Abbey Mills Mosque
Encyclopedia
The Abbey Mills Mosque, also known as the London Markaz or Masjid-e-Ilyas, is a mosque located in Stratford
, east London. It had been proposed to expand it to a larger Islamic centre 7.3 hectares (18 acre). It was originally reported that the structure, had it been built, would have been the largest religious building in Britain and the largest mosque in Europe. For this reason it is often informally referred to in the press as the "mega-mosque".
The mosque extension would have been built by Tablighi Jamaat
(a Muslim missionary movement) near the site of the London 2012
Olympic Park. is Tablighi Jamaat's charitable trust
and has been the owner of the site since 1996. The Tablighi Jamaat website devoted to the mosque places the maximum capacity at 12,000 worshipers.
The plan sparked controversy
for various reasons, including its initially reported size, the possible chemical contamination risk associated with the site, the uncertainty as to the sources of funding that will be used by Tablighi Jamaat, and alleged links between Tablighi Jamaat and Islamic terrorism. Mosque officials are engaged in resolving the controversies, as well as countering the perception implied by the term "mega-mosque".
Public response to the mosque and associated controversies has included on-line petitions, various public talks, debates, speeches, and websites, and even apparent threats against people opposing the mosque. With the expiration of the permit to use the site, and neither a current plan permission nor application for a mosque, the building's future remains uncertain.
1.6 million. In 2001, the Tablighi Jamaat was issued a five-year permit to use the site as a place of worship; however, the permit expired before building commenced. As of 2007 the site plan incorporated a mosque capable of accommodating 12,000 people, a visitor and conference centre, substantial parking for cars and facilities for bicycles, a new entrance to the West Ham tube station, a residential school for 500 pupils, a reception center for visiting VIPs—including about 20 guest suites, a plan for the retention of the natural habitat on the island location within the site, and extensive landscaping. The Tablighi Jamaat also stated that they plan to develop the mosque to make full use of natural resources, reducing the mosque's energy consumption and increasing the mosque's recycling.
Councillor
Alan Craig
, of the Christian Peoples Alliance
, has criticised the development plans on the grounds that they would change the character of the local area, making it predominantly Muslim, and has called for a public inquiry into the mosque's development. The Daily Telegraph
reported that the Newham planning department would refuse the mosque's application, as a project of that size had the potential to cause damage to community relations in the area.
In apparent response to the public concern about the mosque's size, the mosque's trustees did not choose Mangera's design for the final plan, deciding instead on a scaled-down structure. Mr. Abdul Sattar Shahid, speaking on behalf of the Tablighi Jamaat trustees, announced that the firm of Allies and Morrison was retained to design the mosque.
In July 2007 a report by Waterman Environmental was publicised by Councillor Craig, which revealed that the land upon which the Abbey Mills Mosque is supposed to be built is considered have a medium-to-high contamination risk. The site was used as a chemical works for at least 100 years, and was decommissioned as such in the late 1980s. Craig was alleged to have obtained this information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
, and he called for the Environment Agency
to be brought in and for the site to be shut down until an independent report was undertaken. According to Craig, the Waterman Report revealed that the original pre-remediation works had discovered soil and groundwater impact by mercury
, lead, arsenic
, oil, fuels, and asbestos
fibres. There were methane
and carbon dioxide land gas readings as well. Mosque officials have stated that allowing the development to proceed would benefit the community, as decontamination of the site is part of their building plan.
reported on concerns regarding funding for the Tablighi Jamaat's construction project. Documentation filed with the Charity Commission
indicated that 's annual donations were on the order of only £500,000, suggesting the need for significant extra financial support to fund the building project. Allegations were made that the project would be funded by Saudi
fundamentalist groups. The allegations were based on Tablighi Jamaat's being a Deobandi Muslim organisation that has close links with the form of the religion practised by the Saudi royal family
.
The Tablighi Jamaat website lists that it intends to raise the money predominantly via small donations from Muslims in the London area, that they have no links nor made contact with the Saudi royal family, and clearly states that the Tablighi Jamaat are neither actively seeking overseas money nor public money.
quoted Michael J. Heimbach, a deputy chief of Federal Bureau of Investigation
's international terrorism section, saying that the FBI has found that the Tablighi Jamaat was used for recruiting by Al-Qaeda
. The group has also been referred to as "a key influence on terrorists targeting Britain" and "a common link to a string of attacks and conspiracies".
The Tablighi Jamaat website clearly states that it refrains from political or controversial activities and stands for democracy and freedom. The group describes itself as a non-political group and categorically rejects any links to terrorism or terrorists; however, its website does make clear that it cannot take responsibility for the actions of every individual who has ever attended their mosques or services.
Yoginder Sikand
, who studied and wrote about the Tablighi Jamaat in South Asia, said that any fringe elements do not reflect the peacefulness of the movement. Although the group has a very loose organizational structure, Sikand says that it would be "simply wrong to describe Tablighi Jamaat as a terrorist recruiting organisation."
was formed in response to the concerns raised about the planned mosque, calling on the Prime Minister
to prevent the building of the mosque; the petition closed with over 250,000 signatures and was at the time the most signed petition on the site. Her Majesty's Government responded that the local planning authorities are responsible for general control of development in their areas and are required to take into consideration the views of interested persons and particularly local communities. In regard to this specific proposal, the government was informed by the Newham London Borough Council
that there is neither a current planning permission or application for a mosque, nor is one expected in the near future.
Ken Livingstone
, the former Mayor of London
, issued a statement protesting what he called "the particularly vicious nature of the campaign against a possible Muslim place of worship in East London", stating that it should be "condemned by all of those who support the long established right of freedom of religion in this country, and all the more so as it is based on information which has long been established to be factually untrue."
firm Indigo Public Affairs, which specialises in difficult major planning situations. The firm's efforts to enhance the organisation's image include setting up a website for the mosque and creating YouTube videos discussing the various concerns.
In September 2007 a public discussion between supporters and opponents of the mosque plan was held at Ithaca House in Stratford. Issues discussed included the legitimacy of the concerns about the mosque, the extent of the conservative view of Islam
taught by Tablighi Jamaat, their unwillingness to engage in public discourse, the extent that racism plays a role in the mosque's opposition, and the demand for larger facilities in the West Ham area to support the needs of the community.
named Muhammad, better known by his online moniker of "Abdullah1425". There was a link to the video from the mosque's website, through links to pages supporting the mosque, until November 2007. Nick Kilby, speaking on behalf of Tablighi Jamaat, said: "We found out about the video last night and it has been removed. We don't take responsibility for other people's sites that we don't control." He added that if Abdullah1425 was found to be a member of the organisation, it would be dealt with very seriously.
, co-founder of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain
, publicly opposed the construction of the mosque, stating that "We have too many mosques. I think it should not be built. What we need first is more integration between the existing mosques and the wider community." Siddiqui's opposition joins that of Craig, together with that of Irfan Al-Alawi, the director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism
Europe, who expressed extreme concern about the spread of Tablighi Jamaat.
Stratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
, east London. It had been proposed to expand it to a larger Islamic centre 7.3 hectares (18 acre). It was originally reported that the structure, had it been built, would have been the largest religious building in Britain and the largest mosque in Europe. For this reason it is often informally referred to in the press as the "mega-mosque".
The mosque extension would have been built by Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat is a religious movement which was founded in 1926 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi in India. The movement primarily aims at Tablighi spiritual reformation by working at the grass roots level, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra to bring them closer to...
(a Muslim missionary movement) near the site of the London 2012
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
Olympic Park. is Tablighi Jamaat's charitable trust
Trust law
In common law legal systems, a trust is a relationship whereby property is held by one party for the benefit of another...
and has been the owner of the site since 1996. The Tablighi Jamaat website devoted to the mosque places the maximum capacity at 12,000 worshipers.
The plan sparked controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
for various reasons, including its initially reported size, the possible chemical contamination risk associated with the site, the uncertainty as to the sources of funding that will be used by Tablighi Jamaat, and alleged links between Tablighi Jamaat and Islamic terrorism. Mosque officials are engaged in resolving the controversies, as well as countering the perception implied by the term "mega-mosque".
Public response to the mosque and associated controversies has included on-line petitions, various public talks, debates, speeches, and websites, and even apparent threats against people opposing the mosque. With the expiration of the permit to use the site, and neither a current plan permission nor application for a mosque, the building's future remains uncertain.
Project
In 1996 purchased the Abbey Mills site (the location of a former chemical works) for £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1.6 million. In 2001, the Tablighi Jamaat was issued a five-year permit to use the site as a place of worship; however, the permit expired before building commenced. As of 2007 the site plan incorporated a mosque capable of accommodating 12,000 people, a visitor and conference centre, substantial parking for cars and facilities for bicycles, a new entrance to the West Ham tube station, a residential school for 500 pupils, a reception center for visiting VIPs—including about 20 guest suites, a plan for the retention of the natural habitat on the island location within the site, and extensive landscaping. The Tablighi Jamaat also stated that they plan to develop the mosque to make full use of natural resources, reducing the mosque's energy consumption and increasing the mosque's recycling.
Size
Reports as to the size of the mosque have varied considerably. Ali Mangera of Mangera Yvars Architects, submitted a proposal for the design competition, stated that his design would accommodate up to 40,000 visitors simultaneously, with the potential for expanding to contain 70,000 people. These figures led to much consternation. London Borough of NewhamLondon Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Alan Craig
Alan Craig
Alexander Alan Craig is the leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance party and a former councillor in the London Borough of Newham for Canning Town South....
, of the Christian Peoples Alliance
Christian Peoples Alliance
The Christian Peoples Alliance is a Christian democratic political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in its present form in 1999; it grew out of a cross-party advocacy group known as the Movement for Christian Democracy. The party is active throughout England and has fledgling groups specific...
, has criticised the development plans on the grounds that they would change the character of the local area, making it predominantly Muslim, and has called for a public inquiry into the mosque's development. The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that the Newham planning department would refuse the mosque's application, as a project of that size had the potential to cause damage to community relations in the area.
In apparent response to the public concern about the mosque's size, the mosque's trustees did not choose Mangera's design for the final plan, deciding instead on a scaled-down structure. Mr. Abdul Sattar Shahid, speaking on behalf of the Tablighi Jamaat trustees, announced that the firm of Allies and Morrison was retained to design the mosque.
Environment
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
, and he called for the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
to be brought in and for the site to be shut down until an independent report was undertaken. According to Craig, the Waterman Report revealed that the original pre-remediation works had discovered soil and groundwater impact by mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, lead, arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, oil, fuels, and asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
fibres. There were methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
and carbon dioxide land gas readings as well. Mosque officials have stated that allowing the development to proceed would benefit the community, as decontamination of the site is part of their building plan.
Funding
In September 2006 The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reported on concerns regarding funding for the Tablighi Jamaat's construction project. Documentation filed with the Charity Commission
Charity Commission
The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....
indicated that 's annual donations were on the order of only £500,000, suggesting the need for significant extra financial support to fund the building project. Allegations were made that the project would be funded by Saudi
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
fundamentalist groups. The allegations were based on Tablighi Jamaat's being a Deobandi Muslim organisation that has close links with the form of the religion practised by the Saudi royal family
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
.
The Tablighi Jamaat website lists that it intends to raise the money predominantly via small donations from Muslims in the London area, that they have no links nor made contact with the Saudi royal family, and clearly states that the Tablighi Jamaat are neither actively seeking overseas money nor public money.
Terrorism
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
quoted Michael J. Heimbach, a deputy chief of Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's international terrorism section, saying that the FBI has found that the Tablighi Jamaat was used for recruiting by Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. The group has also been referred to as "a key influence on terrorists targeting Britain" and "a common link to a string of attacks and conspiracies".
The Tablighi Jamaat website clearly states that it refrains from political or controversial activities and stands for democracy and freedom. The group describes itself as a non-political group and categorically rejects any links to terrorism or terrorists; however, its website does make clear that it cannot take responsibility for the actions of every individual who has ever attended their mosques or services.
Yoginder Sikand
Yoginder Sikand
Yoginder Sikand is an Indian writer-academic and the author of several books on Islam-related issues in India.-Early life and education:...
, who studied and wrote about the Tablighi Jamaat in South Asia, said that any fringe elements do not reflect the peacefulness of the movement. Although the group has a very loose organizational structure, Sikand says that it would be "simply wrong to describe Tablighi Jamaat as a terrorist recruiting organisation."
Petition
An online petitionInternet petition
An Internet petition is a form of petition posted on a website. Visitors to the website in question can add their email addresses or names, and after enough "signatures" have been collected, the resulting letter may be delivered to the subject of the petition, usually via e-mail.-Pros and cons:The...
was formed in response to the concerns raised about the planned mosque, calling on the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
to prevent the building of the mosque; the petition closed with over 250,000 signatures and was at the time the most signed petition on the site. Her Majesty's Government responded that the local planning authorities are responsible for general control of development in their areas and are required to take into consideration the views of interested persons and particularly local communities. In regard to this specific proposal, the government was informed by the Newham London Borough Council
Newham London Borough Council
Newham London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Newham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of...
that there is neither a current planning permission or application for a mosque, nor is one expected in the near future.
Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, the former Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, issued a statement protesting what he called "the particularly vicious nature of the campaign against a possible Muslim place of worship in East London", stating that it should be "condemned by all of those who support the long established right of freedom of religion in this country, and all the more so as it is based on information which has long been established to be factually untrue."
Public relations
In 2007 the Tablighi Jamaat retained the public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
firm Indigo Public Affairs, which specialises in difficult major planning situations. The firm's efforts to enhance the organisation's image include setting up a website for the mosque and creating YouTube videos discussing the various concerns.
In September 2007 a public discussion between supporters and opponents of the mosque plan was held at Ithaca House in Stratford. Issues discussed included the legitimacy of the concerns about the mosque, the extent of the conservative view of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
taught by Tablighi Jamaat, their unwillingness to engage in public discourse, the extent that racism plays a role in the mosque's opposition, and the demand for larger facilities in the West Ham area to support the needs of the community.
Threats
In apparent response to the opposition to the mosque, Alan Craig has been the subject of a video showing his purported obituary, together with that of his wife and two children. The video was posted by a 23-year-old man from StevenageStevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
named Muhammad, better known by his online moniker of "Abdullah1425". There was a link to the video from the mosque's website, through links to pages supporting the mosque, until November 2007. Nick Kilby, speaking on behalf of Tablighi Jamaat, said: "We found out about the video last night and it has been removed. We don't take responsibility for other people's sites that we don't control." He added that if Abdullah1425 was found to be a member of the organisation, it would be dealt with very seriously.
Other opposition
In March 2008 Ghayasuddin SiddiquiGhayasuddin Siddiqui
Ghayasuddin Siddiqui is an academic and political activist. He was born in Delhi, India, migrated to Pakistan in late 1947 and moved to the UK in 1964....
, co-founder of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain
Muslim Parliament
The Muslim Parliament of Great Britain is a Muslim organization founded in 1992 in London by Dr Kalim Siddiqui, Director of the Muslim Institute, based on a proposal published in July 1990 under the title The Muslim Manifesto. The Muslim Parliament consists mainly of appointees, including women and...
, publicly opposed the construction of the mosque, stating that "We have too many mosques. I think it should not be built. What we need first is more integration between the existing mosques and the wider community." Siddiqui's opposition joins that of Craig, together with that of Irfan Al-Alawi, the director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism
Stephen Schwartz (journalist)
Stephen Suleyman Schwartz is an American Muslimjournalist, columnist, and author. He has been published in a variety of media, including The Wall Street Journal. He is the executive director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism...
Europe, who expressed extreme concern about the spread of Tablighi Jamaat.
See also
- List of mosques in Great Britain
- Park51 – A similar case to build a mosque in New York, near the World Trade Center siteWorld Trade Center siteThe World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
where the 11 September attacks took place.