Forum Topic

Mega Mosque is it true?

Dear All, Please take a second to cast your vote in the Evening Standard on-line poll to determine public opinion about whether a Mega mosque should be built (at a cost to the taxpayer of £100 million) for the Olympic Games. The vote so far is 58% in favour . It seems that the Muslim community is casting its vote in droves; and, as usual, the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews and Christians are burying their head in the sand - perhaps for fear of appearing racist or politically incorrect? How can the Government allow this, when there will be a mixture of faiths at these Games? Surely, if it is necessary in the first place to spend public money on building a dedicated place of worship at the Olympic Games Site, then, instead of a Mega Mosque, there should be an Inter-faith Centre, where believers of any religion can go and pray? Here's the link: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/poll/poll-18791-details/ques-18669-id/%C2%A3100m+mosque:+Vote+now/poll.do

Helen Fogarth ● 6640d10 Comments

Corrections/emendations to my previous post:1  I've now located the source of my suggestion that the mosque was to be funded by the Saudi-Arabian government and I find it wssn't as clear cut as that.  The Observer (24 September 2006, page 10) reported both "allegations that it is being bankrolled by Islamist groups in Saudi Arabia" and that the organisation promoting it "has close links with the Wahhabi fundamentalist form of the religion promoted in Saudi Arabia and practised by the Saudi royal family".  So it didn't actually say that the funding would come from the Saudi government.2  Some UK water companies are in French ownership but Thames is owned by RWE which is German.3  My objections to English billionaires buying control over English state schools is not, I've decided, restricted to cranky ones, and indeed they don't have to be that rich.  I object to millionaires doing it too.

Tom Beaton ● 6639d

My recollection is that when I first saw this mosque mooted in the press and referred to by the BBC (last summer or autumn I think) the suggestion was that it would be largely funded by the government ... of Saudi Arabia.  I have reservations about allowing that sort of thing but they are similar to my reservations about Russians owning UK football clubs, French companies owning the British water supply industry and indeed cranky English billionnaires buying control over English state schools.  I'm sure Tony Blair doesn't share any of my reservations so no-one in the government does either.

Tom Beaton ● 6639d

"I'm absolutely sure there should be a poll, if public money is being used for this purpose"Andrew, I think the point made by Matt is that it will not be publicly funded.  I believe this is indeed the case.

Phil Andrews ● 6639d

Jim,I am glad I am not the only one to think this, your comments would go down well on the W4 forum who have taken up arms against me. Andrew has hit back at them as well.

Helen Fogarth ● 6639d

Helen,There are a whole series of videos on YOU TUBE about this Newham Mosque and one in particular about the funding.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9dn-Tgf4AY  for starters.We are being invaded by a new culture..which seems to be succeeding in making it's mark!

Jim Lawes ● 6639d

I think before any conclusions are jumped to, the veracity of this story ought to be checked.

Vanessa Smith ● 6640d

MattWorthy of polls and so on? I'm not so sure.I'm absolutely sure there should be a poll, if public money is being used for this purpose, is that not discriminating against all the other religions? Where does this PC nonsense end? I was always under the impression that this was a christian country!But I am sure that whatever the result of a poll is, the gutless amongst the MP's will be terrified as usual, to turn it down!

w John Michael Atkinson ● 6640d

If that is true - then where has the allegation that public money is being spent on this come from? I do vaguely recall something on the BBC London news about this.

Vanessa Smith ● 6640d

Well, there is a scheme to build a mosque in Newham. It's not publically funded and it's connection with the Olympics is that it's in Newham. But that's it. An important planning issue for people in the immediate area, to be sure. Worthy of polls and so on? I'm not so sure.

Matt Harmer ● 6640d

Does anyone know if other Olympic venues provided these facilities, I'd be gobsmacked if you can find anything for anyone in Bejing.

Vanessa Smith ● 6640d