Minarets in Europe: A British Imam's Perspective

Do you think that building mosques has become a challenge for European Muslims?

IslamOnline.net (IOL): According to the Herald Tribune, "Disputes over mosques have broken out across Europe; residents from Belgium to France to Germany have expressed unease at minarets competing in the urban landscape with the spires and stones of centuries-old cathedrals." Do you think the main reason behind these disputes is the growing presence of Muslims in Europe or the secularism adopted by most of Europe's societies?

Saad: I cannot speak of any other person's mind; yet, I strongly believe that neither is the reason for such a thing. Muslims have been present in Europe for a considerably long time, and they have always been growing; it is nothing new, in fact.

In the same manner, secularism and separation between religion and state have been adopted a long time ago by many European countries, despite the fact that (according to many European newspapers and surveys) religion has proved to play a vital role in the life of many people in Europe, and an inclination toward practicing religion is really growing.

I think the main reason for such disputes is the media-drawn image of Muslims and negative focus given to them, showing them as if they want to dominate Europe. There is also the dangerous harping on the string of "Christian Europe threatened by the Muslim existence," and there are alarms about the threatened European identity, although there is in fact a big discussion on what constitutes a European identity.

Mosques have been in Europe for at least a century now, and secularism has been there for a long time too. I believe there has never been such a dispute indeed. In fact, the good aspect of secularism is that it promotes diversity and multiculturalism, which means that all religious institutions are supposed to be freely given a place in a secularist society without any reservation, as long as they are minding the religious affairs of their respective communities.

IOL: What kind of cultural sensitivities should the European Muslim communities consider when building their mosques?

Saad: One important thing Muslims in Europe should be really concerned about to actively integrate in the new society, especially as the Islamic identity encourages them to do so and helps them in that respect as well. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) built his mosque, it was simple and without any minarets. I think that was a very smart way of adhering to the diversity that governed the society in Madinah at that time.

I think Muslims in Europe are supposed to follow the same technique; they should try to be creative and go with mosques' architectural styles that are modern and diverse and do the purpose. In Islam, there is no requirement for a mosque, with the exception that it should be a place for Prayer that is clean and pure. If we add to this fact another element, mosques in the West act as centers for social activities for the community; then it becomes clear to us that the structure of the mosque — as well as its way of functioning— has to be coherent with the society as it has to accommodate the needs of that society.

IOL: Don't you think that mosques in Europe should work more on opening their doors to the Muslims' fellow citizens to promote more understanding?

Saad: Surely yes; with the increasing media-forged image giving rise to Islamophobia, mosques should play an active role as venues for dispelling that type of fog. Actually, more presentations and open days should be arranged. Outreach programs should top the list of Islamic centers' programs for the coming years.

IOL: I think you heard of the proposed construction of a mosque that would be the largest in Europe. It is said that it will be built at the gateway to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In your opinion, how can the controversy over this issue be handled?

Saad: I think that it has to be handled through a dialogue between the UK government and the people who are planning to build the mosque, bearing in mind that the campaigns against the building of the mosque are spearheaded by the British National Party (BNP), which is known for its extremist agenda that threatens diversity and is against immigrants and foreigners.

I think moderates and responsible people from both sides can handle the issue by coming together and opening a dialogue in which they consider all possible solutions and care for two important things at the same time: the welfare of the British society and its greater objectives and priorities on the one hand, and the diversity and pluralism it provides to its people on the other.

IOL: In the context of evaluating the role of mosques in Europe, training of imams sounds very crucial. Who should be responsible for fulfilling this need?

Saad: In fact, the Muslim communities and organizations are mature and sensible enough to take care of such an important task. There is already a Muslim existence in the realm of academic organizations and institutions, though not ideal, but it can do the job in the current situation.

Here in the UK, there is an Islamic institute in Wales; in France, there is another one, and both teach Islamic studies awarding degrees and can help design some courses for imams arriving to Europe or even European imams.

I believe that a coalition of Islamic organizations that are active in the European arena can take up this responsibility rather than the government, because the governments' dictates will not be taken favorably on the part of the larger Muslim community.

There is no other option except cooperation between the government and local Islamic mainstream organizations to do this job. Trust has to be built between the three parties: the government, the Islamic organizations, and the larger Muslim community.

IOL: How can the media play a constructive role in introducing mosques to the larger European societies? How can the imams themselves be actively engaged with the media to break the circle of stereotyping?

Saad: I feel a great sensitivity when we speak about the media here because I believe that it is normally failure stories (rather than success ones) that find their way to the news headlines and TV reports. The media people need to have community-welfare-oriented conscience, which can guide them to structuring a coherent community.

Imams need to be trained on how to speak to the media, and media should highlight success stories in the mosques in a way that helps remove the bad images sometimes drawn by the public.

Media people should approach sincere people in the Muslim community and initiate series of programs aiming at opening the venue for the public to get a true understanding of Islam and get rid of the stereotypes. Imams should try their best to break the language and sensitivity barriers and invite media bodies whenever they have a constructive activity that pours in building a stronger community.

Do you think that building mosques has become a challenge for European Muslims? Do you think that mosques in Europe should be void of minarets in an attempt to ease off Islamophobia? How can European Muslims approach the Western media to promote the image of Islam?

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