it is a peaceable place of worship, but there are reports that it represents, explicitly, a move to 'convert all Britain to Islam', and there are inflammatory statements against the 'filth' of Christianity and Judaism in their literature. A petition on the government website has attracted a quarter of a million signatures to date (this is the government's response). There have been several setbacks and considerable dispute about its funding. At the Public meeting Councillor Craig of the Christian People's Alliance who is fighting the mosque - said

"I'm a Christian and I'm proud to live in a democratic society that people whatever their religion they are welcome to worship. If you are a Christian you can have a church, Muslims have absolute right to mosques but that doesn't mean that every mosque or church that is proposed can be built. It is estimated to have 12,000 capacity, 10000 men and 2000 women and will be the largest in Europe and largest in the UK. >I love living in the East end of London, I don't like fact that they want to build a Mosque in which the teaching will be them and us, we do not need a large edifice which will be teaching separationIf it was a Christian church preaching the same thing I would be against them too. They want it to be an Islamic Quarter duing the Olympics, separating off from everyone else, that is not what the Olympics is about.''

Abdul Khaliq, a Respect Party councillor, but not representing Tablighi Jamaat also spoke

"I simply came to correct some of the facts going around. We are catering to the needs of the people. We are a peaceful loving people without antagonising anyone. There's nothing wrong with having a Mosque, we are filling a need for Muslim society. We had 5000 people at an event the other day, did that bother anyone at all?.....1/4 of all the athletes will be Muslims, it's a mosque for them to worship just like the Christians will go to church why can't muslims worship in the mosque. Should we not care for them? If they want to come, nothing wrong with that.'

The Economist has a good summary of the issues.

Comments

[Rowan]

As a Christian, at first I thought I should be standing against the building of this mosque. However, I'm beginning to rethink that position. Protesting against a building seems fairly pointless. Repressing a religion (even one I disagree with) seems fairly pointless. Rather, Christians should be using this opportunity to hold conversations with Muslims about their faith. The Olympics shouldn't become a contest of religions as well os of sport, but they could be an amazing opportunity to bring people together in discussion and debate.

Would love to hear what other people think.

[Tom]

The mosque should never have got off the ground in the first place. People have been worrying about this for well over 18 months now.

[Carl]

Why is this news? Ultimately all religions seek to rule the globe and spread their "truths" to everyone - if they didn't then they wouldn't be religions!

Not all religions use warfare to do this (though most do), but look at Christian missionaries, the people that harass you in the high street of a Saturday afternoon, the people that want to build unnecesarily large mosques in the middle of London etc etc

Face it guys, we live in an increasingly secular world now, where your wonderful "revelations" just aren't relevant.

[Dr. Irene Lancaster FRSA]

It is not true that all religions wish to rule the globe and spread the word. Judaism certainly doesn't. In fact, the opposite is the case.

It's not the building of the mosque per se that is the problem, but what such a huge mosque might symbolise. You don't need big buildings to praise God. He doesn't even mind you meeting in a room in your house.

[Carl]

Really, Dr Lancaster, Judaism seeks to do what then, disappear?

I have to admit that modern liberal Judaism is one of the most tolerant religions, but it still ultimately holds the idea that it alone is correct and, as such, must want others to follow it's commandments ("Thou shalt have no other God but me" is an Abrahamic staple, and given that there allegedly is no other god to 'have' anyway must therefore apply to everyone, whether Jewish or not)

[Dick]

I agree with Tom. People have been very worried about this very unwelcome projected development for a long time. This particular variant/strand of "the religion of peace" nurtured at least one of the 7/7 London suicide bombers (S.Tanwear). This is a Christian country, however "filthy" muslims take it to be. They are going to have to get used to this fact: Most British people do not, repeat not, want to be converted to Islam, the
religion of peace", and are beginning to get extremely
fed up with left wing directives telling them they must not continue to celebrate christian festivals like Christmas, which they have celebrated for many hundreds of years, "because it might offend". Tough: The British people
will never submit to Islam, no matter how many atrocities radical Islamists perpetrate in the name of a strange "God"!

[liam si]

A place of worship for 12,000 is cause for concern whilst alongside there is going to be the regeneration for the Olympics where considerably more than that will be welcomed for sporting events.
The venues will remain long after the event has passed and yet because this represents a Faith which is constantly under seige it 'must' be up to no good.
Step back people, take a deep breath, don't take all you read as gospel and use the grey matter to form an opinion something I was taught to do.
There are similar places up and down the country representing different faiths and because they are not in the public domain and have been established there is apparently no cause for concern.
It's the fear of the unknown whipped up by the press that is leading to mass hysteria amongst the general public.

[Zoe]

Don't build it, simple as! There are enough 'places of worship'... we don't need more money being wasted on something that is exclusive to only 1 group of people! Build a youth/community centre/arts gallery, museum, concert hall... anything that brings people together rather than seperates them!

[JJ]

Please, donate the money to impoverished, starving refugees in Iraq. Far more godly and useful than a megamosque.

[Patty]

The proposed mosque is monumental. In order to get the mosque constructed, Islam probably will speak in a moderate voice. But what if the gigantic mosque is taken over by imams who try to turn Britain's Islamic citizens against Britain? Sure, Btitain has a right to feel confident after so many centuries of representative government. Still, one may one to pause a monent and think about masses of people not even faintly respectful of Britain or its form of government who gather and listen to hate-filled speech.

[Richard]

excuse my ignorance. Are non muslims allowed to worship in a mosque? Would a Christian church exclude anyone of a different faith?
In my experience most people fall out of faith because of the blinkered views held by religious leaders, its dogma and its arrogant and aggressive posturing. Spirituality to me is an internal world and doesn't need giant temples/cathedrals/mosques in our modern world.

[Andrew brown]

Given that many Mosques in this country are already being used to incite Muslims to hate the rest of us, is it really wise to build another, especially when the group behind it have dubious credentials?

[Kate Scott]

This mosque is, for the organisers, a symbol of Islamic colonisation of Britain. It is funded by the Saudis and will preach the most virulent form of Whabbi Islam. It will dwarf St Paul's - that great Christian symbol of British culture.

Yes. It is important to use our heads; to be rational, to THINK about the message permission to erect this edifice will send to those - MCB et al - who make no secret of the fact that they are working to make Britain an Islamic state.

[peter ferguson]

why not offer the saudis that for every mosque they build here we can build a church in arabia, there is not one church there now, non muslims cant even enter some of thier cities and it is a crime punishable by death for a muslim to convert to another religion. is this realy what we should be encouraging here?