Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, the Conservatives' shadow security minister, has called on the government to review plans to allow Tablighi Jamaat to build a mega-mosque for 40,000 worshippers in East London.
Neville-Jones called on the government to take action to stop the mosque after several of those convicted of planning terrorist attacks yesterday were shown to have been closely involved with the Tablighi Jamaat group.
She said:
"The news that the terrorists convicted of the liquid bomb plot attended Tablighi Jamaat mosques is very disturbing. This is not the first time this has happened. Those convicted of the 7/7 bombings read Tablighi Jamaat sermons. Tablighi Jamaat claims to be solely a missionary organisation with a religious and charitable purpose."
Last month, Alan Craig, a councillor in the East London borough of Newham who is a prominent opponent of the mosque, said that Tablighi Jamaat had not kept its promises to make its plans for the mega-mosque more transparent. He said:
"Tablighi Jamaat pledged an Open Day event during the summer at which we would view the work, see an exhibition and meet their architects and consultants. It is now almost the end of summer with the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan just two weeks away, yet there is still no sign of the event."
He continued: "In March they indicated to local residents and media their serious intent to press ahead with their mosque but refused to answer questions or give details ... So five months later worried locals are left with the threat of this huge mosque hanging over their heads yet still are given no information."
As an 'ethnic minority' myself (I am Chinese/British) I can say that for too long extremist groups such as the one mentioned above have used the race card to undermine our country.
There have been calls for a long time to stop the expansion of Islam by Islamist groups such as Tablighi Jamaat. I agree and I'm glad that more people are coming to realise the damage that more separation would do to our nation.
This planned structure is mainly a propaganda tool, as in modern business where the 'building is the billboard' the mosque is a symbol, A foot in the door.
It's called the 'Thin end of the wedge' and is only a matter of time before more minarets are built, then more loudspeakers pumping out a foreign language.
No other country would tolerate this blatent attack on our nation.
For the sake of all the races in London, this giant plan must be stopped.
At last someone higher up the political ladder is making a fuss about this blatant imposition of Islam on our sky-line and psyches.
But the problem is more serious than just Tablighi Jamaat. The recently convicted terrorists who are linked with Tablighi Jamaat indicates a much deeper link: Islam.
After all, the 7/7 terrorists were only linked to what…Islam!
Al-Qaeda deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri said of Shehzad Tanweer, one of the 7/7 bombers: ‘… Allah's mercy upon him, he used to pray all night long, and loved reading the Koran. While his brothers spent their time reading the Hadith, he would spend his time reading the Koran….’
Groups like Tablighi Jamaat, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, etc. are based on the Qur'an and Hadith. Anyone can read their material.
So the larger problem is Islam. I wait for the day when someone in the government wakes up to that fact and decide to do something about it rather than throw money at Imams.
Remember Kinana
I heartily agree. This is cultural imperialism.
Would a Christian mega-church on this scale be welcomed in Pakistan?
No? A bit aggressive? Those Christian missionaries thrusting themselves on natives and attempting to undermine the native culture?
Why then do we have to put up with it here?