Forum Topic

MegaMosque

Received this in my email - thought you may be interested in it and respond either yay or nay on the link which comes from the PM's office.PLEASE READ I don't know if you have heard about this but Ken Livingstone is apparently planning to use tax payer's money to build an enormous mosque costing an estimated £100M  in the docklands, London. Wouldn't it be better to spend the money on a new hospital or improved transport facilities, surely anything but such a scheme as this? The mosque will apparently be BIGGER THAN ST PAUL'S.! The plan is for the mosque to be so big that people flying in from all over the world for the 2012 Olympics will see it as the biggest landmark in London, bigger than St Paul's, Westminster Abbey or Wembley Stadium. The vote so far is 56 % in favour, as the Muslim community in the UK is casting it's vote in droves, and as usual the British are burying their heads in the sand. It is an undemocratic use of British Tax payers money, especially when our Churches that are 100's of years old get no government funding to keep their structures standing, and we are supposedly a Christian Nation. To vote to "Scrap the 'Mega-Mosque"  please sign the official Government petition in the link below. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ScrapMegaMosque

Eileen Henderson ● 6535d14 Comments

"`This email campaign is a disgrace and should be clearly condemned as such. Besides the lies it is spreading for political purposes it aims to stir up hatred between Muslims and non-Muslims’".The extremists are not doing a too bad a job for themselves are they, have you forgot 7/7 21/7? and more recently London and Glasgow airports? Thankfully nobody was killed. Abu Hamza, Omar Bakri, and their followers who hate everything about the west, but enjoy the benefits that we give to them. (and sometimes deny to our own citizens)are equally doing a good job in breeding disharmony amongst the community! Yes! I know they are in the minority, and the vast majority are law abiding people, but it is only recently that some of the Imams have spoken out about the extremists in their midst, which is to be welcomed, but there is still a long way to go. I would like to see them demonstrating against the preachers of hate in ours and their midst. Many people are not happy with our foreign policy, but the only way to change that,is by the ballot box, and not killing and maiming, men women and children. That's the benefit of living in a democracy!I recently heard a yound man on LBC radio, who referred to the bombers as "Freedom fighters", and that they were waging war against those who "harmed his people", some people may find this an admirable thing to do, but when questioned he said that he was born in this country who cred for him, educated him, gave him health care, thats where the problem lies. Hindus, Sikhs, and other religions, seem to be able to practise their religion without this continual confrontation why?

Account suspended ● 6529d

Jim"Ugh! How do we stop it happening? By just keeping quiet?"I will await the onslaught from the luvvies, yes they have shown that this subject is "out of bounds" (except for them of course)

Account suspended ● 6529d

"an ugly, austere, unsmiling strain of Islam"FraserYour description of what might be in store.or on it's way .....certainly caught my eye.  What a carry on! Saudi Arabia would seem to have more power over our population and Government than we realise!The prospects for the future look threatening to say the least.We must be spending billions of pounds investigating and monitoring these intimidating incomers and the money comes out of all of pockets as well. David Blunkett must have served us badly at the Home Office..his years of lapses will have scarred the UK for evermore. But that's another issue.So.."an ugly, austere, unsmiling strain of Islam" is on its way perhaps"Ugh! How do we stop it happening? By just keeping quiet?I don't want a hard-core mosque in my street...nor my local pavements to be overwhelmed with influxes burka clad females...herded by hardcore bearded scalleywags who have been brainwashed by unworldly blinkered "uneducated" imans from afar. How distasteful is the prospect of that!As Duncan illustrated in the previous message the pressure is on in some parts of London..and no doubt in northern towns and cities too.I'd love to be a scholar on these matters and have a better smattering of debating skills too as, I reckon, a lot needs to be said forcefully ..but only when one has achieved a deep understanding of the subject..and can master the wording needed. Oh to be educated!Little chance of sounds of Chopin, Rachmaninov or the choral hymns of English Churches finding there way into the ribbon of homes of these mosque brainwashed families in the future. Isn't it a shame Rachers..you'll gradually be forgotten!Rant over.

Jim Lawes ● 6529d

Helen"I only ask as if you have been on this forum for some time you will see that if you start on about something to do with the Muslim world of Great Britain you will soon feel the wrath of the forum posters, might not be too bad on here but try it on the Chiswick W4 site and see what happens. Good luck". Give the "luvvies",  time and they will arrive on here very soon, it's early days yet!I'm amazed that none of them have complained about the 40  year sentences those 4 terrorists received, I would have rounded it up to 50, and deported them out of here on completion of their sentences in 2057. At least one judge knew what to do.

w John Michael Atkinson ● 6533d

Fraser,What do you think is the most effective way of reducing the influence and power of the Tablighi Jamaat group on this initiative and generally in UK?Do you think Gordon Brown coming in as PM will help?Where do you think Ken Livingstone is on this at the moment? Do you think the UK Muslim community can counter this group effectively? A Dr Irfan al-Alawi has been mentioned in some articles as leading the opposition.I found this article from the Times Online, which has more details:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article1853589.ece"Setback for Muslim sect's 'mega-mosque' in London Once built it will be the largest mosque in Europe, which will be located just outside the London Olympics site in East LondonJoanna Sugden An ultra-orthodox Islamic sect has delayed plans to build a "mega-mosque" in East London after the Government warned it could "raise tensions" in the community. Tablighi Jamaat had intended to submit plans to build Britain's largest place of worship next to the Olympic site, this September. But the group told Times Online that no plans would now be submitted until next year at the earliest. More than 48,000 people have petitioned the Government to “abolish plans for the £100m mega-mosque” with a capacity for 12,000 worshippers beside the London 2012 Olympic park in Newham, East London. The Government said that the issue could "raise tensions" and did not expect any planning application to be made in the “near future”. Related LinksMuslims oppose vast mosque plan Sect hires PR firm to win support for mosque Islamic missionary group links alleged plotters A statement in response to the petition, published on the Downing Street website, said: “We understand from Newham Council that there is no current planning permission or application for a mosque and Newham Council do not expect a planning application in the near future.” A spokesperson for Tablighi Jamaat said that plans for the 18-acre site in Newham were being drawn up, but he added: “There's no expectation of any planning application before the end of the year, because of the size of the application." The Government called the proposed mosque, which would hold four times as many worshippers as Britain’s largest Anglican cathedral “controversial” and said it had to take into account the views of local communities. “All involved should ensure that discussions are conducted in a manner that respects the views of all sections of our communities and in a way that does not raise tensions in local areas,” the statement said. Tablighi Jamaat's spokesperson said the group did not think the plans were controversial but admitted there would be a lot of public interest in the application, "It should not be looked at any differently from any other faith building" he said. Plans for the mosque have been blighted over the last few months. The group, which intelligence agencies fear is a gateway to extremism, recently claimed they had dismissed award-winning architect Ali Mangera from the project, and has yet to announce his replacement. Alongside the proposal for the mosque the group also envisage a religious boarding school for up to 500 pupils on the site, a former chemical works that they bought for £1.6m in 1996. Strong local opposition has generated bad publicity for the mosque. A Newham councillor, Alan Craig, who is leading the campaign against the development, described the mosque as an unwanted “landmark” in the East End of London and Tablighi Jamaat as a “ambitious, separatist and isolationist group”. The beleaguered group have recruited a Westminster lobbying company to undertake their public relations. The public affairs company, Indigo Public Affairs set up a website for the mosque and put Tablighi Jamaat on YouTube with a short statement from an unnamed representative who tries to dispel fears and says the mosque will only reach its maximum capacity of 12,000 at two festivals a year. Tablighi Jamaat, which translates as “Proselytising Group”, claims on its website to stand for “democracy and freedom” and says it is “a role model to promote social and religious integration”. But the site also adds that “complete success in this world and the hereafter is only achieved in following the way of life shown by Muhammad and every other way leads to failure in this world and the hereafter”. Strict followers of the sect’s doctrine sleep on the ground and brush their teeth with a twig following the practices of Muhammad. French intelligence agencies and the FBI have raised concerns that jihadi groups could use Tablighi Jamaat as a recruiting ground. The movement, founded in India in 1927, has 80 million followers worldwide and refutes all accusations of links to terrorism or terrorists. Its website states: “We do not teach an extremist line, but we clearly can’t speak for every single one of those who have ever attended our mosques.”

Duncan Walker ● 6534d

Smoke and mirrors.For a start, the cash would come from Saudi. Secondly, the original plans for the mosque were rejected. This means Tablighi Jamaat (the group behind it) will likely submit another plan that seems more reasonable than the first. This will stand a higher chance of being accepted by the relevant authorities. It's a bait and switch. These people may be bigots but they're not stupid. That's why they're here in the first place – we tend to welcome the fundies most Muslim countries reject. Given what’s going on in the world at the moment, this mosque is more likely to affect you than you think. The ideology of the people behind the mosque probably ain’t exactly pretty. Tablighi Jamaat are among the most forceful proselytizers of an ugly, austere, unsmiling strain of Islam. They’ll get their way not through debate or reason but through coercion, peer pressure and Saudi cash. As for the quote on the BNP website describing it as ‘the biggest symbol so far of the Islamic colonisation of England’, change the emphasis and it becomes a lot more accurate. It might be more accurate to say then that, if it went ahead, the mosque would certainly be the most potent symbol so far of Tablighi Jamaat’s planned colonisation of England’s Muslims. This mosque is all about market share - Tablighi Jamaat want a bigger share of the pie. They must be stopped.

Fraser Pearce ● 6534d

"I can only go on what I have read."No, you can decide whether what you read has any credibility.  Do you really automatically believe every anonymous e-mail you receive?  Oh, and by the way, you don't have the facility to "vote" yes or no on a petition on the PM's site.  You can either sign it or ignore it.

Richard Jennings ● 6534d

On further reading other 'petitions' on the PM's site I can see that there are a number of silly petitions on the go.  However this one is far reaching.  I first looked at it and 177k signatures were there.  2nd time 187k signatures.  If the Evening Standard reporter heard an official with a loose tongue joking about £100m then he should be "brought to book".

Eileen Henderson ● 6535d

Would the newspaper whose irresponsible behaviour seems to have inspired this rubbish be the same London Evening Standard which goes to such extraordinary lengths to warn us repeatedly about the sinster racist menace in Isleworth and Brentford that goes by the name of the ICG? What bl**dy hypocrites.

Angi Hanson ● 6535d

Thank you Kathleen. As they say don't believe all you read.

Helen Fogarth ● 6535d

Just gone through the http and I am convinced I am on the PM's page and the petition is there.  If not then put me straight.  It is possible that Ken's name has been used erroneously - I can only go on what I have read.

Eileen Henderson ● 6535d

Sorry, should have posted source:http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=11471

Kath Richardson ● 6535d

Press ReleaseEmails whipping up communal hatred to influence Evening Standard online poll 4-4-2007 214The Mayor of London today revealed an organised email campaign around an online poll being conducted by the Evening Standard aimed at stirring up communal hatred by spreading entirely false statements about plans for a new mosque in East London. These included a totally untrue claim that the Mayor was planning to spend £100 million of public money on the mosque when there are no plans to spend any public money at all on the mosque.The campaign was sparked by an online poll in the Evening Standard reprinting an article from last September asking people to vote for whether or not they were in favour of the “£100 million mosque”. In fact, as reports in other newspapers have made clear, there are no plans for a mosque on this scale.Following this the Mayor’s Office was alerted to a series of emails being sent out to large numbers of recipients making a series of false claims about the mosque proposals in such a way as to stir up communal hatred. These read:“Don’t know if you have heard about this but Ken Livingstone is planning to use tax payer’s money to build an enormous mosque costing an estimated 100M in the docklands. What do you think about it? Wouldn’t it be better to spend the money on a new hospital or improved transport facilities?? BIGGER THAN ST PAULS!!! The plan is for the mosque to be so big that people flying in from all over the world for the 2012 Olympics will it see it as the biggest landmark in London , bigger than St Pauls, Westminster Abbey or Wembley StadiumTake 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 for the Olympics.The vote so far is 57 % in favour. It looks like the Muslim community is casting its vote in droves, and as usual the Christians are burying their heads in the sand….After voting, forward this to as many people as you can. Here’s the link:”One of the emails used to circulate this was from a work address at Jaguar Cars.Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said:`The allegations in these emails are clearly designed to deliberately whip up communal hatred and contain content that is entirely untrue. They are clearly being spread in an organised way for unscrupulous political reasons.`Factually there is no proposal to use any public money at all for such a mosque; there is no link between plans for a mosque and the Olympics; and, as widely reported, there are actually no plans for a mosque on the scale claimed in the email.`This email campaign is a disgrace and should be clearly condemned as such. Besides the lies it is spreading for political purposes it aims to stir up hatred between Muslims and non-Muslims’.The Mayor has written today to Veronica Wadley, Editor of the Evening Standard, asking her to clarify that the paper repudiates the content of the mass email, and asking the Standard to clarify to readers and visitors to the website that the poll will be disregarded as totally unrepresentative.It has also emerged today that similar false claims about the mosque relating to the online poll are being promoted by the British National Party on their website, describing it as ‘the biggest symbol so far of the Islamic colonisation of England’ and urging readers to ‘Please go to the Standard website and add your own ‘No’ vote. And please forward this email on to everyone in your address book.

Kath Richardson ● 6535d

Where did the sender of your e-mail get the info from, I only ask as if you have been on this forum for some time you will see that if you start on about something to do with the Muslim world of Great Britain you will soon feel the wrath of the forum posters, might not be too bad on here but try it on the ChiswickW4 site and see what happens. Good luck.

Helen Fogarth ● 6535d