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The East London Mosque Trust Limited is a registered charity<ref>[http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityFramework.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1122613&SubsidiaryNumber=0 The East London Mosque Trust Limited] Charity Commission</ref> (previously registered as The London Mosque Fund)<ref>[http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=239403&SubsidiaryNumber=0 The London Mosque Fund] Charity Commission</ref> and a private company (limited by guarantee, no share capital).<ref>[http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/dd3bfc97f92a5dbef8f963141ca57c5e/compdetails The East London Mosque Trust Limited] Companies House</ref> The mosque is managed by trustees who are elected each year by its members at the Annual General Meeting. [[Muhammad Abdul Bari|Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari]] is the chairman of the Management Committee for 2010–11.<ref>[http://www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/news/260 51st AGM elects Trustees - updated] East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre</ref> The [[Khatib]] and primary [[Imam]] of the mosque is Abdul Qayum. The Executive Director is Dilowar Hussain Khan.
The East London Mosque Trust Limited is a registered charity<ref>[http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityFramework.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1122613&SubsidiaryNumber=0 The East London Mosque Trust Limited] Charity Commission</ref> (previously registered as The London Mosque Fund)<ref>[http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=239403&SubsidiaryNumber=0 The London Mosque Fund] Charity Commission</ref> and a private company (limited by guarantee, no share capital).<ref>[http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/dd3bfc97f92a5dbef8f963141ca57c5e/compdetails The East London Mosque Trust Limited] Companies House</ref> The mosque is managed by trustees who are elected each year by its members at the Annual General Meeting. [[Muhammad Abdul Bari|Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari]] is the chairman of the Management Committee for 2010–11.<ref>[http://www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/news/260 51st AGM elects Trustees - updated] East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre</ref> The [[Khatib]] and primary [[Imam]] of the mosque is Abdul Qayum. The Executive Director is Dilowar Hussain Khan.


The mosque is a member of the Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum,<ref>[http://www.faithintowerhamlets.com/default/1000.home/index.htm Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum]</ref> a founding member of The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO),<ref>[http://www.londoncitizens.org.uk/telco/index.html TELCO]</ref> and an affiliate of the [[Muslim Council of Britain]].<ref>[http://www.mcb.org.uk/ Muslim Council of Britain]</ref> The [[Islamic Forum Europe]] (IFE) and the mosque are very closely intertwined,<ref name=tg1>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/7333487/Inextricably-linked-to-controversial-mosque-the-secret-world-of-IFE.html Telegraph.co.uk] 28 Feb 2010. Retrieved on 2010-09-12.</ref> the organisation was created in 1989 by Muslims involved in the running of the East London Mosque.<ref>[http://www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/uploadedImage/pdf/2010_03_15_17_14_22_ELM_dispatches_response.pdf Exposing 'Dispatches']</ref> The mosque interprets the [[Hanafi]] school of law based on the [[Deobandi]] tradition,<ref name=MitD>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ANeyGZr3GVoC&pg=PA38&dq=isbn:9780802082817&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false Muslims in the Diaspora: The Somali Communities of London and Toronto (page 38)] Rima Berns McGown, 1999, ISBN 9780802082817</ref> also it shares the ideology of [[Abul Ala Maududi]],<ref name=tg1/> or the [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamaat-e-Islami]].<ref>[http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-protest/bangladeshi_3715.jsp Bangladeshis in east London: from secular politics to Islam] openDemocracy. Delwar Hussain, 6 July 2006. Retrieved on 2010-09-12.</ref>
The mosque is a member of the Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum,<ref>[http://www.faithintowerhamlets.com/default/1000.home/index.htm Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum]</ref> a founding member of The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO),<ref>[http://www.londoncitizens.org.uk/telco/index.html TELCO]</ref> and an affiliate of the [[Muslim Council of Britain]].<ref>[http://www.mcb.org.uk/ Muslim Council of Britain]</ref> The [[Islamic Forum Europe]] (IFE) and the mosque are very closely intertwined,<ref name=tg1>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/7333487/Inextricably-linked-to-controversial-mosque-the-secret-world-of-IFE.html Telegraph.co.uk] 28 Feb 2010. Retrieved on 2010-09-12.</ref> the organisation was created in 1989 by Muslims involved in the running of the East London Mosque.<ref>[http://www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/uploadedImage/pdf/2010_03_15_17_14_22_ELM_dispatches_response.pdf Exposing 'Dispatches']</ref> The mosque interprets the [[Hanafi]] school of law based on the [[Deobandi]] tradition,<ref name=MitD>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ANeyGZr3GVoC&pg=PA38&dq=isbn:9780802082817&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false Muslims in the Diaspora: The Somali Communities of London and Toronto (page 38)] Rima Berns McGown, 1999, ISBN 9780802082817</ref> also it shares the ideology of [[Abul Ala Maududi]],<ref name=tg1/> or the [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami|Jamaat-e-Islami]].<ref>[http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-protest/bangladeshi_3715.jsp Bangladeshis in east London: from secular politics to Islam] openDemocracy. Delwar Hussain, 6 July 2006. Retrieved on 2010-09-12.</ref> Prominent imams who have visited the mosque includes, [[Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais]] (imam of [[Masjid al-Haram]]),<ref>[http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009080746030 Al-Sudais launches second expansion of London mosque] Saudi Gazette. Retrieved on 2010-09-13.</ref> [[Delwar Hossain Sayeedi]] (one of the leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami),<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article687513.ece The Times] July 14, 2006. Retrieved on 2010-08-22.</ref> Sheikh [[Yusuf Estes]], [[Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips]], Sheikh Hussain Yee, and Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick.<ref>[http://www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/resources/sermons&paginate=1&ipp=All Friday Khutbahs] ELM & LMC. Retrieved on 2010-09-13.</ref>


== Services ==
== Services ==

Revision as of 17:20, 13 September 2010

The East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
View of the mosque and centre on Whitechapel Road
Religion
OwnershipEast London Mosque Trust Ltd.
Location
Location46-92 Whitechapel Road, Tower Hamlets, London, England
Architecture
Architect(s)Markland Klaschka Ltd (2002-10)
John Gill Associates (1982-85)
StyleModern
Specifications
Capacity5000
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)3
Website
eastlondonmosque.org.uk

The East London Mosque, situated in the inner London Borough of Tower Hamlets between Whitechapel and Aldgate, serves the UK's largest Muslim community.[3] It lies near the edge of the City of London, the capital's busy business area, and just a couple of miles from the fast-expanding London Docklands. Combined with the adjoining London Muslim Centre, it is one of the largest mosques in United Kingdom in terms of capacity holding up to 5000 people.[4]

Building details

Construction of the three-storey East London Mosque began in 1982 and was completed in 1985, on the site of land left empty after bombing during World War 2. The exterior is a distinctive brick pattern in two colours, the front facing Whitechapel Road and the rear on Fieldgate Street. The mosque is capped with a gold colour dome of about 8.5m diameter. The minaret rises to about 22m above ground level, and the main entrance is finished with two smaller copies of the minaret. The mosque has two large halls, a gallery, classrooms, offices and a retail unit. The architect was John Gill Associates.

In 2002 construction began of Phase 1 of the mosque's expansion, called the London Muslim Centre. Adjoining and connected to the mosque, it is a six-storey building with a prominent entrance featuring a sweeping mosaic pattern. Construction was completed in 2004. The centre has two multipurpose halls, a seminar suite, a nursery, classrooms, a fitness centre, a small Islamic library, a radio station, retail units and offices. The centre was designed by Markland Klaschka Architects and Designers.[5]

In 2009 a further significant expansion - Phase 2 - commenced, this time a nine-storey addition on the Fieldgate Street side on the site originally used by their funeral service. Completion is expected in late 2011.[6] It will add a new main prayer hall, improved funeral services, and substantial facilities for women including prayer space, full- and part-time education, and a health and fitness centre. The building includes a mezzanine level around the main hall which will accommodate a visitor centre. The design was once again by Markland Klaschka Architects and Designers.[7]

History

1910–1939

At the beginning of the twentieth century London had no mosque, though it was the capital of the extensive British Empire containing tens of millions of Muslims. A place was needed for Muslim diplomats and merchants, and for the many Muslim sailors coming into port in Tower Hamlets. On 9 November 1910, at a meeting of Muslim and non-Muslims held at the Ritz Hotel, the London Mosque Fund was established with the aims of organising the weekly Friday prayers and of procuring a permanent place of worship for Muslims.

Over the years many distinguished personalities were associated with the London Mosque Fund. Amongst them was the Rt. Hon. Syed Ameer Ali, the first Indian Privy Counsellor, who was the Chairman of London Mosque Fund Executive Committee until his death in 1928. His Royal Highness the Aga Khan served as life President of the Board of Trustees while both Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, the famous translators of the Qur’an, were trustees of the Fund. Non-Muslims who recognised the need for a Muslim place of worship in London were also part of the Fund. Lord Lamington (d. 1940) became a Vice-Chairman of the London Mosque Fund. Sir Hassan Suhrawardy was also the chairman of the executive committee of the fund.[8] The famous historian, Professor T. W. Arnold, became its Secretary and was later replaced by Sir Ernest Houston. Sir John Woodhead became its Treasurer and the Rt. Hon. Earl Winterton was also a trustee of the Fund.[9][10]

1940–1974

For 30 years various rooms were hired for the Jumu'ah prayers on Fridays. Finally in 1940, three houses were purchased at 446–448 Commercial Road in the east end of London as a permanent place of prayer. On 2 August 1941, the combined houses were inaugurated as the "East London Mosque" and Islamic Culture Centre at a ceremony attended by the then Egyptian Ambassador, Colonel Sir Gordon Neal (representing the Secretary of State for India). The first prayer was led by the Ambassador for Saudi Arabia, Shaikh Hafiz Wahba.[11]

From the late 1950s the local Muslim population began to increase due to immigration from the Indian subcontinent, particularly from Sylhet in East Pakistan (which became Bangladesh in 1971).[12] During the 1970s, this immigration increased significantly.

1975–1984

In 1975, the local authority bought the properties in Commercial Road under a compulsory purchase order, in return providing a site with temporary buildings on Whitechapel Road, next to the Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue. The local community set about raising funds to erect a purpose-built mosque on the site, and were aided by a contribution from the King of Saudi Arabia. Seven years later, the building of the new mosque commenced with foundations laid down in 1982 and completion achieved in 1985.

1985–2000

The mosque was the first in Britain to broadcast the Adhan (call to prayer) from the Minaret using loudspeakers. It had a capacity of up to 2000, with prayer areas for men and women, and classroom space for supplementary education. However, by the 1990s the capacity was already insufficient not only for the growing congregation but also for the range of projects based there. The land next to the mosque had been left vacant after bomb damage during World War II, and was used as a car park. The management of the mosque launched a campaign to buy the land and after frequent setbacks including funding and legal problems, the purchase was completed in 1999.

2001–2008

London Muslim Centre front entrance

In 2001 HRH Prince Charles launched the project to build the London Muslim Centre (LMC).[13] Construction began in 2002, and the new centre opened on 11 June 2004, with over 15,000 people attending the opening prayers.[14][15] The prayer capacity of the mosque and centre rose to about 5000, with a greatly increased range of services. The building had cost over £10 million, more than half of which had been raised by ordinary Muslims.[16]

London Muslim centre rear view

On the opening day Sheikh Abdur Rahman Al-Sudais, Imam of the Kaaba in Mecca, led the Friday prayer. He told the thousands that had gathered that day that this was a shining example of how the British Muslim community were taking great steps forward to enhance community cohesion. Amongst the guests were Racial Equality Minister Fiona Mactaggart, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips and senior officials from the Muslim Council of Britain. Prince Charles, who was in Washington for the funeral of former US president Ronald Reagan, sent a video message of support. [16]

In July 2004 the Malaysian prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, visited the mosque and centre[17].

In November 2004 HRH Prince Charles returned to see the centre he had launched three years earlier.[18] The following month HM The Queen featured excerpts of his visit in her Christmas Message.[19][20]

In July 2008 the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, delivered a speech on "Equality Before The Law" at an event highlighting the pro bono legal service at the LMC.[21]

In October 2008, the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre won Islam Channel's Super Model Mosque award presented at the Global Peace and Unity event at the Excel Centre.[22][23]

In December 2008 the Daily Telegraph was outraged that the East London Mosque planned to allow Noor Pro Media to hold a conference on 1 January 2009 which would include a videotaped lecture by Anwar al-Awlaki; former Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve expressed concern over al-Awlaki's involvement.[24]

2009–present

17 April 2009: launch of UK's first signed khutbah (Friday sermon) in partnership with local charity Al-Isharah.[25][26]

19 June 2009: construction began of the mosque's new Phase 2 expansion.[27]

4 September 2009: the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, visited the mosque and centre in Ramadan, commending its projects and urging people to try fasting for a day.[28][29]

11 September 2009: the mosque raised over £1 million in one night in Ramadan on Channel S,[30] breaking the record they previously held for ethnic television,[31] in an appeal for the building of their Phase 2 expansion.

4 March 2010: hosted 'The BIG Read' in partnership with IF Charity, Islamic Forum Europe, Muslim Aid, and Tower Hamlets Council, a successful attempt to break the world record for 'Most children reading with an adult', when 3,234 children listened to readings from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.[32][33]

5 March 2010: hosted the BBC's weekly live topical debate 'Any Questions?', chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby and with panellists Ken Livingstone (former Mayor of London), Ken Clarke (then Shadow Business Secretary), Mehdi Hasan (senior politics editor at the New Statesman) and Julia Goldsworthy (then Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Communities and Local Government).[34]

25 August 2010: subject of a BBC documentary, 'Middle EastEnders', that "chronicles the setbacks and triumphs of an institution which has shaped the identity of a corner of London", timed to anticipate the centenary of the mosque.[35]

Management and affiliations

The East London Mosque Trust Limited is a registered charity[36] (previously registered as The London Mosque Fund)[37] and a private company (limited by guarantee, no share capital).[38] The mosque is managed by trustees who are elected each year by its members at the Annual General Meeting. Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari is the chairman of the Management Committee for 2010–11.[39] The Khatib and primary Imam of the mosque is Abdul Qayum. The Executive Director is Dilowar Hussain Khan.

The mosque is a member of the Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum,[40] a founding member of The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO),[41] and an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain.[42] The Islamic Forum Europe (IFE) and the mosque are very closely intertwined,[43] the organisation was created in 1989 by Muslims involved in the running of the East London Mosque.[44] The mosque interprets the Hanafi school of law based on the Deobandi tradition,[1] also it shares the ideology of Abul Ala Maududi,[43] or the Jamaat-e-Islami.[45] Prominent imams who have visited the mosque includes, Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais (imam of Masjid al-Haram),[46] Delwar Hossain Sayeedi (one of the leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami),[47] Sheikh Yusuf Estes, Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Sheikh Hussain Yee, and Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick.[48]

Services

Dome of the mosque viewed from the rear
The interior of the dome in the mosque

The mosque has a stated mission to:

… provide a range of holistic, culturally sensitive services for the communities of London with a view to improving the quality of life and enhancing community cohesion

— Annual Report 2005-06, East London Mosque Trust Ltd[49]

As the community base changes so does the services offered, previously sermons or announcements were given in Bengali or Sylheti only. Today the sermon is delivered in Arabic, Bengali and English, to meet the needs of the diverse communities living in the United Kingdom.

To further its mission a number of services are provided to the community including:[50]

  • ICT Training and English classes
  • ISAP — Improving School Attendance in Partnership, a scheme in partnership with the local authority, to raise attendance and attainment in school
  • Junior Muslim Circle (JMC) — Recreational activities for children
  • New Muslims' classes — Islamic teaching for new converts to Islam
  • ELM Evening Madrasah — after school education for children
  • ELM Women's Link — support services for women
  • Faith in Health — health awareness and lifestyle facilities
  • Way to Work — a project assisting people to enter training and employment

The mosque also runs Muslim Community Radio (MCR), in partnership with Islamic Forum Europe, which started to broadcast since 1998 through a RSL, then through Spectrum, and since 2001 acquired the rights to broadcast 24 hours across east London during the month of Ramadan. In 2005 it moved into a new studio in the London Muslim Centre. It is run by volunteers at the mosque, it provides programs for women, children's shows, quiz shows, fiqh sessions, taraweeh prayer, and shows such as Daily Halaqa, Qur'anic class, Easy Talk, Drive Time and many more, all in English and Bengali.[51][52][53]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Muslims in the Diaspora: The Somali Communities of London and Toronto (page 38) Rima Berns McGown, 1999, ISBN 9780802082817
  2. ^ East London Mosque MosquesInBritain.org. Retrieved on 2010-09-13.
  3. ^ Census 2001 - Tower Hamlets Office for National Statistics
  4. ^ £1.1m record-breaking success for the East London Mosque! East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
  5. ^ Project page for the London Muslim Centre Markland Klaschka Architects and Designers
  6. ^ Phase 2 - 19 June 2009 East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
  7. ^ Project page for the East London Mosque - Phase 2 Markland Klaschka Architects and Designers
  8. ^ The Times 2 August 1941
  9. ^ History of East London Mosque East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
  10. ^ Visit the City – East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre City of London
  11. ^ FAQs about the mosque and centre. East London Mosque. Retrieve on 2007-09-12.
  12. ^ Strangers, Aliens and Asians: Huguenots, Jews and Bangladeshis in Spitalfields 1660–2000 name=Kershen2005> Anne J. Kershen, 2005, ISBN 0714655252
  13. ^ Prince joins Ramadan ceremony BBC website
  14. ^ Crowds flock to new Muslim centre BBC website
  15. ^ New Muslim centre opens its doors BBC website
  16. ^ a b Annual Report 2005-06. East London Mosque Trust Ltd. Retrieved on 2007-09-13
  17. ^ British Prime Minister Blair praises Malaysia The Star, 24 July 2004
  18. ^ Royal seal of approval for centre BBC website
  19. ^ Queen calls for tolerance in UK BBC website
  20. ^ Video of Queen's Christmas message 2004 requires Real Player
  21. ^ Equality Before the Law
  22. ^ Model Mosque Competition Global Peace and Unity
  23. ^ Britain's Muslims Vote their Best Mosques IslamOnline (5 Nov. 2008), by Emdad Rahman.
  24. ^ Muslim groups 'linked to September 11 hijackers spark fury over conference' Gordon Raynor, The Daily Telegraph, 27 December 2008
  25. ^ London Khutbah Service al-Isharah
  26. ^ Friday prayers translated into British Sign Language The Muslim News, Issue 241, 29 May 2009
  27. ^ Phase 2 - 19 June 2009 East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
  28. ^ Mayor calls for greater understanding of Muslim communities Greater London Authority
  29. ^ Boris Johnson: 'fast during Ramadan to understand Muslims' The Telegraph, 4 September 2009
  30. ^ Successful Fundraising on Channel S East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
  31. ^ Ramadan fund-raising tops £1,2m in East London mosque campaign East London Advertiser, 2 October 2008
  32. ^ The Big Read IF Charity
  33. ^ Case Study - Most children reading with an adult Guinness World Records
  34. ^ Any Questions - 5 March 2010 BBC Radio 4
  35. ^ Middle EastEnders BBC
  36. ^ The East London Mosque Trust Limited Charity Commission
  37. ^ The London Mosque Fund Charity Commission
  38. ^ The East London Mosque Trust Limited Companies House
  39. ^ 51st AGM elects Trustees - updated East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre
  40. ^ Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum
  41. ^ TELCO
  42. ^ Muslim Council of Britain
  43. ^ a b Telegraph.co.uk 28 Feb 2010. Retrieved on 2010-09-12.
  44. ^ Exposing 'Dispatches'
  45. ^ Bangladeshis in east London: from secular politics to Islam openDemocracy. Delwar Hussain, 6 July 2006. Retrieved on 2010-09-12.
  46. ^ Al-Sudais launches second expansion of London mosque Saudi Gazette. Retrieved on 2010-09-13.
  47. ^ The Times July 14, 2006. Retrieved on 2010-08-22.
  48. ^ Friday Khutbahs ELM & LMC. Retrieved on 2010-09-13.
  49. ^ Annual Report 2005-06. East London Mosque Trust Ltd. Retrieved on 2007-09-13
  50. ^ ELM News. East London Mosque. September 2007.
  51. ^ MCR Radio
  52. ^ Islamic Forum of Europe
  53. ^ MCR Programs


51°31′03″N 0°03′56″W / 51.5176°N 0.0656°W / 51.5176; -0.0656

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