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.
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