Birmingham Central Mosque
| Birmingham Central Mosque | |
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Birmingham Central Mosque | |
| Location | Highgate, Birmingham United Kingdom |
| Branch/tradition | Sunni – Deobandi |
| Architectural information | |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
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| Website: www.centralmosque.org.uk/ | |
Birmingham Central Mosque, is a mosque in the Highgate area of Birmingham, England, run by the Birmingham Mosque Trust. It is one of the largest Muslim centres in Europe.
The mosque is open to men and women, and its main prayer halls currently hold between 3,500 and 4,000 people during a Friday service, with over 20,000 worshippers walking through the mosque's doors during the multiple services held on the religious festivals of Eid.[citation needed] It is frequented by visitors from educational institutions and community/faith groups from across Europe.[citation needed]
History
Birmingham Central Mosque is one of the earliest purpose-built mosques in the United Kingdom. After initially raising money to lay the foundations of the mosque, funds ran dry. A possibility existed that Birmingham City Council would sell the land to another buyer if the mosque was not completed within two years. The mosque trustees therefore went to local businesses ― both Muslim and non-Muslim ― for donations. Soon enough, sufficient money was raised to pay for the building and completion of the mosque in 1969. The mosque was then officially opened in 1975 as the largest mosque in Western Europe. A golden dome was added to the top of the minaret in 1981.[1] In 1986, the mosque sought and was granted permission to call prayer within certain limits.[2] Between 1988 and 1990, Al-Hijrah School educated children in three rented rooms within the mosque before moving to Midland House in Small Heath.[3]
In 2006, the West Midlands Fire Service put out a fire in the mosque. A fire began in an office in the building. It did not spread far, yet it caused damage to electronics and also destroyed paperwork.[4]
On September 2009, the English Defence League held a demonstration in Birmingham. Muslim youths were reportedly told by Birmigham Central Moqsue's leaders to confront the protesters.[5]
In December 2011 a man was arrested after making a Facebook threat to bomb the mosque.[6]
In 2013, an Iman from the mosque was recorded undercover by ITV attempting to arrange a forced marriage of a minor, and justifying it with the Koran.
Impact
Since the mosque's establishment, it has become a focal point for the Birmingham Muslim community, providing education for children and adults, lectures and seminars, counselling and a marriage bureau along with sporting and recreational activities and workshops.[citation needed] Over the years, Muslims have used the mosque for events, meetings, lectures, studies and community and educational purposes. Many of the original founders of the mosque committee still make up the mosque management or are trustees of the mosque but as time has passed, many new innovations have been made as to how the mosque is democratically run using Islamic teachings as the basis for equal representation of all members of the community.[citation needed] Thus, regular meetings, annual selection and equal opportunities have meant that the running of Birmingham Central Mosque has been as efficient as possible over the decades.[citation needed]
Management
The original Idea for the Birmingham Mosque came from Dr M A Qureshi, who settled in Birmingham in the late 1950s.[citation needed] The chairman of the Birmingham Mosque Trust is Mohammad Naseem, a controversial Muslim leader. Naseem once claimed that Al-Qaeda did not exist.[7] The mosque has a female community spokesperson, Salma Yaqoob, and is said to be the only mosque in the world with a female, Amra Bone, sitting on the city's religious Shariah Council.[citation needed]
Former staff have included the Imam and Teacher of hadith, Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq, journalist Adam Yosef and counsellor Abdul Qayyum Lodhi.[citation needed]
Prominent visitors
The mosque has been attended by well known scholars including As-Sudais, the Imam of the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia.[citation needed] It has also been visited by Roy Hattersley MP, Douglas Hurd MP, Khalid Mahmood MP, George Galloway MP, scholar of comparative religion Shabbir Ally, Professor Tariq Ramadan and religious and political dignitaries.[citation needed] It has a close relationship with the West Midlands Police and interfaith leaders.[citation needed]
References
- ↑ Panikos Panayi (1999). The Impact of Immigration in Post-war Britain: A Documentary History of the Effects and Experiences of Immigrants in Britain since 1945. Manchester University Press. p. 103. ISBN 0-7190-4685-8.
- ↑ W. A. R. Shadid (1995). Religious Freedom and the Position of Islam in Western Europe. Peeters Publishers. p. 35. ISBN 90-390-0065-4.
- ↑ "History of Al-Hijrah". Al-Hijrah. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
- ↑ "Arsonists set fire to city mosque". BBC News. 2006-01-07. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ↑ Hamilton, Fiona. The Times (London) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6823767.ece
|url=missing title (help). - ↑ http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/12/man-arrested-after-facebook-threat-to-bomb-birmingham-mosque-115875-23630089/
- ↑ "”Dr Naseem: Have Your Say”, BBC Birmingham". Retrieved 2011-04-08.
External links
- Birmingham Central Mosque website
- Birmingham Central Mosque on the BBC
- "Public urged to tour city mosque"
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