"People…have mistaken understandings of what Muslims believe and have suspicion of what Muslims do inside their mosques," said Bunglawala.

By Ahmad Maher, IOL Staff

CAIRO, May 15, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has launched a report based on wide-ranging consultations with imams and mosque trustees across the United Kingdom to counter stereotypes on the Muslim places of worship in the country as terror hotbeds.

"We in the Voices from the Minaret report want to refute allegations coming from several quarters that mosques are incubating terrorists and radical preachers, who are preaching extremist doctrines," MCB Media Officer Inayat Bunglawala told IslamOnline.net Monday, May 15.

"This is fiction and scare-mongering," he stressed.

The 40-page report, unveiled Saturday, May 13, during a meeting at Disdsbury mosque in Manchester, offers practical solutions to the issues facing mosques and imams in the UK through.

It further highlights the concerns of the Muslim minority in Britain -- estimated at some 1.8 million people -- and those employed in mosques, which were placed under the police microscope following the 7/7 attacks.

A total of 56 people died and more than 700 were injured when four suicide bombers detonated explosives packed in rucksacks on three rush-hour underground trains and a city bus last summer.

The Saturday's meeting was attended by 300 representatives of national Muslim organizations.

The MCB, a coalition of some 400 organizations, is the largest Muslim umbrella group in Britain.

Open-Door Policy

Bunglawala said the meeting was designed to hear from the imams and the mosque trustees on how best British Muslims can improve the quality of services and preaching given to Muslims.

"There are indeed exemplary mosques, which work with the young, facilitate for women local community activities and encourage Muslims all in all to take part in wider activities in society," he added.

The Muslim activist added that while some mosques were doing "excellent work" others were not.

The Saturday's meeting called for setting up an independent advisory board to be led by Muslim organizations.

Bunglawala further said the report recommended a new drive to open the doors of Britain's 1,000-plus mosques to the wider community.

"People don't really know much about Islam generally and have mistaken understandings of what Muslims believe and have suspicion of what Muslims do inside their mosques," he said.

"So mosques should open their doors to non-Muslims to convey to them the basic teaching of Islam and to show them the purpose of the mosque is to raise young people, who are God-fearing and a benefit to the society around."

An ICM poll found in February that a sweeping majority of 91 percent of British Muslims were "loyal" to Britain and 80 percent wanted to live in and accept Western society.

Qualified Imams

Bunglawala further said that the report recommended backing up qualified imams especially those who speak fluent English.

"You know some imams with better English communicate with misguided youths and correct the misinformation they have from radical preachers," he said.

The report recommends ways in which mosques and imams may be assisted with a view to improve their contributions and performance.

Muslim leaders and politicians have called for drawing up a training program for imams in non-theological skills, including interfaith dialogue and conflict resolution, and establishing "beacon centers" to promote integration and develop leadership.

They said mosques should increase the use of English in sermons because half of Muslims aged under 24 did not understand Arabic, and that mosque committees would have to include more women and young people.

Click to read the Voices from the Minaret report