11 March 2010

Camberley mosque plan rejected by council

The local Bengali Association's bid to build a mosque on the site of a listed former school building was rejected by Surrey Heath Borough Council. Local historians and residents had opposed the plans, saying the town's heritage needed to be protected. [BBC] Read more

The Camberley mosque should be stopped .... This new mosque will not be in the interests of all British Muslims as it will allocate less than a fifth of the space to female worshippers. But there is nothing in Islamic theology that legitimises a misogynistic apartheid in the house of God.

Nor does the history of Islamic architecture show that mosques must have towering minarets. Places of worship vary greatly throughout the world of Islam, reflecting local building traditions. From Timbuktu to East Timor, mosque buildings blend into their particular surroundings. [Times Online] Read more