Neighbours to the so-called 'Mega mosque' believe it would completely dwarf the surrounding conservation areas and fail to serve a mixed community if given the go-ahead.

Residents near the site in Canning Road, West Ham – owned by Islamic movement Tablighi Jamaat – have spoken about what they describe as real concerns about the project despite fears of being labelled Islamophobic. It comes after mosque backers put their case to the Recorder earlier this month.

The residents of Abbey Lane told the Recorder they worry not only about the scale of the planned Riverine Centre, also known as Abbey Mills Mosque – which at 29,227 square metres is more than three times the floorspace of St Paul's Cathedral – but fear a parking nightmare due to its 9,000 capacity.

They say no proper public consultation has been held to reflect the current plans, which they say serve almost exclusively one Islamic group rather than the whole community.

Mike Duff, a 33-year-old director of an urban planning consultancy, is among the residents who have put their objections to the council and mosque backers.

He said: "I worked for six years in Saudi Arabia and helped At-Turaif, the village where Wahab Islam, the strictest interpretation of Islam globally, was founded to achieve Unesco World Heritage Status, so being anti-Muslim is the furthest thing from my mind. I understand where they are coming from with regard to practising their religion.

"But the scale of this mosque is completely unsuitable for this location, I would feel the same if it was a church of that size."

Newham Recorder, 1 November 2012

Here is a recent tweet by Mr Duff urging support for an e-petition against the Newham mosque.

The petition itself opposes the Canning Road development on the following grounds: "The Tablighi Jamaat group, a Muslim missionary movement once described as an 'ante-chamber of fundamentalism', wants to build Britain's biggest place of worship in West Ham."

So Mr Duff's claim that he would "feel the same if it was a church of that size" is disingenuous. He openly backs a campaign against the development on the basis of the alleged threat posed by Tablighi Jamaat.

As for the assertion that the mosque will be "Britain's biggest place of worship", its capacity will in fact be rather less than that of the Ahmadiyya community's Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden.

Update:  Still, to be fair, Mike Duff and his friends do have their admirers.

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Any human that comes into this world is surounded relations that already exist regardless of personal choice. Those beautiful relationships help the person grow and understand the norms of a complicated world. Kinship in Muslim families is very important because the bonds created by familiy are the strongest bonds of all.

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him maintain the bonds of kinship.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
Nuclear and extended families of modern society are supported by the high status of familial relations in Islam. Families are a safe haven and a source of protection, hence Muslim families are defined as, “the establishment of a safe social relationship on the basis of mutual respect, protection of rights and duties of its members, consideration of morality and generosity, a key role in safeguarding its member’s consolidation, fluency and stability” (Sayyid Jalal Mir A’qaiee).

Members in the Muslim family system each have their own set of rights including rights of parents, rights of grandparents and rights of children.

Parents and Grandparents are to be shown respect in the Muslim family, and the children are to be a source of strength in old age. The Quran teaches, “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that [you show] kindness to parents. Should one or both of them attain to old age with you, Say not “Fie” unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little. Your Lord is best aware of what is in yourselves. If you are righteous, then Lo! He was ever forgiving unto those who turn unto Him” (17: 23-25).”

Children in the Muslim Family, similarly, have rights too. The Quran teaches, “Upon death, man’s deeds will (definitely) stop except for three deeds, namely, a continuous charitable fund; endowment or goodwill; knowledge left for people to benefit from; and pious righteous and God-fearing children who continuously prays Allah, the Almighty, for the soul of his parents.” The Prophet (PBUH) said that children are to be looked after by their parents; have a right to education; a right to food, shelter and clothing; and to be protected and secured.
Prophet Muhammad also said: “Be fair and just in terms of the gifts you offer your children. If I was to give preference to any (gender over the other) I would have preferred females over males (in terms of giving gifts).”

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